Williams won't sacrifice brand for "last drop of sponsor money" in F1

Williams unveiled its new car for the 2021 season last week, presenting a heavily-revised livery that saw it adopt a striking new white, blue and yellow colour scheme.

The FW43B livery design saw a reduction in size of a number of the sponsorship stickers, leaving a significant amount of blank space on the car.

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But the decision was a deliberate one, according to Williams CEO Capito, who explained how the team wanted to strengthen its own identity and display new owner Dorilton’s commitment to the brand.

"It gives a flavour of our new direction and our long-term ambition, and it also signals that the Williams brand will be a focus going forward,” explained Capito.

“Williams Racing is one of the most famous and recognisable names in F1, or indeed in motorsport worldwide, and we believe it is one of our most valuable assets.

“Over the coming months, you will see how we will develop and invest in the Williams brand for the long term.

“It is an approach that has the full backing of Dorilton, and takes preference over chasing the last drop of sponsor money. We will partner with brands that share our vision.

Williams FW43B

Photo by: Williams

“The new ownership and the strategy we have going forward is already attracting partners, partners that are in contact with us and negotiations going forward.

“It’s too early to give you something, but there will be some announcements soon.”

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US investment fund Dorilton completed its takeover of Williams last August, helping secure its finances and bring a much-needed injection of cash to the British team.

Williams has finished last in the constructors’ championship in each of the past three years, but enjoyed an upswing of form in 2020, giving it a boost heading into the new season.

Capito explained how Dorilton was already fully supporting Williams’ required expansion for the future, even going beyond his expectations.

“I can confirm that Dorilton has already invested a lot since they started and since they got the ownership, and they are continuing to do this,” Capito said.

“If we come up with potential performance improvement measures, what we can do, we get the full support from Dorilton and this is absolutely fantastic.

“This is even much better than I expected when I accepted the role. It’s very much the areas we will recognise and we will point out where we have a lot of potential to improve.”