Williams Money Woes?

[vatuloa]

With the loss of BMW there are a number of Williams current sposors who are connected to BMW and Mario Theissen promissed BMW board the Sauber would run on full sponsorship

Check out the website http://www.gp2005.com/news/controlle...&news_id=13085

[Dutton]

Well perhaps it is another reason for Williams to stick with BMW for next year, to give them breathing room to sort everything out properly.

Also, I think Mario is going to find it a notable challenge to get in enough sponsorship to cover the costs - or, alternately, the budget will have to be reasonably limited. I think BMW will quickly come to accept they will have no choice, if they want genuine success, but to throw the money in (which perhaps Mario is counting on).

[F1_KING]

Doesnt sound good, but i remember reading an interview with sir frank getting asked that question about if bmw leaving so will the sponsers, i think by memory he said that williamsf1 will be financally fine.

[VilleneuveTracy]

According to that article BMW is having trouble finding adequate sponsorship for 2006. I have a suggestion that would help BMW with sponsorship in 2006.

[Nicholosophy]

Originally Posted by F1_KING

Doesnt sound good, but i remember reading an interview with sir frank getting asked that question about if bmw leaving so will the sponsers, i think by memory he said that williamsf1 will be financally fine.

Sir Frank is smart enough to know that even if he was having trouble with sponsors/money that it is best to keep your mouth shut. He needs to get every last cent out of his sponsors, so he does not want to look desperate - or they'll go "we see you are really in need of money, how about we do a deal" instead of sir frank going "we would like to help support your brand as long as you can help top up our budget"...

[vatuloa]

The artical is about BMW trying to take sponsorship money from Williams 2005 to BMW 2006 a lot of this will henge on a engine deal for 2006 for Williams the quicker this is announced the better for all sponsors. Sponsors do not like uncertanty and Sir Frank Williams knows this very well

[Hazza]

With BMW gone, will there be more involvement from bud? Bright red?

[Super Tourer]

To add to this I believe that HP are about to embark on a savage cost cutting exercise, with rumours of 20,000 job cuts worldwide. HP effectively inherited the Williams sponsorship when they bought Compaq and there was allegedly disquiet amongst HP when they saw the amount of space RBS got on the car for the money compared to HP's investment....

Generally, companies that are allegedly firing people in those numbers find it untenable to carry on with 'frivolous' and expensive sponsorships, so I wouldn't be surprised to see HP exit F1.

You may recall that when Renault were last in F1 as a works team, they had to pull out of F1 due to union pressure. The unions would not accept that Renault needed to restructure their car business and shed thousands of workers, while the company was spending heavily on F1.

[BootsOntheSide]

Originally Posted by VilleneuveTracy

According to that article BMW is having trouble finding adequate sponsorship for 2006. I have a suggestion that would help BMW with sponsorship in 2006.

That doesn't make sense. Canadian sponsorship of motorsport is a rare thing. Talented guys like David Empringham didn't ge tthe backing to move up, and Michel Valiente has struggled in recent years. The Forsythe team in ChampCars has had virtually no outside sponsorship for 18 months, and no non-tobacco sponsorship of note for years, despite winning the title in 2003.

[BSchneiderFan]

The departure of BMW works backing will give Williams a little more freedom in terms of sponsorship (i.e. they can approach companies whose corporate colours aren't blue and white), and Budweiser might choose to up their involvement. How long is the contract with RBS?

[Glen]

Originally Posted by VilleneuveTracy

According to that article BMW is having trouble finding adequate sponsorship for 2006. I have a suggestion that would help BMW with sponsorship in 2006.

Hey yea - a pay driver. Good idea.

[N I Tram]

BScFan, I can'tsee this being a positive outcome.They will probably have to pay for engines next year and will lsoe someexisitng sponsorship, and will surely find it ahrder to sll their team to potential investors now that the BMW link is gone.

[Super Tourer]

I tend to think that Williams will see the exit of BMW as almost a 'release', which goes some way to explaining why the partnership probably didn't deliver it's true potential - I don't see Williams as a corporate partner player in the modern way it manifests itself in F1 - take McLaren and Mercedes - for example.

To my mind, whoever will be the engine supplier is not Williams main issue - more worrying is that aerodynamically the team are falling back further each year and taking longer to get on top of the car. That needs to be their main focus, regardless of which engine is bolted onto the car.

[Super Tourer]

As per my post on HP

Hewlett-Packard is to lay off about one in ten of its workers as part of its long-awaited restructuring.

The US computer and IT giant said it planned to cut 14,500 jobs over the next 18 months in an attempt to save $1.9bn (£1.1bn) a year.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4696567.stm

That could have implications for their future involvement in F1.

[Snrub]

Realistically how many sponsors are going to be excited about signing on with Williams now that they have no manufacturer backing and have had a poor season? Williams will probably survive, but I'd suggest it they will have a more difficult time until they can run near the front again. In order to be competitive on money with the other teams they need to get more non-manufacturer sponsorship than any of the other teams. How likely does that seem?

[Louis B.]

Originally Posted by Super Tourer

As per my post on HP

Hewlett-Packard is to lay off about one in ten of its workers as part of its long-awaited restructuring.

The US computer and IT giant said it planned to cut 14,500 jobs over the next 18 months in an attempt to save $1.9bn (£1.1bn) a year.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4696567.stm

That could have implications for their future involvement in F1.

Indeed, as with Jaguar pulling out last year.

[Adam43]

Well Jaguar pulling out created an F1 team where beforehand there wasn't one.

I'm not sure of your point (irrespective of my slightly cynical remark). However there were sponsors associated who decided to tome down there F1 involvement (e.g. HSBC). Although there were others that continued and even increased their involvement (e.g that Diamond thing and movie thing!).

thinking about it, perhaps that is your point. Jaguar were only ever a sponsor not a team anyway.

[Louis B.]

Originally Posted by VilleneuveTracy

According to that article BMW is having trouble finding adequate sponsorship for 2006. I have a suggestion that would help BMW with sponsorship in 2006.

I hate to say this my friend but what I think you have in mind hasn't given much result at either BAR (except for Teleglobe perhaps) or Sauber. One thing is clear though, your suggestion is indeed bringing a lot of attention / coverage in the medias & public.

Back on the topic, it does indeed look pretty bad for Williams in the upcoming years considering that: this year's car is ****ty and not improving (its performance in reltation to the others is in fact regressing); no engine for next year; Button likely to (wisely) stay with BAR; sponsors like Allianz, Puma, Boysen, Oris, MAN, O2 Germany & Wurth (and perhaps Reuters) were all brought in, kept or joined due to BMW such that they are likely to either jump ship or not to renew their respective sponsorships at their renewal dates; HP likely to pull out; Budweiser unlikely to renew their sponsorship agreement as their joining in was linked to Montoya; no reliable aerodynamist in the team, etc...

I fear that time might have come for Sir Williams to call it a day...

P.S. this is not a wish as I do like the team.

[Louis B.]

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

Well Jaguar pulling out created an F1 team where beforehand there wasn't one.

I'm not sure of your point (irrespective of my slightly cynical remark). However there were sponsors associated who decided to tome down there F1 involvement (e.g. HSBC). Although there were others that continued and even increased their involvement (e.g that Diamond thing and movie thing!).

thinking about it, perhaps that is your point. Jaguar were only ever a sponsor not a team anyway.

My point was that Jaguar's decision to pull out from f1 was directly linked with their decision to lay out thousands of workers in Europe. They simply could no longer justify to their workers' union and to the public opinion putting millions of $$$ in an f1 team while, by the same token, laying off as many as they did. I thought this was a well established fact.

P.S. It is obvious to me that last years' Jaguar f1 was never a team but a branded name for a Ford team who got caught into the f1 business by Sir Jackie Stewart.

[VilleneuveTracy]

I don't think a Canadian company will sponsor BMW but you would think a former WDC would be more attractive to a sponsor than someone like Massa since JV gets substantially more media exposure. At worst, JV has been on par with Massa since Monaco. If I had a choice between two drivers who are roughly producing the same results and one would give my company substantially more exposure I would opt for the driver who would provide more exposure for my company, which is the point of sponsoring a team.

[Dixie Flatline]

That depends on where BMW is focussing their marketing. If, for example, they're looking towards Central/South America, then Massa might be a better fit for them. This season, he's done well - can't deny that - in a car that isn't quick (can't deny that either). JV has had to play catch-up and I'm not sure whether yet he's done that successfully. It was also rumoured that JV had written into his contract with Sauber a clause allowing him space on the Sauber for personal sponsorship, but I don't recall any sponsor on JV's car that isn't on Massa's car. For example, I'm not even sure that Sonax sponsor JV as I think they've stuck with BAR.

FWIW, Stoddart has had plenty of coverage about himself in the media this season, but that doesn't equate to more sponsors signing on for Minardi.

[Asa]

Maybe Williams will get Hyundai badged Cosworths for 2006? That could help them open up the Korean market. Similar to what they did in the early 80s when they got into the Saudi Arabia market ahead of everyone else.

I seem to remember a report about BMW buying out the entire Williams livery and then looked for sponsors to cover BMW's costs. That allowed them to dictate the blue and white livery. So the sponsors actually paid BMW directly. This could be transferred to Sauber and I suspect that's how Dr. Thiessen could promise the board full sponsorship for the team.

Patrick Head also mentioned that the finance provided this year meant they could not keep Ralf and JPM. Probably BMW lowered their deal for 2005.

[josvandeperre]

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=93143

Who mentioned Hyundai !

Take the money & run

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by josvandeperre

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=93143

Who mentioned Hyundai !

Take the money & run

Badge second,car first.

[Kirk]

I chuckled when I first heard that Button could be used in a trade off for the use of the Honda engine at Williams. If indeed Williams are hurting for money, then that sounds more than feasible now.