Many Formula 1 teams have title sponsors and the names of such companies are often included in the official names of the World Championship participants: Oracle Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari HP, Mercedes AMG Petronas, Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team, etc.
It seems that all teams want to get such big sponsors, but that is not the case. According to Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, he does not share this approach because he does not want to become too dependent. That is why the Woking team does not have a title sponsor.
“From day one, I wanted us not to be dependent on such a sponsor,” says Austrian publication Motorsport Magazin Brown. – And if you look at the list of our partners, there is no such thing. When a team gets a title sponsor, it becomes dangerous in the sense that if this sponsor decides to part with you, the gap in the budget becomes too big.
We have to be realistic and we have taken into account the lessons of the past. Becoming independent was not easy, but I think it is a good thing. Although it forces us to work even harder to not be disadvantaged again.
I like our current approach. However, if a suitable brand appears and we are offered the right cooperation conditions, we are open to such a collaboration.”
McLaren once had title sponsors – tobacco companies in the 1980s and 1990s, first Marlboro, then West, and in 2007 it became telecommunications giant Vodafone. But after his departure the team has been known simply as McLaren for more than a decade, only to incorporate the Japanese brand into its name during the period of its partnership with Honda.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
