Following weeks of speculation, Williams has today confirmed a new title sponsor and with it a striking new livery.

The new agreement sees Martini, the world's leading vermouth and best-selling Italian sparkling wine, join forces with Williams to become Williams Martini Racing in a multi-year agreement that unites two iconic brands.

The iconic Martini Racing stripes will adorn the new Williams FW36 when it takes to the grid in Melbourne next week with Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas at the wheel.

Following a couple of the worst seasons in the Grove outfit's long history, there is an obvious air of change going in to the new season. A number of new partnerships have been signed, along with strong additions to the technical team, while in pre-season testing the FW36 has been one of the true stars showing pace and reliability from the outset. All in all, people are beginning to talk of Williams as contenders once again.

"We are thrilled to welcome Martini to the Williams family and officially launch Williams Martini Racing," said Frank William. “Williams and Martini share a rich history in the world of motorsport, and the values of our two brands and our shared passion for racing make this partnership a natural fit. It will be great to see the distinctive stripes of Martini Racing return to Formula One once again in unison with Williams."

“The decision to partner with Williams was a natural one for us as it provides an unparalleled opportunity for the Martini brand to connect with consumers through one of their lifestyle passions, Formula One racing," said Andy Gibson, Chief Marketing Officer of Bacardi and President of Bacardi Global Brands, who oversees marketing for Martini other premium brands in the Bacardi portfolio. “Martini will give consumers a taste of life in the fast lane, bringing a renewed sense of Italian style and glamour to the track and beyond. Williams Martini Racing provides a powerful, integrated marketing platform and delivers dynamic opportunities that will strengthen the Martini brand."

Martini's longstanding relationship with motorsport and rich history of both sponsorship and participation in worldwide sporting events began in 1968 with the creation of Martini Racing.

Martini Racing continued to evolve throughout the 1970s, and it was during this period that the distinctive blue and red livery was created. A pioneering design that emulated the team's speed and style, a consistent presence throughout the heyday of Martini Racing between 1971 and 1996.

In 1972, Martini made its first foray into Formula One partnering with Tecno for a one-year deal, and then returned in 1975 as a partner of Bernie Ecclestone's Brabham team, a partnership that continued for three years. From 2006 - 2008, Martini was an official partner of Ferrari.

Check out our Williams Martini Racing FW36 gallery, here.

LATEST NEWS

more news >

LATEST IMAGES

galleries >

Click to go to the main galleries section

READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Podge, 07/03/2014 9:30

"Stogie, Martini Racing is the sponsorship name from the Martini & Rossi distillery. It's an evocative livery because they've adorned some of the very best (and best looking) racing cars in history, from various Porsches like the 917, 935 and 911, Brabham F1 cars, Lancia race and rally cars like the LC2, 037 and Delta, and Ford Focus WRC cars. So, how evocative the classic McLaren/Honda/Marlboro livery is to F1 fans, the Martini colours are to the entire motorsport spectrum. I wish the stripes were a little fatter on the Williams to make it truly stand out, but I guess it's to leave a bit of other sponsorship room."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

2. Posted by Tony B Liar, 07/03/2014 9:24

"Hey there Mr Stogie, Martini & Rossi are the original parent company that produced the drinks range. They make vermouth (heard of Cinzano??); a rather insipid concoction drunk by Ladies of a certain age . Not the sort of stuff you Canucks would drink. They should have got Clamato on board - Caesers all round on the grid!!! "

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

3. Posted by The stogie, 07/03/2014 2:04

"OK, I am from the 'Colonies' (Canada) but I have no idea who or what Martini is. I have heard of Martini and Rossi but not Martini. Anybody want to enlighten me?"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

4. Posted by Rock Doc, 06/03/2014 15:22

"Wow that's great news for Williams. Great to see Martini in F1 again and a grreat looking car. Pity they couldn't hide the nose like Force India do.

Having grown up in a village in the shadow of Didcot powerstation I have always felt like Williams was my home team. As such it has been sad to see the downward decline of this great team over the last decade. So this news and the testing data is a real shot in the arm. I really think that Williams can make this a comeback year. I just hope they can keep ahead once the Ferrari and Renault engines get up to speed.

I'm really looking forward to this season. So many unknowns. So many assumptions going up in smoke (quite literally in some cases I expect). Good luck to Felipe and Valtteri."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

5. Posted by Jet Jockey, 06/03/2014 14:11

"Excellent news for Williams! Hope the Williams-Martini Racing F36 is a winner and can mix it up with the top teams this year."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

Martini lifts Williams off the rocks

LATEST NEWS

RELATED ARTICLES

LATEST IMAGES

POST A COMMENT

Post your comment

READERS COMMENTS

Share this page