While, to most, the vast areas of papaya on the McLarens appear to be a blank canvas just waiting for some sponsor stickers, team boss Zak Brown claims that looks are deceiving and that in reality the Woking outfit has signed more sponsors than any of its rivals.

"There's a perception that goes back 10, 20 years of stickers on the cars, which is that; 'we'll equate the size of what the sticker on the car is to what we think the money is'," he tells RaceFans.net.

"That just isn't the case these days. And certainly not for us," he insists. "Because the partnerships run a lot deeper than just straightforward a logo on the car."

"If you're measuring off outward activation, if that sponsor's primary objectives are something like a (business-to-business) or employees' engagement, you're not necessarily going to see that," he explained. "We don't festoon the car with logos, that doesn't necessarily mean that we don't have substantive, long-term partners onboard.

"Ferrari's done one deal. Mercedes has traded one deal. So I think fortunately our shareholders and myself know that it's not going to... it just doesn't happen.

"I know that's my background and therefore everyone is expecting every inch of the car to be sold. The reality is we have done five deals, put aside Kimoa. I haven't seen another team do more than two. So we are deliberating."

Ignoring the sponsor influenced liveries the McLarens have sported over the years, most notably Yardley, Vodafone and, of course, Marlboro, in the eyes of most, visually at least the current cars appear to be severely under-subscribed, especially when one looks along the pitlane to the likes of Williams, Sauber, Racing Point and the Red Bull teams.

Curiously, in what some might see as a defensive move, Brown appears to take a swipe at the sport's powers-that-be for their own shortcomings on the sponsor front.

"Fortunately we've got very, very committed shareholders who also understand Formula One hasn't really announced a sponsor," he says. "They've done some media. We haven't seen a new trackside partner."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by FQITW, 30/08/2018 10:42

"If you're measuring off outward activation ???

Could it be that all these mega sponsors / premium partners / semi sub optimal lower tier associates / mates (call them what you will) are too embarrassed to have stickers on the car as they will be seen as people who have backed the biggest turkey on the grid?
"

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2. Posted by Egalitarian, 30/08/2018 0:06

"I agree wholeheartedly with nnails. Mr Brown, sponsors may not want to put their brand behind a pay wall, nor a pay tv model associated with Rupert Murdoch."

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3. Posted by nnails, 29/08/2018 20:53

"Got to be more difficult to get sponsor who sell to us now 70 percent off your audience can't watch because its behind a pay wall"

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4. Posted by BrightonCorgi, 29/08/2018 19:43

"Sponsors or not, the McLaren is worst looking car on the grid. Who approved that livery?"

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5. Posted by mds167, 29/08/2018 17:16

"It has been said before but surely if a major sponsor came forward with big bucks, the McLaren would have huge stickers and could even change colour. The blank space on the current car might as well say “your name here”.
The other teams don’t need to do deals (aside from Williams, alas) because they already have a decent ‘partnership’ roster.
Let the marketing man go and get some trackside sponsorship (was that a job application?) and McLaren get a proper boss, not a hobbyist."

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6. Posted by mister murakami, 29/08/2018 16:10

"If you exist to win and you're not winning, will you cease to exist?"

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7. Posted by Peter Rickitt, 29/08/2018 13:54

"When are McLaren's shareholders going to rid both themselves and F1 of this loquaciuos cretin, who is destroying a fine heritage, fine drivers and a fine team with his bumptiuos lack of delivery - if they do not have the stomach to fire him, perhaps the sport's owners should ban him on the grounds of bringing F1 into disrepute ?"

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8. Posted by @R1Racing71, 29/08/2018 13:00

"Have to take issue with @Motorsportfan on this one, those Force India's - sorry I mean RPFI's have the most effective colour scheme on the grid. Good Job by the marketing department."

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9. Posted by Motorsport-fan, 29/08/2018 12:22

"Apart from no sponsors its the worst colour scheme on the grid including the pink ones! "

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10. Posted by ClarkwasGod, 29/08/2018 12:21

"Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth..........."

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11. Posted by Rock Doc, 29/08/2018 12:20

"Why is this man still in charge at McLaren? Why do they let him talk to the media?"

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Brown critical of F1's failure to sign new trackside sponsors

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