@_markgallagher
SPONSORS? PARTNERS? CALL THEM WHAT YOU WANT…
It was McLaren’s Ron Dennis and Ekrem Sami who decided, back in the 1980s, that sponsors were no longer sponsors. Instead they were partners. Commercial partners, technical partners or, bottom of the rung, official suppliers.
Being a sponsor suggested something altogether different. A charitable donation or a cash contribution towards a worthy cause, such as winning the world championship.
Going into this season, Formula 1’s ten teams sported no fewer than 301 ‘partners’, although the nomenclature differs from team to team.
Scuderia Ferrari has 36 equitably named ‘official partners’. Whether you’re Shell, Santander or Virtual Gaming Worlds, you have the same billing as Brembo brakes, Garrett turbochargers or Technogym sports equipment.
Oracle Red Bull Racing has that much-sought after beast, a title sponsor.…
