Smirnoff stops its support for Sahara Force India

Sahara Force India was at the heart of speculation over the winter. For a while, many voices openly wished for the team to change its title sponsor to Aston Martin. But this project has been shelved at least for the upcoming season.

The other major trend was a takeover by the Diageo group. To explain such a possibility, it must be remembered that Vijay Mallya sold the majority of his alcohol group’s shares to the British group due to the high-profile bankruptcy of his airline, Kingfisher.

Since then, the relationship between the two partners has severely deteriorated, and Sahara Force India could have become collateral, allowing Diageo to fully showcase its various brands. Some believed that Johnnie Walker, another brand of the conglomerate, would follow the exodus of McLaren’s sponsors in favor of the Silverstone team. However, the whisky brand ultimately remained loyal to McLaren, even though its visibility is significantly reduced.

In the end, the time seems to be more about a complete withdrawal. Thus, while Smirnoff had made a strong entry two years ago, it has now completely disappeared from the Sahara Force India cars and uniforms.

At the same time, we can observe a rise in the influence of Sergio Perez’s sponsors from the America Movil group, with the Claro and Telcel brands significantly displayed. Additionally, having allowed development driver Alfonso Celis Jr to be the first to drive the VJM09 is also a sign of the growing Mexican influence within the Anglo-Indian team.

Furthermore, unsurprisingly, the Russian steelmaker Uralchem has appeared on the front nose, in exchange for the integration of Nikita Mazepin as a team member.

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr