TW Steel leaves Lotus for Sahara Force India

If the three partnerships announced in January had a direct impact on the team’s operations, the agreement with TW Steel is a classic sponsorship deal, with significant presence on the cars and drivers’ suits.

The Dutch brand made its arrival at Lotus when the team was still called Renault. It took advantage of the departure of many sponsors following the Singapore Crashgate at the end of the 2009 season to make its entry during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2009. It likely benefited from a reduced rate to fill the then empty advertising spaces.

A similar strategy may have been implemented with Sahara Force India. Indeed, the two team owners, Vijay Mallya and Subrata Roy, are facing significant financial difficulties in India, as the vast majority of the team’s sponsors come from their various groups. The Silverstone team is therefore certainly looking for fresh funds and is seeking to share the risks regarding its financing.

TW Steel might also have had a reason to leave Lotus since the conditions have clearly changed at Enstone: the team has climbed up the constructors’ standings and has especially succeeded in forming significant partnerships with large multinationals (Unilever, Microsoft, Coca-Cola…). This leaves much less space on the cars of Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean and thus a lot less exposure for a much higher price.

Jordy Cobelens, CEO and co-owner of TW Steel, stated: « I am naturally delighted to partner with Sahara Force India. We know the benefits of being involved with a Formula One team and the brand recognition it brings. Our new partnership represents a relationship where both parties seek to make each other successful. Sahara Force India is highly followed all over the world, especially in India, a key growth opportunity we have targeted in TW Steel’s development. »

With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr