Williams extends sponsorship

Williams FW33 detail

Photo by: LAT Photographic

11 March 2011. Grove, UK. AT&T Williams is pleased to confirm that its long-term official watch partner, Oris, has extended and upgraded its sponsorship of the team ahead of the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Established in 1904, Swiss-based Oris designs and manufactures precision timepieces from dress watches to performance sports instruments. All Oris watches incorporate their hallmark red rotor as an integral element of the design mechanism.

Oris and Williams entered into partnership in 2003 and have subsequently enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship which has led to four renewals over the past eight years. Today's announcement provides for greater branding opportunities for Oris across team inventory and assets. The Oris logo will maintain its position on the car's front wing endplates as well as on team uniform, while it will also now feature on the FW33's nose and have greater prominence on driver overalls, gloves and helmets. All new for 2011 will see the lollipop operator's firesuit branded with the Oris logo and their red rotor displayed on the lollipop itself.

On the upgraded agreement, Oris' Executive Chairman, Ulrich W. Herzog, commented, "The prestigious world of Formula One has proven to be the perfect platform to promote Oris. As a purely mechanical watch brand, we at Oris can fully identify ourselves with this competitive racing environment and the commitment to quality and success which drives the AT&T Williams team. They work hard to achieve results and this practical ethos reflects our own mission statement: real watches for real people."

Sir Frank Williams, Team Principal of AT&T Williams added, "It always gives me great pleasure when one of our existing partners renews their engagement with the team, and even more so when they decide to upgrade. It means we're delivering on their commitment and providing a return on their investment. Oris is one of our longest-standing partners and we are thrilled that they have extended their relationship with the team for a second time. We very much look forward to continuing our relationship with them in the season ahead and returning their support with success on the track."

-source: williams