DECEMBER 14, 2001

Post-tobacco sponsors more demanding

Jim Wright, the marketing director of Williams F1 says that F1 teams need be more "creative and sensitive" as Formula 1 heads towards a future without tobacco sponsorship.

JIM WRIGHT, the marketing director of Williams F1 says that F1 teams need be more "creative and sensitive" as Formula 1 heads towards a future without tobacco sponsorship.

Speaking at the Motorsport Business Conference in Monte Carlo, Wright said that Williams had not moved away from tobacco sponsorship for any moral or ethical reason. The decision he said was taken because of the team's desire to get technical support and sponsorship money.

"Inflation for Formula 1 is like no other sport," said Wright. "The best sponsors for us are technical and have hard cash. What we are finding post-tobacco is that the sponsorship message they want to deliver is far more complex and so we have to be more creative and sensitive."