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Allianz continues its Formula
One involvement in the new season, sponsoring the WilliamsF1 race team,
whose sleek new FW28 was recently unveiled. The FW28 is powered
with a Cosworth engine and features the Allianz Logo on its rear wing.
 Allianz continues its Formula One involvement in the new season, sponsoring
the WilliamsF1 race team
Commenting on the launch of the new FW28 race car, Steven Althaus,
responsible for Global Marketing Communication at Allianz, said that, "The
2006 season is a whole new ball game and things are looking positive. The
new WilliamsF1 team is determined to be at the top once again and testing is
showing significant improvements on last season, so we believe that Williams
will start the season from a robust and competitive position."
Last season Williams was still using 10-cylinder BMW engines. After buying a
stake in the Sauber Formula 1 team, however, BMW has gone its own way, and
Williams has joined with British engine supplier Cosworth to build a new
team. The new regulations stipulate that all Formula One race cars must use
8-cylinder engines in the 2006 season, making Cosworth the perfect partner
for Williams: the company has many years of experience in building
8-cylinder race-car engines and has supplied a powerful engine for the new
Williams FW28.
Australian Mark Webber (29), who raced for the BMW WilliamsF1 team last
season, is joined in the 2006 season by two new drivers. Former test driver
Nico Rosberg (20), the Wiesbaden-born son of former Formula 1 World Champion
Keke Rosberg, will join him as team mate, and Alexander Wurz (32) will join
the team as test and reserve driver. The Austrian was test driver for
McLaren MercedesF1 last season. The newest addition to the team is Indian
test driver Narian Karthikeyan.
The new FW28 race car will sport the Allianz Logo on its rear wing. In
addition, at eight out of the19 races, the circuit will be adorned with
advertising transparencies and banners displaying the Allianz logo.
"Our market research shows that in the Eastern European markets and the
Chinese and Indian growth markets in particular, it is our continued Formula
One sponsorship which has rapidly made Allianz a familiar brand, with brand
recognition rising from year to year," says Althaus. "The combination of a
race team and advertising on the circuit is definitive for this marketing
strategy," he continues. The result of this strategy is that, "Globally,
there is a higher preference for Allianz products, because customers
associate the company with Formula One." |
