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Official: Gulf returns to Formula 1 as sponsor of Williams

Official: Gulf returns to Formula 1 as sponsor of Williams

06-02-2023 14:01 Last update: 14:02
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GPblog.com

Back in January, Gulf hinted at it: a return to Formula 1 as a sponsor. The major oil company has teamed up with the Williams team for the 2023 season. The two parties announced this at the launch of the British racing team's FW45.

Gulf is an iconic brand in motorsport. The colours orange and blue first appeared at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923. The Mirage-Ford cars were then featured in those colours. Over the years, there have been many iconic liveries from the oil company, including McLaren's F1 car at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix. So no McLaren in 2023, but Williams for Gulf. By the way, we won't see the oil company's colours reflected on Williams' 2023 car. However, the logo can be seen on the nose and on the side of the rear wing.

Proud history in motorsport

Mike Jones, CEO of Gulf Oil International is obviously delighted with the partnership with Williams. In a press release, he says: "Gulf has a proud history in motorsport with some of the most iconic and respected teams, and Williams Racing is no exception. Together we share decades of motorsport experience to bring motorsport, Formula 1 and Williams Racing fans closer to the sport they love through our partnership."

Gulf are not only focusing on the Formula 1 team, they are also supporting the Williams Academy and the esports team. "Together we share a vision of a bright modern future for motorsport on and off the track; made possible through our common culture of partnership and innovation. This makes Williams Racing the perfect partner for Gulf, and we’re excited to start this next chapter of our iconic motorsport story,” Jones said.

Needless to say, chairman Matthew Savage is very happy with Gulf joining: "I am incredibly excited about this partnership between Williams Racing and Gulf, a renowned and trusted global brand, who have put their trust in us as a long-term partner. This signifies the strength of our brand and commercial offerings as we continue our transformation. Gulf and Williams Racing share an illustrious motorsport heritage and, together, we are making history with this partnership.”