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Formula One: Marussia to attempt last-minute revival to race in 2015
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted February 4, 2015 | In Formula1, MotoGP, Sport, Sport News, Sport Sponsorship
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted February 4, 2015 | In Formula1, MotoGP, Sport, Sport News, Sport Sponsorship
Formula One: Marussia to attempt last-minute revival to race in 2015
The Marussia Formula One team, thought to be dead after a string of financial problems at the end of last year’s world championship, have a chance of making it back onto the Grand Prix grid. The team plan to emerge from an administration period on February 19th with a new group of investors which would help to put them on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix on March 15th.
Marussia, now under the name of Manor GP, started to spiral out of Formula One following their home Grand Prix in Russia back in October, one week after the tragic accident of their driver Jules Bianchi. The team announced after the Sochi event that they would not race in the following United States or Brazilian Grand Prix. They remained hopeful of a return for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which they almost accomplished until a key investor pulled out just before the team were due to fly out to the Yas Marina circuit.
FRP Advisory, administrators of Manor/Marussia, say that negotiations are looking good for a deal to bring the team back from the dead:
“Since the appointment of administrators negotiations have taken place with a number of parties to try and secure a long term solution for the team. We can confirm that negotiations continue towards a longer term viable solution for the business and participation of a team in the 2015 season. It is envisaged that, prior to the commencement of the first race of the 2015 season, investment into the business will be made upon the company exiting from administration. The joint administrators would like on behalf of Marussia to thank all involved with the team for their support during this process.”
Possible investors have been rumoured, with the list including former Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King and even the McLaren F1 team, who may want to use the team as a ‘B-team’ to help develop the new Honda engine.
If Manor/Marussia were able to compete in this year’s championship they would have to compete using last year’s car due to the fact that they have hardly any time to make a new car or to test it; which would be allowed providing that the team modify the car to be in line with this year’s regulations and if the other 9 teams on the grid agree to let them do so.
You would think that the return of Marussia would be welcomed by all the teams, who would gladly agree to let them use their 2014 car so that they can race. This is not the case however. When Jules Bianchi famously scored his and the teams first championship points after finishing 9th in last year’s Monaco Grand Prix, he secured a £40m sum of prize money that would be paid to the team provided they race in 2015. If Marussia were unable to race, the prize money would go to the other teams. One team, who has not been named at the moment, have already expressed their disapproval at allowing Marussia to race.
Emanuele Venturoli
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
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Read MoreWhy choose RTR Sports Marketing
In an era where it is possible to get anywhere with a click, there is a strong temptation to approach teams and properties directly for sponsorship projects.
By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
Save time and money
When first approaching a sponsorship or sports marketing project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Sports is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
The right information, the right choice
Sports is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A sports marketing and sports sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which sport, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the beating heart
Activations are the real heart of sports sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a sports marketing project you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase on the Web, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Objective measurements for a certain return
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
Sit back, relax, we’ll take care of it
We have been involved in sports sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
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