Are you willing to sponsor?
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted October 14, 2018 | In Cars, Formula1, MotoGP, Sports Marketing
2019 will see the introduction of the W Series, a women’s single-seater motorsport championship backed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
With six races scheduled, the goal of the W Series is to grow the female component in the major series of world motorsport – something that’s long overdue, and will be happily welcomed by many of those invested in the motorsport industry.
Here’s what you need to know about the W Series…
The women behind the wheels of the W Series cars will be selected through boot camps and test drives by a panel of experts and, according to the promoter of the series, no driver will have to pay a single penny to participate in the championship.
All W Series participants will race with the same car, the Tatuus F3 T-318, which will be approved according to current F3 FIA specifications.
The car, which is raised to modern F1 safety standards with Halo, a removable seat, impact panels and so on, can also count on a turbocharged 4-cylinder 270 HP engine, prepared by Autotecnica Motori. The set-up is completed by Magneti Marelli control units, Brembo brakes, and OZ 10 “x13” front and 12 “x13” rear wheels.
Almost half a century has passed since the last woman, the Piedmontese Maria “Lella” Grazia Lombardi, took part in a Formula 1 Grand Prix. She was the second woman to do so in the history of F1, after Maria Teresa de Filippis almost 20 years earlier.
Since Lombardi and de Filippis other women have sat behind the wheel of the most powerful single-seater series in the world, but none have taken part in a race. Prominent names have included Divina Galica, Desirè Wilson, Giovanna Amati, Susie Wolff, Maria de Villota, Simona de Silverstro, Carmen Jordà and Tatiana Calderòn.
A recent victory is that of 21-year-old Ana Carrasco in the 2018 Supersport 300 Championship. Carrasco’s win makes her the first ever female rider to come out top in a World Championship in solo motorcycle road racing.
Perhaps predictably, the introduction of the series has generated some conflict amongst motorsport lovers.
Some have greeted the introduction of the W Series as a great moment for sport, and an extraordinary opportunity for grassroots growth for women’s four-wheel driving. Others, though, see the series as a defeat for women in motorsport and a tool for further discrimination – their argument being that both sexes should be encouraged to compete in the top flights of the sport.
Because of course, there are no actual rules that prevent women from running in the elite F1 series. Unlike in most sports, motoring and motorcycling have always been open to both sexes. In this context, the argument against the W Series is easier to understand.
It’s hard to say if the introduction of the W Series will be an effective response to the long-debated topic of women in motorsport, but one thing is certain – if the introduction of the series increases the visibility of and opportunities for women in this arena, it can only be a positive thing.
Calendar, entries, television rights and other details have not yet been communicated – but watch this space, because we’ll bring you all the information on when and where you can watch the W Series when we have it.
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
The online platform where you can discover the latest trends, strategies and insights from the exciting world of sports marketing.
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Read MoreIn 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.
When first approaching a motorsport sponsorship 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. Motorsport 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.
Motorsport 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 motorsport sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which racing series, 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 real heart of motorsport 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 motorsport marketing project, you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase online, 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.
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.
We have been involved in motorsport 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.
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