Villeneuve to Boost Team's Sponsorship?
Popular in N America
By Jamie Makin
September 17 2004
Despite reports that Red Bull is annoyed with Sauber's decision to sign former champ Jacques Villeneuve, his presence in the team for the next two years could go a long way towards drawing in new sponsorship from American and Canadian companies.
Should Red Bull switch to Jaguar, there are other companies who could step up to the plate to fill the void.
Jacques is without a doubt one of the sport's most popular drivers and has been greatly missed after BAR-Honda let him go at the end of last season. Nowhere is he more popular than at his home race in Montreal. Skeptics warned that the Canadian Grand Prix would not be a success this year after its temporary cancellation over tobacco advertising legislation. Even after the event was saved, they feared that the Canadian fans would not turn out for a race that did not feature their hometown hero. They were wrong. All three days of the event were sold-out and despite his absence, much of the conversation still centered around wondering if he could possibly return some day.
Jacques is also one of the most popular drivers at the United States Grand Prix held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won the famed Indianapolis 500 in 1995 and has always been "adopted" as an American driver by the US fans. His presence was missed at Indianapolis this year just as much as it was in Montreal.
Jacques' return is good timing for promoter Bernie Ecclestone, who is determined to make Formula One a bigger success in North America. His presence at Sauber for the next two years and his immense popularity will make the team highly attractive to prospective sponsors. Should they lose Red Bull's backing, there's a good chance they could find a suitable replacement from North America. It is also rumoured that Jacques' contract allows him to bring personal sponsorship with him, which could amount to an additional USD 5 million.
Sauber has one of the smallest budgets in the F1 paddock but their hard work and efficiency over the last few years has kept them in the middle of the standings. Their new state-of-the-art wind tunnel opened earlier this year, providing them with the final technical tool that had been missing from their arsenal. The only thing standing between Sauber and the front of the grid now is a larger budget, which would enable them to keep up with the development pace of the larger teams. Villeneuve's driving skills combined with any new monies he can bring the team could be the final piece of the puzzle to turning Sauber into a front running team.