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[bud]

I think they had Tel Mex in line as title sponsor for 2014 but obviously that isn't anymore.
I see there being two options.

1. They have a title sponsor in mind and wait until 2015 to announce and relaunch themselves with Honda.
Similar to 2006 after the loss of West sponsorship due to ban on tobacco advertisement (Something Ferrari doesn't seem to see as an issue with their title sponsor to this day) where they had no title sponsor and ran Johnnie Walker as main sponsor until Vodofone's contract started in 07.

2. They have no title sponsor lined up at all.

[What's Burning?]

I agree with you bud. But I think there's a third option, a combination of your 1 and 2. No title sponsor at the moment, with Honda perhaps filling the same role Merc had been.

[racechick]

Maybe there's a third option. I can't remember how McLaren worded their press releases. Depends if they said we HAVE a new title sponsor of just there's exciting news coming.

If it was just exciting news coming that could have been the Honda news, may be even they will be the tittle sponsor but can't be for another year. But maybe they have got a sponsor and want to announce it at the launch, so

option 3- they really do have a WOW sponsor and they want to announce it at the launch


So they've said it s just going to be called McLaren, but actually it will be 'New wow sponsor' McLaren. Maybe they've got someone like Cartier? Rolex? Or a bank? Cartier Mclaren sounds quite good.
And they're just trying to throw people off the scent by saying only McLaren.

[1Lemon]

They will have to keep Mercedes on the name though, as all Merc teams officially have the name Mercedes somewhere in them, so this FB change thing isn't anything to go on about them not having a title sponsor.

[CookinFlat6]

Apart from the romanticism of sponsorship or team names, the harsh reality, and the only practical concerns are as follows;

1) McLaren have not replaced the 60 million from Vodaphone
2) They also get less from the concorde for their low WCC place
3) They also now have to pay for Merc engines

This means unexpected 2014 budget issue = less money for development through 2014, and possibly affects 2015 as well. Hopefully Hondas arrival wont be affected by 2014 results and the team can restart in 2015 with Honda engine deal.

[CookinFlat6]

They will have to keep Mercedes on the name though, as all Merc teams officially have the name Mercedes somewhere in them, so this FB change thing isn't anything to go on about them not having a title sponsor.

No they dont, Force India and Williams dont have the name Mercedes in their team names. There is the company name - then the F1 team entry name (including sponsors etc) then there is the chassis+engine name used at races

Anyone with half a brain can work out that when a team changes its FB page and website and official entry name for the season, they are more concerned about not having a sponsor to replace 60 million from Vodaphone.

[CookinFlat6]

Maybe there's a third option. I can't remember how McLaren worded their press releases. Depends if they said we HAVE a new title sponsor of just there's exciting news coming.

If it was just exciting news coming that could have been the Honda news, may be even they will be the tittle sponsor but can't be for another year. But maybe they have got a sponsor and want to announce it at the launch, so

option 3- they really do have a WOW sponsor and they want to announce it at the launch


So they've said it s just going to be called McLaren, but actually it will be 'New wow sponsor' McLaren. Maybe they've got someone like Cartier? Rolex? Or a bank? Cartier Mclaren sounds quite good.
And they're just trying to throw people off the scent by saying only McLaren.

This is what Whitmarsh said when confirming the 'new sponsor' would not be announced in december after all

When asked about the 2 December sponsor announcement by reporters this week, he said: “There will be some new sponsors, but I think probably – and I don’t know because I haven’t talked to our PR function – there will be more of a fanfare at the car launch rather than an announcement on 2 December.”

So Whitmarsh was already playing down the announcement of a title sponsor, changing it to 'some new sponsors'
Well the difference between a title sponsor and other minor sponsors is a big big amount of money
They lost Vodaphone and have not replaced them, exactly like some of us said last year, all the talk about revealing the title sponsor in December was nonsense, they were gambling on Tel Mex.
Tel Mex are smart enough to work out that they dont need to spend big money to name the car when they can just sponsor the driver. The top 2 teams have title sponsors

[bud]

An interesting article from Mat Coch: http://www.pitpass.com/50654/Sponsoring-McLaren

[CookinFlat6]

An interesting article from Mat Coch: http://www.pitpass.com/50654/Sponsoring-McLaren

Interesting article thats been out a while and much debated. There are a lot of assumptions that dont make sense and/or are wishful thinking.

The main ones being existing sponsors could increase involvement and cover a title sponsors shortfall. And Honda injecting money beyond technical resource and engines. Why would Honda inject money before 2015? Why would Honda need to 'sponsor' the team beyond the works deal?
Also Honda will be supplying engines to other customers, the article ignores this and almost assumes Honda are buying into McLaren

Should the Japanese firm simply equal the money Mercedes was spending on the team in 2010 the budgetary hole the team current faces disappears

Then it mentions the prize money increasing because FOM revenues are increasing, well guess what, that means other teams get more as well so that doesnt change the relative decrease in WCC money due to 5th position.

Anyway the article does point out that 2015 will be much better for the team, the problem is 2014. There is no evidence that 2014 is not massively short of budget without a title sponsor. Not replacing Vodas 60 mill cannot be a positive no matter how much FOMs revenues increase

[sagi58]

...Anyone with half a brain can...

You do have a way with words!!

[sagi58]

...Then it mentions the prize money increasing because FOM revenues are increasing, well guess what, that means other teams get more as well so that doesnt change the relative decrease in WCC money due to 5th position...

There's always the possibility that there may be a change in the rate of distribution!

[CookinFlat6]

Not to favour Mclaren uniquely

That's more a Ferrari trick

[sagi58]

Do you often wear the colour green?

[CookinFlat6]

Only on Paddies day, and that's just to get free drink

[sagi58]

Cheers!!