McLaren CEO Zak Brown admits that attracting sponsors is as hard as its ever been in the face of global financial uncertainties. However, the American confirmed that the team is set to announce two new sponsors prior to the start of the 2019 season.
McLaren has not run with a title sponsor since 2013, when Vodafone partnered the Woking squad, In recent years, it has slipped towards the back of the field but has still managed to maintain a strong negotiating hand, with soft drink corporation Coca-Cola joining for the final rounds of the 2018 campaign.
Brown confirmed late last year that McLaren was in talks with Coca-Cola over a long-term deal, but admitted that drawing in companies has become increasingly difficult as they are "nervous" to invest capital amid the "craziness that's going on around the world".
“It’s as hard as it’s ever been," Brown said. "Cooperations are a bit nervous to invest long term because they are not quite sure if something happens over here what does that mean. It does put everything into a bit of a slowdown and holding pattern.”
But Brown remained grateful for the sponsors that McLaren brought in for the 2018 season: "We were fortunate to bring on about five new partners last year, and we’ll announce another at least two this month that we’ve signed so we are making good progress,” he said. “It certainly hasn’t come to a stop but it’s slowed things down and some of the craziness that’s going on around the world doesn’t help.”
McLaren is one of F1's seven teams that are based in the United Kingdom, where concerns are being raised over the potential ramifications that could come as a result of Brexit, which is set to occur later this year.
ENDR
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It's A LOT easier when you have a fast car and a superstar driver, but... Yyeah, not having one deprived you of the other :|