Williams F1 set to lose its stripes

For the past five years, Williams has had probably the best-looking car in the F1 paddock, courtesy of its classically beautiful Martini stripes. Unfortunately, it looks as if Martini Racing’s 50th year could be its last in F1, as the contract of owners Bacardi Group expires at the end of this season. Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams explained that Bacardi “have many brands to support and obviously their strategic priorities evolve over time.” While the Martini money might have dried up, Williams’ recruitment of rapid Russian Sergey Sirotkin has brought significant funding from SMP Racing to the team.