W Series lands Williams F1 title sponsor as first major backer

W Series has announced a “multi-year” agreement with ROKiT to land its first major sponsorship deal since its formation in 2018.

Heading into the all-female championship’s second season, W Series has confirmed its first major sponsor with global telecoms company ROKiT phones, which is the title partner of the Williams Formula 1 and Venturi Formula E teams.

As part of the multi-year deal, ROKiT branding will appear on all 20 cars and on the overalls of the 20 competing drivers, with a full livery launch set to be unveiled at the Autosport Awards in London on Sunday December 8.

“We’re thrilled to welcome ROKiT to W Series,” said Catherine Bond Muir, Chief Executive Officer of W Series.

“As a high-tech, disruptive, customer-focused brand, ROKiT sits comfortably alongside W Series and its mission to change the face of motorsport and we’re delighted that we’ll be racing together in the coming years.

“It’s also exciting to see a brand that’s already present in Formula 1, Formula E and other well-established race series, recognising and supporting opportunities for women in sport, and taking immediate action. We expect this to be an emerging trend in 2020.”

ROKiT chariman Jonathan Kendrick, added: “We’ve been amazed by the progress made and the success achieved by W Series since it smashed into the world of motorsport, and we really want to be a big part of its future as it develops over the next few years.

“Like W Series, ROKiT is a young, ambitious, tech-driven company making waves at the leading edge of our industry, and this partnership is an absolute natural fit for us.”

The six-race long 2020 W Series campaign will get underway on May 30 at Russia’s Igora Drive circuit and continue to feature on the DTM support bill, with reigning champion and Williams F1 development driver Jamie Chadwick returning to defend her crown.