Maldonado sponsorship for Williams

[Mr.S]

The dissapointing is that all that money from Pastor is not enough. They need Senna's money. How much is he bringing??? 20-25 Million Dollars??

With all of Pastor's money he could easily run his own team. Maybe the Pastor-Senna TEAM which has 60-70 Million from there sponsorers. Add to if that they finish within TOP 10 they will get that 30 Million Euros + THE PERFORMANCE money depending on position. Add 1 more title sponsor & they're set.

A healthy 120 Dollar odd team atleast. MUCH BETTER & BIGGER than HRT & Marussia. Pastor & Senna should seriously consider buying their F1 team.

[bhallg2k]

Williams is clearly experiencing very hard times, but I guess I just don't see the Venezuelan connection being quite the step down you see. The world is fraught with business partnerships between strange bedfellows. Beyond that, Chavez is hardly the worst leader around, even among some nations/entities that host/sponsor F1 every year.

Of course, I come from America, and my cynicism can sometimes be measured in gallons.

[kalinka]

I don't care either how and where Williams found his money. Sadly a I had first hand experience with a leader like Chavez, even much worst then him. (just one word: Serbia ). I know how they think. They would spend the money no matter what Williams do. If they didn't want to take it, Chavez would spend it elswhere, or even worst, he would buy diamonds or some other stupid things for himself. The people of Venezuela can't see any benefit from that money either way. It's already lost for them, so for me , it's one of the better options that they spend it for F1.

EDIT : When I say first hand experience I mean how they behave. Thankfully I didn't meet him in person

[Echo]

Sorry have become totally lost in this thread.
Can somebody summuraise up everything about the consequences etc.

And who is this Chavez everybody is talking about?

[manchild]

...

Latest example, in the sea of similar ones:

By AFP | AFP – Thu, Feb 9, 2012

NATO airstrike killed eight children

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/nato-airstrike-killed-eight-children-karzai-170205068.html

List of NATO members:

Albania
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States

I can't see Venezuela among them, and I can't remember Venezuela bombing civilians in a country which is 10.000 km away.

To sum it up, Chavez is a prick, but compared to each and every president, PM, king and queen of the countries listed above, he is an amateur in crime. To avoid being misunderstood, I'm not pointing finger at people, citizens of those nations, I'm pointing it at rulers only, the same way you do with Chavez.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

I think this needs perspective.

Basically America was happy to let Venezuela continue its corrupt ways, turning a blind eye to injustices that occurred prior to Chaves democratic appointment.
The poor were neglected for too long, and they are the swing vote in Venezuela.

So when Chaves military coup failed, he was elevated into the public eye as a romantic rebel leader similar to that of Che Guevara. People liked him.
Since his appointment 2 things have happened very quickly.

1.The country has grown richer.
2.Its infrastructure was near totally rebuilt were possible. He introduced massive social spending that has expanded health and education programs. It is said to be of very high standard. He has also openly confronts the United States, which he describes as a decadent empire.
Since taking office, Chávez has sold oil to Cuba - a longtime adversary of the United States - and resisted US plans to stop narcotics trafficking in nearby Colombia. He also helped guerrilla forces in neighboring countries. Over the years, Chavez has threatened to stop supplying oil to the United States if there is another attempt to remove him from power. He did, however, donate heating oil to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, which destroyed numerous fuel processing facilities.

He isnt perfect, and his people grow tiresome. He is probably also reaping the benefits of the current oil price. But at least he is investing in the country.
Saddam Hussein or Ahmedinejad this guy is not. America would like you to think so, but he is a marked step down from the above.

Unsavoury but an improvement on what preceded him.

[xpensive]

I just got a board warning for speaking my mind on this thread, but Williams' actions have no moral defense whatsoever,
calling Hugo Chavez a "prick" is an insult to the citizens of Venezuela, as well as to the companies who invested in his country in good faith.

South Africa was banned for decades until they greed to go down the tube, but Hugo Chavez is just "a prick"?

[CMSMJ1]

This thread was doing alright for a second as well..

How do you reconcile the dudes launching suicide attacks to those doing what the elected governments are asking of them?

[xpensive]

This is Hugo Chavez;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Kzbo7tNLg

[bhallg2k]

How do you reconcile the dudes launching suicide attacks to those doing what the elected governments are asking of them?

You start by not bringing up such matters in an F1 forum.

This is all tricky, and it always is when the gulf between people's personal sensibilities has the potential to be extremely wide. Fortunate for us, I think, is that it at least appears "our hearts are in the right place."

(OK, I think I almost gagged myself with that last bit.)

[Tomba]

It is one thing keeping this thread open, but please guys stay on topic, politics has no place on this website!

[Pierce89]

I think this needs perspective.

Basically America was happy to let Venezuela continue its corrupt ways, turning a blind eye to injustices that occurred prior to Chaves democratic appointment.
The poor were neglected for too long, and they are the swing vote in Venezuela.

So when Chaves military coup failed, he was elevated into the public eye as a romantic rebel leader similar to that of Che Guevara. People liked him.
Since his appointment 2 things have happened very quickly.

1.The country has grown richer.
2.Its infrastructure was near totally rebuilt were possible. He introduced massive social spending that has expanded health and education programs. It is said to be of very high standard. He has also openly confronts the United States, which he describes as a decadent empire.
Since taking office, Chávez has sold oil to Cuba - a longtime adversary of the United States - and resisted US plans to stop narcotics trafficking in nearby Colombia. He also helped guerrilla forces in neighboring countries. Over the years, Chavez has threatened to stop supplying oil to the United States if there is another attempt to remove him from power. He did, however, donate heating oil to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, which destroyed numerous fuel processing facilities.

He isnt perfect, and his people grow tiresome. He is probably also reaping the benefits of the current oil price. But at least he is investing in the country.
Saddam Hussein or Ahmedinejad this guy is not. America would like you to think so, but he is a marked step down from the above.

Unsavoury but an improvement on what preceded him.

Soryy mods, couldn't let this by. The only spending Chavez does is on his decadent lifestyle.He also suppressed the vote of "his people" when they tried to vote him out,

[CMSMJ1]

Indeed - I agree that this is not the place for such emotive politics..though I admire the restraint, belief and also the understanding of Tomba and his guys for keeping it all on the straight and narrow

I'm pretty sure that Manchild and I would have some impressive arguments and discussions ref politics..I suspect we're diametrically opposed**. I'd love to buy him* a pint though and have a crack about it in a more suitable place.


*or any of you guys..
**though a Schumacher fan I am not




Anyways...that is a bloody big deal for a driver/sponsor - how do you see the split between paying for the ride and paying for the decals on the car?

50/50?

Would PDVSA still take a sponsorship deal if there was not a Venezuelan driver to place in a car?

[n_anirudh]

Invocie to PDVSA from WF1



Not very often we get to see such stuff

[Mr.S]

I find it weird to see US guys abusing Chavez so much. I mean the US is as big a Bully as Chavez is. Atleast from the Governmental side. The fact that Chavez has the balls to stand up to a BULLY is what irritates US guys the most.

Anyways I am not fond of dictators so its not that I like Chavez or something.