Formula 1’s Williams Taps 21 Million Fans—One Phone at a Time

Formula One’s Williams Martini Racing is having a disastrous year. The team is stuck at the bottom of the constructor standings with one-third of the season remaining, and its two drivers have fared just as poorly in the individual championship.
A Formula One Williams Martini Racing car during practice for the 2018 Formula One Grand Prix of Germany.Photographer: Charles Coates/Getty Images

Formula One’s Williams Martini Racing is having a disastrous year. The team is stuck at the bottom of the constructor standings with one-third of the season remaining, and its two drivers have fared just as poorly in the individual championship.

One thing the company does have is one of the most enduring and storied names in motor racing. Williams Grand Prix Holdings Plc -- the Frankfurt-listed parent company of the racing team -- has hired digital consultancy Delta Partners to help it monetize that brand and its estimated global fan base of 21 million.