Are major vehicle manufacturers suited to Formula One?
By: Dr Peter Wells, Wednesday, September 23, 2009, AutomotiveWorld.com Few can have missed the debacle of the ‘Nelsinho’ crash scandal that has engulfed the Formula One world in recent weeks. It is not surprising then that some of this bad news is going to stick with Renault, owner of the team involved. Add this story to the already-announced departures of Honda and BMW, and it becomes clear that there is a difficult match between the major vehicle manufacturers and the pinnacle of motor sport. The initial rationale is simple enough: Formula One is high-profile, particularly in the emergent markets of Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere which are increasingly hosts to the races. In the struggle for brand recognition, Formula One has proven attractive. Millions of potential consumers watch, and as has been shown in other cases such as Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Subaru and Peugeot, a heritage in motor sport can go a very long way in marketing terms. Sometimes claims are ma
