ROKiT claims nearly $150 million from Williams for reputational damage
F1 News
- GPblog.com
The partnership between Williams and ROKiT did not turn out to be a happy marriage. The American sponsor and the Grove-based F1 team parted ways in 2020 and it was not without controversy. Williams won a court case, but ROKiT hit back with a new demand.
Williams not yet rid of ROKiT
Williams pulled the plug on its partnership with ROKiT in 2020 when the F1 season start was delayed and the entire season shortened by Covid-19. The sponsor's boss, Jonathan Kendrick was surprised at the turn of events. The sponsor had offered half the sponsorship money, as only half the season would be driven as well. Williams, according to Kendrick, unceremoniously pulled the plug on the partnership and announced it via Instagram.
The lawsuit that followed was won by Williams, which meant ROKiT still had to pay the team handsomely. Motorsport.com now reveals that the sponsor is striking back, demanding a payment of almost $150 million for reputational damage. The sponsor claims that Williams made false promises and said they would have a competitive car in 2019 when they knew there were not enough funds to make that statement come true.
'Former employees testify against Williams'
These false promises and the lawsuit that followed have unfairly done a lot of damage to the company's reputation, according to ROKiT. The exact amount demanded by the former sponsor is $149,528,550, equivalent to almost 137 million euros.
Speaking to the Medium, Williams revealed that they are aware of this 'false' accusation. Instead, Kendrick argues that ROKiT has been wronged and thinks he can prove that Williams misinformed the company. Kendrick would rather not deal with it this way but says he has no choice since Williams also dealt with his company this way. There are reportedly former Williams employees who now want to testify against the team.