Kenyan online bookmaker SportPesa has officially announced its title partnership deal with the Racing Point Formula One team, trailed in SportBusiness Sponsorship last month.
Under the deal, the team, formerly known as Force India, will be renamed as SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team.
The announcement was made alongside a reveal of the team’s new car livery at the Canadian International Auto Show – the first ever F1 team launch in Canada.
As reported by SportBusiness Sponsorship, the Racing Point cars will retain their pink colour – with BWT continuing as principal sponsor of the team – but blue SportPesa branding will appear on the front and rear wings and engine cover.
Adam Beighton, company director at SportPesa, said: “This partnership is very important to us because it diversifies us into new territories and allows us to reach new audiences across the globe.
“Equally important is the platform it provides us which enables us to stay true to our mission: to build and develop grassroots and professional sport in the countries where we operate, by bringing new opportunities to local communities.”
While ‘grassroots’ is not a phrase readily associated with Formula 1, Beighton said he was referring to the Formula 1 team’s travails last season.
“SportPesa Racing Point have been through a tough time, as you’ve seen last year, and to help them along on their journey is essentially what we’re referring to,” he told SportBusiness Sponsorship.
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, SportPesa also operates out of Tanzania, South Africa, Russia, Italy, the UK and the Isle of Man.
In football, SportPesa is a sponsor of English Premier League clubs Everton, Arsenal and Southampton and English Championship club Hull City.
SportPesa also sponsors Torino in Italy’s Serie A and six African football clubs: Cape Town, Gor Mahia, Leopards, Singida, Simba and Yanga.
The Kenya sportsbook is also a gaming partner of Spain’s LaLiga in Africa, where it sponsors the SportPesa Premier League, Kenya’s top-flight football league.