Williams to bank on RBS in 2005.

As has been rumoured for many months, the Royal Bank of Scotland will finally make its bow in Formula One in 2005, having inked a deal to become a major player in the BMW WilliamsF1 team.

Currently the world's sixth largest bank, RBS has joined forces with the Grove operation as major sponsor in a multi-year deal, starting with the team's launch, in Bahrain, this weekend. Group director Howard Moody said that the tie-up was designed to widen international awareness of the banking group as a whole, and added to existing sporting links.

"This [deal] represents an important next stage in our advertising and sponsorship programme, which is designed to grow the Group's brand presence internationally," he said at the official announcement of the link with Williams and BMW, "The RBS Group has now reached a scale in both size and international reach where a step change in our profile is required to ensure that our brand recognition keeps pace with the reality of where our business is.

"There is no silver bullet to deliver such recognition. We already invest in TV and print advertising in the US, airport branding and a variety of prestige sport sponsorships, [but] the logical next step was to find a property that gave us a truly global reach in a quality format.

"Formula One was assessed against a number of other international brand-building options. Its reach through TV audiences presented the best investment for building the RBS brand in terms of round the year TV airtime value, offering approximately three times the size of the Superbowl's TV audience - every fortnight. In the BMW WilliamsF1 team we have outstanding partners with a great track record of innovation and performance. We look forward to working with them during the 2005 season."

RBS has been rumoured to be entering Formula One for several months, but was initially considered as a partner for the Jaguar Racing team owing to mutual links with three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart. Even before Jaguar's demise, however, it became apparent that the bank's attentions were focused elsewhere, with Williams boss Sir Frank Williams happy to have landed another prestigious backer.

"We are delighted to have attracted an organisation of the calibre of RBS to join us as major sponsor for the 2005 season and beyond," he said, "They join an impressive list of leading global brands who have also recognised the commercial value of investing in Formula One to build awareness. We are very much looking forward to working with them in the years ahead."

The wraps will not come off the new FW27 until the second part of the team's launch programme, at Valencia's Ricardo Tormo Circuit, on 31 January, but the first glimpse of the RBS backing will come from both the London press call and at the new Bahrain International Circuit later today [6 Janaury], when Mark Webber gets the chance to test.

Williams and BMW had confirmed the intention to unveil its new driver line-up at the Sakhir venue, but this did not take place as the choice between Nick Heidfeld and Antonio Pizzonia continues to prove a hard one to make.

"Our present line is to be fair, above all, to the team, but also both drivers," team boss Frank Williams admitted, "We want to give them the chance to prove they deserve a seat. It will be decided over two or three tests, and we will announce our choice at our launch in Valencia."