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Williams Racing drivers have shared photographs of themselves in Umbro kits, as the classic British sportswear brand begins its partnership with the team of George Russell and Nicholas Latifi.
Williams Racing announced their long-term partnership with Umbro in August, but this is the first photos we've seen of the drivers sporting the Umbro apparel.
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Umbro and Williams — two famous British brands unite
Umbro, founded in the 1920's in Cheshire by the Humphreys brothers, has a long history of supplying clothing for primarily British football teams but subsequently branched out to other nations and into other sports. After a period of near anonymity on the football field in the 1950's and 60's, Umbro had a resurgence in the late 80's and early 90's when their brightly colored football shorts became a common part of street fashion.
Williams are a team looking to return to form on the Grand Prix circuit, having not won a race since 2012 and not won a world championship since the 1997 season. With new investment from Dorilton Capital and some funding from the Latifi empire via their Sofina Foods Inc business, Williams are targeting to move up the grid in the next few years. New partnerships, such as with Umbro, should help them fund their effort towards that goal.
Williams ace George Russell is expected to be Mercedes' long-term replacement for Lewis Hamilton once the champion decides to hang up his helmet. Russell deputized for Hamilton last season when the now knighted Mercedes driver was ruled out due to a positive Covid test, leading the race in Sakhir and subsequently scoring his first points as a Formula 1 driver.
See also: George Russell - time to move up?
George Russell has developed a cult following amongst F1 fans, particularly in Britain, which Umbro will be looking to capitalize on. The Williams car is expected to be unveiled in March.
