This is an important victory for Williams, obtained before the American courts. The team’s former title sponsor, ROKiT, will indeed have to pay him financial compensation of several million euros. This was confirmed by the California court in a judgment made public this week.
ROKiT became Williams’ title sponsor for the 2019 season and the agreement between the two parties was extended until 2023. The 2020 season single-seater was presented with a livery in the colors of its partner but never raced in Grand Prix because the start of the season was postponed for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, the partnership was denounced and ended even before the kick-off in July of the 2020 championship, contested by the team with a new livery.
Grove’s structure took the case to the British courts to obtain the amount that was contractually due to it. The London Court of International Arbitration ruled in its favor last year and ordered ROKiT to pay Williams several million dollars, despite the sponsor’s defense that Williams had failed to meet all of its obligations.
However, this sum was never paid, while at the same time, the team was sold in the summer of 2021 by the Williams family to the American investment fund Dorilton Capital, further complicating the file. The team therefore brought the case before the Californian courts in December 2021. The court confirmed the London judgment and therefore ordered ROKiT to pay the amount due.
“The judgment rendered through the London Court of International Arbitration in the case of Williams Grand Prix Engineering v Rokit Marketing Inc. and Rok Marketing LLC, is affirmed in all respects”states Judge Christina A. Snyder in her verdict of December 1, 2022. “Accordingly, the following relief is granted: the defense is to pay the applicant the sum of £26,220,094.25, together with $1 million in costs incurred in connection with these proceedings.”
In total, it is therefore nearly 32 million euros that Williams might recover if ROKiT complies with this judgment.
