ESPNSTAR.com columnist Steve Slater believes the past few weeks have been a PR triumph for the struggling Williams F1 team.
Whatever the outcome of any return from retirement by 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen, the past few weeks have been a PR triumph for the struggling Williams F1 team. The build-up to this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been dominated by speculation that 32 year-old Finn, who last raced for Ferrari in 2009, will make a return to Formula One with the British team.
The prospect of a world champion in the driving seat certainly hasn't hurt William's ability to negotiate a major sponsorship deal with the Gulf state of Qatar. Its national bank, QNB, is set become a major supporter of the Williams team in 2012.
Not bad going for a team which is in the doldrums. Williams, who won nine world championships in the 1980s and 1990s, haven't won a race since 2004.
In recent years the team have produced some of the most innovative cars on the starting grid. The have led the way with creative aerodynamics (remember the walrus nose?) and this year a fielded radical new gearbox, smaller and lighter to that on any other car. The trouble is that those innovations have not given them results.
This season has been the worst in the team's history and they hold a distant ninth place in the Constructors World Championship standings. Only Team Lotus, Marussia Virgin and HRT have been less successful this season.
It was back in August that Raikkonen was first spotted visiting the Williams factory and the rumours had been growing ever since. It is believed that the Qatari funding has been the key to a deal.

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