SPORTS BUSINESS: F1 Williams in ‘great shape’ financially

Williams are looking in "great shape" financially for next season despite losing some major sponsors, team chairman Adam Parr said on Friday.
Parr told reporters at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that he had missed the last two races in Brazil and South Korea because he was making sure the former champions had the finances they needed for next year.
Williams have lost sponsors, notably the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), with a question mark over Dutch electronics group Philips's continued backing.
Other sponsors such as AirAsia look doubtful, with the airline's owner Tony Fernandes now running the Lotus Racing team, while insurer Allianz has put its branding on the official safety car.
"We've replaced all the sponsorship we've lost and we are in great shape," said Parr.
"So I actually feel more positive about the future now than I have done for a long time, even though funnily enough we've actually returned a profit as a company every year for the last three years.
"We will this year and we will next year. Financially I think we are in very good shape."
Although there has been speculation in the paddock that Williams might replace German rookie Nico Hulkenberg with Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado, Parr said the team had made no decisions about next year's drivers' lineup.
Maldonado is sponsored by Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, although it is not clear how much backing he can bring to any team that signs him.
Hulkenberg, who started on pole position last weekend in Brazil, is currently partnered by Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello. Maldonado, the GP2 champion, will test with the team in Abu Dhabi next week.