Tel Aviv (AFP)
Soccer match with Lionel Messi in Tel Aviv, Israeli cycling team at the next Tour de France and, since Wednesday, an agreement between a racing driver from the Hebrew State and the Williams F1 team: Israel plays the sport card for diversify its image.
The management of the British team landed in force Wednesday in the Israeli metropolis of Tel Aviv and its traffic jams but also in a country unfamiliar with the world of Formula 1.
Williams, who is trying to raise the bar after a disastrous 2019 year, has announced the arrival in his ranks of Roy Nissany, presented as the "first" Israeli racing driver in F1 and who has the hope of doing better than his father.
Nissany, 25, who also has French nationality, had already tested in 2014 with the Sauber team and in December tested with the Williams team in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
Born in Tel Aviv, Roy Nissany is the son of Chanoch Nissany who had participated in a free practice session for the Italian team Minardi during the Hungarian Grand Prix 2005 and who therefore technically deserves the title of "first Israeli pilot of F1 ". But he was already 42 years old at the time and spent most of his life in Hungary.
- "Incredibly diligent" -
The son joined Williams' ranks as a test driver for the entire 2020 season.
"Roy demonstrated his talents in post-season testing in Abu Dhabi and we were extremely impressed (...)," said Claire Williams, deputy general manager of the stable and daughter of its founder, Frank Williams.
"You want the best car racers ... but you also want the racers who are team players and as such, he has been incredibly hard" during these tests, she said, adding that "having an Israeli runner is a historic moment."
Roy Nissany will be the "3rd pilot" of Williams, behind the Briton George Russell and the Canadian Nicolas Latifi, himself of Iranian origin.
"I'm going to drive in the free practice sessions, so test the cars and give + feedbacks to help develop the 2021 car with the hope of being behind the wheel myself," said the driver. AFP.
- An "other" image for Israel -
He has a 4th place in the Formula V8 3500cc "World Series" in 2016 with three wins. He also participated in twenty F2 races in 2018 with the best result a 10th place.
Her car will display the Israeli flag and the "Israel Start-up Nation" logo, the name of the first Israeli cycling team to participate in the next Tour de France.
The team is funded by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams who joined the Williams team on Wednesday as "Roy Nissany F1 management president".
"I have certain responsibilities with regard to the solicitation of sponsors," the patron who organized last November at a stadium in Tel Aviv, organized a friendly football match between Uruguay and the Argentina with in particular the Argentine superstar Lionel Messi on display.
"A few years ago, it would have been unthinkable for an F1 driver to race in Abu Dhabi", in an Arab country, maintains Mr. Adams, who wishes to reach the "350 million" viewers of F1, people who are more interested in sport and less in politics, to give an "other" image of Israel than that of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
© 2020 AFP