» Williams gets its bubbly on…

As the Williams F1 Team gears up to celebrate its 600th Grand Prix participation at this weekend’s British Grand Prix, the team has announced a new partnership with one of the world’s leading champagne makers, Dom Pérignon.

The partnership will launch with an exclusive tasting event at the Silverstone Circuit on the Saturday of the coming race weekend, which will jointly serve to commemorate its milestone Grand Prix weekend.

The event will allow VIP guests to sample a selection of Dom Pérignon vintages, each of which will correspond with a significant moment in the team’s history. The event will also be attended by a host of the team’s World Championship-winning drivers.

“We are delighted to be partnering with one of the world’s most iconic luxury brands to host a truly unique event within the Formula One paddock,” Williams F1 deputy team principal Claire Williams said.

“Together we will be looking back at some of our key successes in the world of motorsport and vintage Champagne and I’m sure our guests will enjoy this fusion – raising a glass or two to the longevity and success of the Williams F1 Team.”

The team will also showcase a special livery on its Renault-powered FW35 challenger to celebrate its 600th Grand Prix event, where the names of all 691 current employees will be displayed on the bodywork of the cars driver by Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas.

Founded in 1977 by (now Sir) Frank Williams and Patrick Head out of an old carpet warehouse, the team has gone on to claim 297 podiums, 114 race wins and 16 World Championship titles in its 36-year history.

Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 British Grand Prix

The Silverstone circuit is also particularly iconic over several points of the team’s incredible history. The team claimed its first ever race victory in 1979 with Clay Regazzoni at the wheel. In 1985, Keke Rosberg posted the (then) fastest ever qualifying lap recorded in F1 history, at just a whisker un 160mph in a turbocharged car running in the region of 1,250bhp! In 1997, Jacques Villeneuve helped the team claim its 100th race win.

Sadly, the 2013 season has given the team no reasons to celebrate, with it still yet to get off the mark in its Constructors’ Championship campaign. It marks the team’s worst start to a championship season since its formation, and one hopes that the team’s on-track performance will give it cause to crack open the Dom Pérignon on Sunday evening.