The partnership, currently the third in pro cycling, will see cross-marketing and product development shared between the two teams; the 2020 Williams F1 car will also feature the Israel Start-Up Nation logo on its nose.
"The Williams car will carry the Israel Start-Up Nation logo and there will be cross-marketing and product development between the two programs," said Israel Start-Up Nation co-owner Sylvan Adams. ISN is the third pro-cycling program to collaborate with an F1 team, after the joint venture between Mercedes and Team Ineos and Bahrain and McLaren."
"Roy Nissany is a longtime friend of two Israeli "Guys" from Israel Startup Nation - Guy Sagiv and Guy Niv - which makes this partnership extra special. I expect ISN to gain new fans from the F1 world, and conversely I expect Williams to do the same among ISN's many supporters. 2020 will be an exciting year."
After spending the past three years at the Pro Continental level, Israel Startup Nation has stepped up to the WorldTour for 2020; in 2018 they will participate in their first Grand Tour as the Giro d'Italia opens in Israel, and this year they will be joined by Dan Martin, Andre Greipel, and Nils Pollitt, among others, have shown their ambition to make it big in cycling's top category by signing up.
The partnership news follows two similar collaborations that have taken place recently: in December, Team Ineos announced a partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas, which has won the last six constructors' championships. The two teams will collaborate in areas such as engineering, human sciences, and data analysis.
McLaren, a Formula 1 team with a long history in the sport, is also joining the partnership with Bahrain-Merida for the 2018 season and will take over co-sponsorship from Merida in 2020. The Bahrain-McLaren partnership is based on similar goals to those expressed by Ineos and Mercedes.
Cycling and F1 also have a history that has been intertwined for much longer than the last few years. Italy's Ferrari has worked with bicycle manufacturers Colnago and Bianchi, while McLaren has teamed up with Specialized to develop a special edition Venge aero bike.
Alex Zanardi, a four-time Olympic gold medalist in handcycling, raced for several Formula 1 teams in the 1990s, including Williams, but lost his leg in a CART crash in 2001 and later switched sports. Meanwhile, in the 2018 Tour de France, riders lined up in an F1-style grid start for the 65-km 17th stage, which was won by Nairo Quintana.
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