Blackberry seem to have the finances to sponsor Mercedes F1, that cannot be cheap, however it probably points to their future with QNX in the automotive world.
Marketing is not an optional expense that companies engage in only when they make a profit. The withdrawal of such spending, especially during tough times, sends negative signals to their markets that might have produce more losses of income than the losses from mere diminished branding and exposure.
also noteworthy, is that this wasn't just a 'marketing deal' per se but an "enterprise partnership"
The Mercedes F1 team runs its business on BB hardware and software.
"The Mercedes F1 Team uses more than 200 BlackBerrys including Blackberry Z10s, Q10s, Z30s and Passports. It's these along with BlackBerry Enterprise Sever 10 (BES10) which seem integral to the day-to-day running of the business."
What amazes me is that I do not know this already. With other IT in F1 concerns - e.g. Tata group a few years ago - you hear all about it. But with Blackberry? Not a thing. How hard can it be to write in interesting story?
An iPhone doesn't replace a Blackberry if you really need a Blackberry. You also can't run a car (minus the entertainment system) off of iOS like you can QNX.
