How clear is your logo?

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Formula 1 has little competition for the title "fastest sport on earth." Take Copse Corner at Silverstone, where cars turn at speeds in excess of 165 mph (265 kph); or the first chicane at Monza where cars brake from more than 215 mph (350 kph) to just 50 (80) in under 200 meters.

If you happen to have your company's logo on one of these cars, you might wonder whether the audiences at home and on the grandstands can actually see what you are trying to advertise. But experienced directors and camera men, with decades of Formula 1 experience, know what it takes to put a car into the spotlight when it roars past at high speed.

A company wishing to sponsor a Formula 1 team will be presented with a list of possible options of where to display a logo, but which gives the best exposure? And how can this be gauged?

This is where media monitoring companies come in. They employ people who watch each race, studiously logging which area of the car receives the most air time.

The results can be surprising. While the large logos on the engine cover and the side pods may be visible from grand stands hundreds of meters away from the track, they are not the stars of the show as James Gibson, sales director of media monitors Margaux Matrix explains: "The best spot to advertise on a Formula 1 car is the 'top tub' or bonnet [hood] to use a layman's term. This is mainly due to the use of the on-board footage during the race coverage."

The company analyzed the Formula One Management (FOM) coverage of qualifying, the race and post race interviews as they were aired around the world and based its conclusions on the 18 main markets, worth 40 per cent of the total Formula 1 global footprint, by market value.

Based on this analysis, Margaux Matrix came to the conclusion that the side pods and the front side of the rear wing are the places that receive the best TV exposure, after the 'top tub'. The advertising value achieved by Formula 1 in these main markets over the course of the 2006 season was in excess of $2.6 billion.

The sponsor must then decide on which team's car they want their logo to appear. Gibson continues: "The value derived from the sponsorship will vary by a team's share of broadcast coverage...a front running team, regularly winning is going to afford the most coverage for its sponsors but still a back runner will generate significant value because of the sheer size of the exposure in terms of global coverage.

"In 2007 there is no doubt that the highest exposure in monetary terms is coming from McLaren and Ferrari with Renault in third place but closely followed by BMW....I don't think the top two will be overhauled but the midfield could certainly change with four races to go."

The challenge to get the sponsors on camera doesn't stop at the cars however.

Formula 1 is a very exhausting sport and it is known that drivers can lose up to three kilograms of their bodyweight in sweat during a race. At the podium ceremony and for the official press conference after the race, however, the drivers will have swapped their sweaty overalls for shiny new ones to give their sponsors the best visibility.

At the press conference, the drivers sit quietly as if in Sunday school, with their elbows on the desk in front of them, their hands neatly folded. This isn't fear of the cameras, but a crucial part of the game, explains Gibson:

"A great example was Michael Schumacher who appeared to sit stock still in most post race interviews. Unlike his younger rivals, he didn't wave his arms about, thereby maximizing his exposure value. Indeed his personal sponsor L'Oreal got great coverage just from the logo on his sleeve! It looks like young Lewis Hamilton is just as cool and potentially media savvy."

The need to allow sponsors the maximum amount of visibility significantly curtails the freedom of livery designers. This was demonstrated when the Spyker team launched its 2007 contender.

To emphasize its Dutch heritage, the team launched an all-orange car. The choice of orange, while striking, did not go down well on camera, as Diederik van der Laan, a motor sport photographer recalls: "The first version of the Spyker was painted in some kind of fluorescent orange. That color was too saturated for the cameras and one could hardly spot the contours of the car.

"The orange also flared into the logos of the sponsors which made them illegible. It was almost impossible to take a good picture of that car, so that was bad for the sponsors."

After three test sessions, the team abandoned the livery before the first race at Albert Park, Melbourne. The bright orange was toned down and large areas of the side of the car were painted silver gray.

Spyker team principal Colin Kolles remarked: "It's important for the Spyker brand that the color is uniformly represented by all media and we're confident this will be the case with the new color scheme."

In the world of Formula 1 little is left to chance on the track, even less when it comes to creating visibility for sponsors. E-mail to a friend