Data not emotion will drive Ford Australia’s decision whether to continue sponsoring V8 Supercars racing beyond 2013 says company president Bob Graziano.

Graziano, who announced in late May that Ford will end manufacturing in Australia and kill the Falcon nameplate no later than October 2016, says in part the racing decision will be driven by the relevance of the new Car of the Future formula to his company.

“What I am trying to understand is how important will it be as that sport (V8 Supercars) changes going forward,” Graziano told v8supercars.com.au. “I need other people to help me think my way through that who are far more knowledgeable about that sport than I am.”

Under Car of the Future new makes Nissan and Mercedes-Benz have entered the championship and more are said to be on the way, eroding the exclusive red versus blue Holden versus Ford contest that existed for 20 years.

Along the way Ford has also downsized its investment and presence. There were eight teams running 13 Falcons in 2008, but now only four cars run out of the factory-supported Ford Performance Racing, while blue oval icon Dick Johnson races the other two.

Then there is the question of whether Ford – which will endure substantial losses in coming years as it winds up local manufacturing operations – will want to spend money promoting a nameplate it is about to kill.

Alternatively it could swap sheetmetal to its imported Mondeo mid-sizer.

“I think it (V8 Supercars) has been important and I don’t know how important it will be going forward and think it is important we look our way through it,” Graziano said.

“I don’t want you to take anything away from that comment. I try and base decisions on data and try and understand what that means to us going forward.

“But I fully understand how important it (motorsport) has been to us up to this point and we have a very proud history in motorsports around the world … and it is not something we take lightly. We don’t take any of our relationships lightly.”

One thing is certain, the decision Graziano and his marketing and sales vice president Brad Brownell are faced with has to be made sooner rather than later. FPR cannot be left hanging so late in the year that other sponsorship and potential manufacturer options cannot be pursued.

So logically, Ford must make its call within a couple of months, not that Graziano was willing to confirm that sort of timing.

“We talk to them (FPR) regularly, so I will have that discussion with them,” Graziano said. “I don’t have a timeline on that. We are talking with them, we have regular communications with them.

“At this point we haven’t taken a decision, so we need to step back and look at all of our business, which we will do and then I will work with the teams as we go forward. Once we take a decision then we will make an announcement one way or the other.

“I am talking to them regularly as well. Whether it is at the races or away from the races.

“I enjoy the races and I enjoy spending time with those guys.”

FPR co-owner Rod Nash declined to comment on the issue when contacted by v8supercars.com.au.