Vodafone teams with McLaren Mercedes as Title sponsor
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes race drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton drove through the streets of Valencia in Spain in their Formula 1 cars recently to mark the start of an exciting new era for the team.
The event heralded the launch of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, which Vodafone is joining as Title Sponsor and Official Mobile Partner.
Fernando and Lewis, who form one of the youngest driver line-ups in the history of the sport, unveiled the new livery on a bespoke circuit around the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias in two MP4-21 race cars. This was followed by the unveiling of the 2007 car, the MP4-22, which Fernando and Lewis will use to contest this year's Formula 1 World Championship.
Ron Dennis, Team Principal of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group was upbeat about the new deal: “Vodafone represents only the second title sponsor change in thirty years for the team – something which we as an organisation are very proud of."
"McLaren and Mercedes-Benz have enjoyed a very strong relationship for the past twelve years and we are now looking forward to a successful future as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes," he continued. "We all want to win but how we win has always been very important to us and this value will remain the driving force behind our new partnership. In parallel we have developed a brand strategy which we hope will capture and project the youthful and dynamic spirit of the new team. In Fernando and Lewis we have two of the most exciting and talented drivers in Formula 1. They both have great potential to inspire others to push hard to achieve their dreams."
Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “Like DaimlerChrysler, our new partner Vodafone is a global company with more than 190 million customers worldwide. This clearly opens up new opportunities and perspectives in the area of communications for the team."
“Vodafone is delighted to be deepening our involvement in motor racing by becoming Title Sponsor and Official Mobile Partner of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team," commented Arun Sarin, Chief Executive of Vodafone. "We are very excited about the opportunities the team will offer us to continue to build our brand. Motor racing is all about 'Making the most of Now' and similarly we want all our customers both business and consumer to get the most out of their time. We wish the team all the best for the 2007 season,”
The event will also see the announcement of three new exclusive special edition consumer handsets from Samsung and Sharp to support the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team.
As Vodafone McLaren Mercedes moves into 2007, the team has welcomed new companies to its group of Corporate and Technology Partners, including aigo, Mutua Madrileña and Santander. “As we start the 2007 season, the team is benefiting from the valuable support of our world class Partner group and today extend our thanks to our existing sponsors,” said Ron Dennis. “With the likes of Santander, aigo and Mutua Madrileña joining us from this season, we have a Partnership portfolio that is unmatched in Formula 1 or indeed in the field of sports sponsorship.”
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes race drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton drove through the streets of Valencia in Spain in their Formula 1 cars recently to mark the start of an exciting new era for the team.
The event heralded the launch of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, which Vodafone is joining as Title Sponsor and Official Mobile Partner.
Fernando and Lewis, who form one of the youngest driver line-ups in the history of the sport, unveiled the new livery on a bespoke circuit around the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias in two MP4-21 race cars. This was followed by the unveiling of the 2007 car, the MP4-22, which Fernando and Lewis will use to contest this year's Formula 1 World Championship.
Ron Dennis, Team Principal of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group was upbeat about the new deal: “Vodafone represents only the second title sponsor change in thirty years for the team – something which we as an organisation are very proud of."
"McLaren and Mercedes-Benz have enjoyed a very strong relationship for the past twelve years and we are now looking forward to a successful future as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes," he continued. "We all want to win but how we win has always been very important to us and this value will remain the driving force behind our new partnership. In parallel we have developed a brand strategy which we hope will capture and project the youthful and dynamic spirit of the new team. In Fernando and Lewis we have two of the most exciting and talented drivers in Formula 1. They both have great potential to inspire others to push hard to achieve their dreams."
Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “Like DaimlerChrysler, our new partner Vodafone is a global company with more than 190 million customers worldwide. This clearly opens up new opportunities and perspectives in the area of communications for the team."
“Vodafone is delighted to be deepening our involvement in motor racing by becoming Title Sponsor and Official Mobile Partner of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team," commented Arun Sarin, Chief Executive of Vodafone. "We are very excited about the opportunities the team will offer us to continue to build our brand. Motor racing is all about 'Making the most of Now' and similarly we want all our customers both business and consumer to get the most out of their time. We wish the team all the best for the 2007 season,”
The event will also see the announcement of three new exclusive special edition consumer handsets from Samsung and Sharp to support the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team.
As Vodafone McLaren Mercedes moves into 2007, the team has welcomed new companies to its group of Corporate and Technology Partners, including aigo, Mutua Madrileña and Santander. “As we start the 2007 season, the team is benefiting from the valuable support of our world class Partner group and today extend our thanks to our existing sponsors,” said Ron Dennis. “With the likes of Santander, aigo and Mutua Madrileña joining us from this season, we have a Partnership portfolio that is unmatched in Formula 1 or indeed in the field of sports sponsorship.”