Bharti Airtel, leading integrated telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, today announced a Race Partnership with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team for the forthcoming 2012 Formula One Airtel Indian Grand Prix.
The strategic alliance gives Airtel access to the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team along with rights to develop co-branded merchandise, use the race partnership logo, offer exciting mobile content, organize exclusive driver meet-and-greet sessions for consumer promotions and more. Brand Airtel will also leverage the prominence of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS and its drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg to further strengthen its connect with F1TMfans and youth across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Airtel branding will feature on the airbox and headrest of the F1 W03 car, and on the racesuits and helmets of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, for the duration of the 2012 Formula One Airtel Indian Grand Prix weekend.
Announcing the association, Bharat Bambawale (Global Brand Director, Bharti Airtel) said, “As title sponsors, we at Airtel are proud to have been an integral part of India’s first F1TM race last year. We are today delighted to enter a new lap of our brand’s Formula OneTM journey with an exciting alliance with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team”. In 2011, Bharti Airtel took the lead in bringing alive India’s Formula OneTM dreams and became ‘Title Sponsor’ of this sport’s debut in the country.
“Bharti Airtel and the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team are associated with traits of leadership, speed, performance and fast-paced growth, thus making this partnership a perfect match between two like-minded brands.. By building on the unique motorsport heritage and strong track record of Mercedes-Benz , we will strengthen brand Airtel’s youthful positioning and appeal to Formula OneTM fans across India”, Bambawale further added.
Ross Brawn (Team Principal of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team) commented, “The 2011 Airtel Indian Grand Prix was a very successful new adventure for Formula One and we are delighted to now be partnering with Bharti Airtel, who have supported the sport in India from the outset. Taking our sport to new audiences is vital for our future and we are very much looking forward to working with Bharti Airtel in the run-up to this year’s race, in order to bring our fantastic sport closer to the Indian fans.”
The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team competes in the FIA Formula One World Championship and is based at the team’s Operations Centre in Brackley, UK. Home to over 500 employees, the team is headed by multiple World-Championship winning Ross Brawn, and owned jointly by Daimler AG and aabar Investments PJS. The engines for the team’s Formula One cars are provided by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire.
Aimed at getting customers closer to Formula OneTM, Airtel offers rich mobile content and instant race updates on race orders, team and driver standing information etc. With this association with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, Airtel customers will now also have access to money-can’t-buy F1TM experiences and videos of behind-the-scenes action, high performance engines and cars, automotive sport accessories etc.
The second and 2012 leg of Formula One Airtel Indian Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, 28th October this year.
