Two new partners for Sauber

The first announcement is not a surprise since Giedo van der Garde’s arrival as the third driver could only happen with financial backing. As the clothing brand is managed by the Dutch driver’s father-in-law, the source of the funds was hardly in doubt.

However, it has decided to streamline its portfolio of F1 investments. Indeed, last year, it was both a sponsor of Caterham with the presence of Giedo van der Garde and of Williams, with which the company had relations for several seasons. Today, it has decided to focus on a single team, Sauber.

Jan-Paul ten Hoopen, the director of McGregor, stated: « McGregor is delighted to become a premium partner of one of the most beautiful Formula 1 teams. Sauber F1 Team is a determined team, with impressive skills and focus. It has a great history and a clear future, which we share. For McGregor, the relationship with Sauber is a new step in our tradition of F1 partnerships. With Sauber, we share a passion for craftsmanship, independence, and pure performance. This partnership will strengthen our strong international development of McGregor. »

However, its presence will be very limited compared to what it had in the past, as during the Australian Grand Prix, its logo will be present on… the headrest of the Hinwil single-seater, behind the helmet of Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez. It will replace that of Nabholz, the Swiss brand that was previously Sauber’s clothing partner. It is planned that, starting from the Malaysian Grand Prix, McGregor will have more presence, with visibility on the drivers’ suits and helmets.

A first partnership in the Middle East with Pacific Ventures

On the other hand, the arrival of Pacific Ventures is more of a surprise. But it is a new confirmation that the agreement with Russian partners seems less and less likely to be realized with actual funds. Indeed, Monisha Kaltenborn does not fail to point out that the Middle East is a prime target for attracting new partners, especially with the presence of two races on the calendar: « We are very proud to have gained an interesting and exciting real estate promoter like Pacific Ventures as a new partner. Countries like Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are an important part of our Formula 1 calendar and offer great prospects for new brands from this region. We are confident that Pacific Ventures will greatly capitalize on our cooperation, and we look forward to it. »

Nevertheless, Pacific Ventures is not the first Dubai-based real estate developer to invest in Formula 1. Indeed, at the end of last season, Lotus announced a two-year contract with Emaar. The difference between the two entities is that Emaar is the local government’s arm, while Pacific Ventures is independent and only entered the market four years ago. Its logo will appear on the sides of the cars driven by Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez, before later appearing on their suits during the season.

With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr