Sebastian Vettel becomes the Director of Performance at Infiniti

Infiniti has gradually increased its presence at Red Bull. After first appearing as a minor sponsor at the start of the 2011 season, the Japanese brand decided to step up its involvement by becoming a major sponsor. But it was at the beginning of the 2013 season that a significant milestone was reached when Nissan’s luxury subsidiary decided to become the title sponsor of the three-time world champion team.

In the meantime, she had already bet on Sebastian Vettel in her communication plan. Thus, the German champion became the brand’s first ambassador. The first realization of this association was the launch of a limited series of the FX 4×4 in his name, but the modifications were mainly aesthetic, with the addition of a few carbon fiber parts. The stakes were very limited for the brand since only 200 units at 120,000 euros were put up for sale.

Infiniti is now seeking to go further in this collaboration by involving the triple world champion more in the actual development of the brand’s new models, as Johan de Nysschen, the company’s CEO, explains: « Sebastian’s talent and skill behind the wheel are undeniable, and his role in the development of Infiniti vehicles is already invaluable. How many premium car brands can honestly claim that their vehicles were developed with a triple world champion? As our technical collaboration with Infiniti Red Bull Racing continues to strengthen, we will do the same with our relationship with Sebastian, who will be essential in the development of our future range of vehicles. This will allow Infiniti to be associated with passion and performance within a brand that challenges the status quo. »

This announcement comes at a strategic moment as Sebastian Vettel is under fire for not obeying team orders during the last Malaysian Grand Prix. Red Bull and Infiniti are taking the opportunity to ignite a media counter-fire to restore their champion’s image by emphasizing that he went to Japan to meet with the brand’s engineers to be involved in the early stages of developing the new Q50 sedan.

With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr