PETRONAS MOTORSPORTS
MEDIA RELEASE
Monday, 21 December 2009

PETRONAS signs agreement to partner Mercedes in Formula One

PETRONAS today announced a five-year agreement with major auto-manufacturer Mercedes, marking a new partnership for the company in Formula One. Under the terms of the agreement, PETRONAS will become the title partner to the Mercedes GP team, the reigning Formula One world champions. The team will from 2010 be officially known as the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team.

The partnership also allows related business arrangements with Mercedes that will support PETRONAS’ international business expansion efforts, particularly in its global lubricant business.

The exclusive rights of a title partner and association with the premium, internationally-renowned Mercedes brand will further enhance PETRONAS and Malaysia’s ongoing global brand positioning efforts. PETRONAS will also be able to continue to leverage on the extensive international exposure offered by the sport to grow its existing business activities.

The partnership also presents PETRONAS with the opportunity to utilise and leverage on Mercedes’ long motor sport heritage to further supplement its talent development initiatives as part of its contribution towards the development of Malaysia’s motorsports industry.

In addition to enhancing its brand, PETRONAS’ association and involvement in international motorsport over the past two decades has been a significant contributor to the growth of its business in particular its lubricants business in the global arena. The association has also paved the way for technological and knowledge acquisition relevant to the oil and gas industry.

PETRONAS will also continue to be the title sponsor of the PETRONAS Malaysian F1 Grand Prix, which is proven to be an effective platform to promote Malaysia on the global stage.

Related

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team
Press Information
21 December 2009

MERCEDES GP SIGNS LONG-TERM AGREEMENT WITH PETRONAS 

Stuttgart/Kuala Lumpur - Mercedes GP is delighted to announce the signing of a long-term agreement with PETRONAS which will see the Malaysian national oil and gas company become the title partner to the new Silver Arrows works team.

From 2010, the new team will compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship as the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team and will carry the distinctive PETRONAS branding across the car and team liveries.

Leveraging Mercedes-Benz's rich motorsport heritage and the long-standing involvement of PETRONAS in Formula One, the new title partnership also paves the way for future collaborations between the two companies. For PETRONAS, the partnership will enable the oil and gas giant to generate sustainable business growth, particularly in their downstream lubricants market, through the strategic partnership and business alliance with Mercedes-Benz, one of the most prestigious global automotive brands.

The Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team's challenger for 2010 will make its track debut in its new livery at Valencia on 1 February 2010 for the first of the pre-season tests ahead of the 2010 Formula One season.

PETRONAS will continue to be the title sponsor of the PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix, scheduled to be the third race of the new season, which will take place at the Sepang International Circuit on 4 April 2010.

Norbert Haug, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsports, said: "We are very pleased to begin our long-term partnership with our new title partner PETRONAS. Daimler, our premium brand Mercedes-Benz and PETRONAS will work together both on and off the track and I am sure that everybody involved will guarantee their absolute dedication to success. PETRONAS' home base in Kuala Lumpur is located in the middle of a fast-growing region for the automotive industry which makes this new partnership even more valuable. Within the limits of the new Formula One resource restrictions, the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team will be well positioned to achieve our goals. We will all strive to present efficient success in the future knowing at the same time that the new Formula One season with some fundamental rule changes will be a particularly challenging one."

Ross Brawn, Team Principal of the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team
commented: "Everyone at Mercedes GP is delighted to confirm our long-term agreement with PETRONAS and we look forward to working closely with our new partner in the future. The collaboration of the premium automotive brand Mercedes-Benz and a company as prestigious as PETRONAS gives our team a fantastic base from which to achieve our ambitions of competing at the top level of Formula One and building on the success of 2009 which saw the team achieve the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships. Our plans for the new season are progressing well, as is the development of our 2010 challenger, and we look forward to seeing the car run in the new Silver Arrows and PETRONAS livery at the Valencia test in February."