Formula 1: TAG Heuer is now riding with Red Bull Racing

After 30 years of partnership, TAG Heuer is leaving McLaren to become Official Timekeeper and Official Watch but also the Title Sponsor of the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team.

In 2016, the car will be therefore called Red Bull Racing – TAG Heuer RB12. A name change that we will observe live on March 20th at the first Grand Prix of the next season in Melbourne, Australia. TAG Heuer signe a major first, because never before a watchmaker appeared directly in the official name of a Formula 1 team.

Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Watch Division, and Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, recently announced that TAG Heuer is becoming the Official Timekeeper, Official Watch, Team Performance Partner of Red Bull Racing. As of the coming Formula 1 racing season, TAG Heuer will be part of the team designation.

Red Bull Racing are Quadruple Double World Champions, having won both the FIA Formula One Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. It is Red Bull Racing’s unorthodox approach to the sport and to entertainment which appealed to TAG Heuer, one which is perfectly in line with the watch brand’s new marketing strategy.

Beyond the visibility provided by the direct association with the name of the team across communications, rankings, TV broadcasts, and the traditional branding permanently sported by the team throughout the racing season, TAG Heuer will also have a presence at the Spielberg circuit, the Red Bull Ring, in Austria and the Team’s headquarters in Milton Keynes.

The partnership between Red Bull Racing and TAG Heuer will take shape in an original, different and innovative manner, both on and off track. Red Bull Racing will join forces with TAG Heuer to create a range of original media content, in particular for social media networks and for new events platforms.

Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Watch Division declared: “Be Unique, Different and the First has always been my personal philosophy in all my 40 years of activities, from product development to marketing and partnerships. This is the first time ever, a watchmaking brand name is directly associated with an official F1 team designation. Formula One is deeply-rooted in TAG Heuer’s DNA, and Red Bull Racing is a young, dynamic and driven team, which perfectly fits with our marketing strategy. It will give TAG Heuer exceptional visibility and allow us to make our partnership exciting, different and innovative. Our motto #DontCrackUnderPressure will be the guiding principle behind all our actions with the support of the Red Bull Racing team and its highly contagious enthusiasm.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, added: “TAG Heuer and Red Bull are two transcendent brands which have both a passion for racing and a drive to do things differently, and this unique collaboration is further evidence of that. TAG Heuer has been an iconic brand in the world of Formula One for many years and we’re delighted that they’ve chosen to continue their association with the sport by teaming up with us. Our shared values of innovation and a desire to stand out from the crowd make this one of the most exciting partnerships in F1.”

Lastly, the alliance between Red Bull Racing and TAG Heuer, brings together two brands with different experiences in the sport but a shared philosophy for the future.

On one hand, Red Bull Racing brings an innovative and unconventional approach to the world of F1l. The combination of Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat also represents one of the youngest driver line-ups on the grid; both drivers are products of the Red Bull Junior Driver programme which continues to develop some of the most exciting talent in F1.

One the other, the heritage and tradition provided by 155 years of history as a Swiss watch manufacturer, the heritage and genetics of which are intimately linked with the world of motor racing. It is worth underlining that TAG Heuer has been associated with and supported some of the greatest F1 teams, the greatest drivers, and the most legendary of circuits.