Leeds Utd Signs up with Formula 1 Rival Premier1
In a media conference today at the Leeds United stadium at Elland Road, the Chairman of Leeds United Football Club – Peter Ridsdale—revealed an exciting new partnership that will see the football club competing in the innovative Premier1 Grand Prix motor racing series.
Leeds United are the first British club to confirm their participation in the series. The announcement follows hot on the heals of last month’s news that Benfica, Portugal’s leading football club, had become the first European club to be signed up to the new motor racing series, that is scheduled to start in July 2002.
Premier1 Grand Prix will provide the Leeds United football brand and the club’s fans with an extension from its prestigious football portfolio into the exciting world of Formula1-style motor racing. This will lead to an increase in the club’s national and international fan base and more widespread visibility for the club’s powerful brand identity.
Throughout the competition, Leeds United supporters will be able to follow the performance of their dedicated British driver (name to be announced in due course). The club’s driver competes in a Leeds branded racing car under the guidance of their own motor racing team in a series building up to 18 high profile races around the world.
‘This is an important step in the development of our Leeds United brand,’ says Peter Ridsdale, Chairman of Leeds United. ‘Our recently revealed plans to develop a new stadium are testament to our dedication to evolve and to become the number one club in Europe. To achieve this, we are embracing new ways of broadening our support base and extending our revenue streams. This new racing series combines the two largest sporting audiences in the world and represents a huge opportunity for our club, our fans and our commercial partners to reach out into a new and exhilarating sporting arena.’
The series will consist of 24 identical 750bhp single-seat racing cars, each representing one of the world’s leading football clubs, competing for race honours on the world’s fastest circuits. The cars will have comparable performance to Formula1 and will run on slick racing tyres. New technologies to enhance the cars’ performance will be introduced to all cars at the start of each season.
‘We are very proud to have Leeds United, one of the leading clubs in English football, participating in Premier1 Grand Prix’, says Heinz Schurtenberger, Chief Executive of Premier1 Grand Prix. ‘Today’s agreement paves the way for similar contract signings in the major European countries until the end of the year.’
With this agreement in place, Premier1 Grand Prix is intensifying the discussions with potential media partners, corporate sponsors and licensing/merchandising companies on the commercial opportunities arising from the series.
For further information please contact:
Johhn Sharp
+44 (0)20 7384 8729
MPA MEDIA
premier1gp@mpafingal.co.uk