Oxford, March 5, 2004. The BMW WilliamsF1 Team today confirmed a major marketing and promotional partnership agreement with the Shanghai International Circuit (SIC) and the region’s leading television network, CCTV ahead of the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on September 26, 2004.
The partnership agreement includes on-car branding benefits for SIC & CCTV which will be visible on the FW26 race cars from the start of the 2004 Formula One season, which commences this weekend in Australia.
This highly visible presence for SIC/CCTV with one of the leading Formula One teams in the 2004 Championship will assist with the promotion of the first ever
Grand Prix on Chinese soil.
Aside from providing SIC & CCTV with a global medium to communicate and promote the first race, the agreement also provides the BMW WilliamsF1 Team with extensive promotional and media benefits and opportunities in the region, which are regarded as invaluable to Western companies looking to establish a toe-hold in such a key emerging market.
The BMW WilliamsF1 Team was the first Formula One team to visit China in an official capacity following the formal confirmation of the Chinese Grand Prix, and a delegation from SIC was received by Frank Williams at the team’s headquarters in summer 2003.
The BMW WilliamsF1 Team Principal, Frank Williams, commented, ‘The prospect of racing in China was attractive in itself, but this newly announced partnership will provide an extremely strong proposition for our sponsors who are looking for conduits into this marketplace, and as such, is very welcome.’
Mr Mao Xiaohan, President of the Shanghai International Circuit Company confirmed this sentiment and reflected ‘This strategic alliance between Shanghai
International Circuit and the BMW WilliamsF1 Team is excellent for Shanghai and of course the whole of China too. Bringing Formula One to Shanghai has opened the door for high profile companies like the BMW WilliamsF1 Team and this will benefit us as well as them.’
BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen added ‘As a global player the BMW Group welcomes the worldwide expansion of Formula One. The Grand Prix of China will enable us to discover a new market for Formula One. Currently the
country probably hosts the fastest growing economy of the world. BMW is very much looking forward do demonstrating it’s technology performance in Shanghai.’
The construction of the 5.45km Shanghai circuit is well advanced, with essential groundworks complete after 2million m3 of rock and substrata moved to create the
track’s foundation. The 12,000 tonne steelwork structure for the enormous main building is also well underway, and when complete will provide extensive facilities including the press centre and restaurants, control rooms etc. The top floor of this building will have a completed floor area equivalent of four football pitches. Six lane service roads to and from the track are complete and the construction of distinctive lotus leaf shaped pavilion stands are underway.
CCTV are the official domestic broadcasters of Formula One to a population of 1.4 billion, with CCTV audience penetration amounting to over 90% of households.
For more details contact:
WilliamsF1
Liam Clogger
Tel: +44 1235 7777 00
liam.clogger@williamsf1.com
Silvia Hoffer
Tel: +44 7977 275 838
silvia.hoffer@williamsf1.com
Shanghai International Circuit
Sophia Claughton-Wallin,
t +86 21 6330 5555 ext 222 or m +86 1381 806 4741
http://www.icsh.sh.cn/en/ or contact
CCTV
http://www.cctv.com/english/index.shtml