IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN AND THE MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS FORMULA ONE TEAM CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY AS PARTNERS WITH A NEW MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT
Schaffhausen, 18 February 2022 – IWC Schaffhausen is delighted to announce an expanded multi-year partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. First formed in 2013, the long-standing collaboration between the luxury Swiss watchmakers and the Formula One™ team, founded on a shared commitment to excellence, now continues into a second decade. Before the opening Grand Prix™ of the season, IWC also offers a warm welcome to George Russell, who will drive for the team alongside fellow IWC brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton in 2022.
“Our mutual passion for engineering at the highest level is what has brought us together and strengthened the bond between us, resulting in a partnership that is unique in the industry. Over the last almost 10 years, we have formed a strong community. Many members of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team are now also part of the IWC family. I am looking forward to continuing and expanding our collaboration,”
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, added: “The many parallels between motorsport and watchmaking formed the foundation for our collaboration in 2013. Since then, we have been able to learn a lot from each other and experience many unforgettable moments together. Our actions are always determined by long-term thinking and the extension of our partnership is great news, ahead of the new season and beyond.”
A PIONEERING PARTNERSHIP SHAPING THE FUTURE
As revealed at Friday’s official launch of the team’s new W13 car, IWC as ‘Official Engineering Partner’ continues to secure a prominent presence on the livery, driver gloves, overalls and team kit. The extended partnership solidifies this long-term commitment to the team and includes exciting activations expected at signature Grands Prix™ throughout the season. The first of these events will take place at May’s FORMULA 1 MIAMI GRAND PRIX™ 2022 in the United States, with further highlights scheduled throughout the 2022 race calendar.
IWC Schaffhausen and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One are also both dedicated to integrating more sustainable practices into their operations. IWC produces watches that are meant to last for generations and has been striving to manage its social and environmental impacts responsibly. In June 2022, IWC will release its third GRI sustainability report with an update on the milestones achieved and the brand’s future commitments.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One is working to establish its roadmap to become NetZero, in line with the stated 2030 objective of Formula One™. Part of the extended collaboration and reflecting the commitment of both brands to responsible practices, IWC will work with the team to define and deliver a meaningful contribution to Ignite, the joint charitable initiative set up by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and team driver Lewis Hamilton to improve diversity and inclusion in motorsport. Engineering dreams since its foundation in 1868, IWC is excited to now play a part in helping young people from under-represented backgrounds fulfil their career aspirations in motorsport.
“IWC Schaffhausen and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team are not only united by a shared passion for engineering and technical excellence but also by the pursuit of diversity and responsibility in our industries. In this light, the extension of our collaboration to include a contribution to Ignite is an entirely logical step.”
Richard Sanders, Commercial Director of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, continued: “IWC has been a crucial pillar of our partner family over the past decade. We are delighted not only to have extended our long-standing partnership, but also to have evolved it in line with our shared priorities for the years ahead.”
The broader partnership will also extend off-track with a new online gaming adventure as IWC becomes a sponsor of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team. The virtual racing squad is based in a custom-built facility at the Formula One™ team's Brackley headquarters. There, the team’s line-up of drivers, which includes professionals Bono Huis, Dani Moreno and Jarno Opmeer, train, qualify and compete in a number of virtual multi-round championships, including the F1™ Esports Pro Series, of which Opmeer and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team are the reigning champions.
Following Friday's shakedown of the new W13 at Silverstone, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team will be in action in Barcelona from February 23-25 for the first of two pre-season tests. The 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship™ is set to begin in Bahrain from March 18-20.
MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS FORMULA ONE
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team is the works team of Mercedes-Benz, competing at the pinnacle of motorsport – the FIA Formula One™ World Championship. Formula One is like nothing else in the sporting sphere. It’s a demanding technical and human challenge, combining cutting-edge technologies and innovation, high-performance management and elite teamwork. At Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, a group of passionate and determined people work to design, develop, manufacture and race the cars driven by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and young star George Russell. The team has set a new benchmark for F1 success during the sport’s current Hybrid era, winning consecutive Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the Constructors’ Championship in 2021. During those title-winning seasons, the team has scored 111 wins, 232 podium finishes, 118 pole positions, 81 fastest laps and 53 one-two finishes from 160 race starts.
Learn more: One Year On: Mercedes-AMG F1 Announces Positive Progress with Accelerate 25 Programme (mercedesamgf1.com).
MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS ESPORTS TEAM
The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team is the esports team of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team. Based on the premises of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Brackley, a purpose-built esports training centre provides the team’s gamers with world-class facilities and state-of-the-art equipment from our Esports partners, to develop their skills, train and compete. Being integrated into the Driver-in-Loop Simulator department, where F1 development drivers provide feedback to engineers on a virtual model of the car, the esports programme will benefit from transferable elements pertinent to optimising car set-up and honing race craft.
In 1868, the American watchmaker and entrepreneur Florentine Ariosto Jones travelled from Boston to Switzerland and founded the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen. His visionary dream was to combine advanced American manufacturing methods with the craftsmanship of Swiss watchmakers to make the best pocket watches of his time. In doing so, he not only laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach but also established the centralised production of mechanical watches in Switzerland.
Over its 150 year history, IWC Schaffhausen has developed a reputation for creating functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust, and easy for customers to use. A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramics, IWC today specialises in highly engineered technical watch cases manufactured from advanced materials, such as titanium aluminide and Ceratanium®. Preferring the principle of “form follows function” over decoration, the Swiss watch manufacturer’s timeless creations embody their owners’ dreams and ambitions as they journey through life.
IWC sources materials responsibly and takes action to minimise its impact on the environment, creating intrinsically sustainable timepieces that are built to last for generations. The company prides itself in training its own future watchmakers and engineers, as well as offering an excellent working environment for all employees. IWC also partners with organisations that work globally to support children and young people.