In 2005, we extended our long-standing relationship with Sauber when PETRONAS became the Premium Partner to the BMW Sauber F1 Team, following BMW’s acquisition of majority interest in Sauber Holdings.
In 2009, we signed a five-year agreement with major auto-manufacturer Mercedes, making us the title partner to the Mercedes GP team, the reigning Formula One world champions. Starting 2010, the team will be known as the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team.
Other benefits of PETRONAS' partnership, besides advance fuel and lubricant R&D, included an eight-year technology programme with Sauber to equip Malaysian engineers with knowledge derived from F1. This resulted in engineering and technological feats, among which are:
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The development of a prototype 2-litre passenger car engine - the PETRONAS E01 |
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The development of a GP1 3-cylinder 4-stroke motorcycle engine that eventually evolved to become high-performance engines for recreational vehicles including the Austrian Ski-Doo snowmobiles and jet skis. |
PETRONAS and MotoGP
Besides F1, PETRONAS’ foray into the global arena of Motorsports extends to MotoGP through a partnership with Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd, a collaboration that will see PETRONAS becoming an important new Official Sponsor and Premium Partner of the Fiat Yamaha Team. The strategic partnership will further enhance PETRONAS’ position in the international lubricant business and also provide another valuable platform for our lubricant research and development.
Other motorsports sponsorships
PETRONAS is also involved in various regional touring car and motorcycle racing championships. We have also launched the PETRONAS FORMULA XPERIENCE racing school series to train, nurture and develop young racing talents in open-wheel single-seater racing.
Reaching out to the community
Consistent with PETRONAS’ commitment to contribute to community development, all PETRONAS Motorsports events also involve regular community outreach programmes to increase public awareness and extend opportunities for disadvantaged groups to experience the excitement of motorsports.
These include, among others, an interactive mobile exhibition known as the PETRONAS REV SQUAD which was developed as an innovative education platform to communicate the science and tehchnology behind the fast-paced world of motorsports to school children in an engaging and interactive way. By widening the appeal of motorsports to the general public and to school children in particular, the exhibition aims to provide more experiential learning opportunities while cultivating a more lasting interest in science and technology.
Find out more about PETRONAS Motorsports at its official website
http://www.petmos.com.my