For the past six years, CERTINA and the BMW Sauber F1 Team have been joined in a close, dynamic and fruitful partnership. The logo of the famous Swiss sportwatch brand will also now figure on the rear-view mirrors of the team's F1 cars, in addition to the helmets, gloves and overall cuffs of their two drivers, Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi.
The 2009 race calendar was one of many ups and downs for the BMW Sauber F1 Team. After a credible initial start at Melbourne's Australian Grand Prix, the team met with extremely stiff competition in subsequent races, although they did manage to close the gap somewhat, during the second half of the season. After what had been an outstanding year in 2008, and a season which had ended with a 3rd overall spot for the factory and 11 podium finishes, 2009 closed with an uneven 6th place overall in the FIA Constructor's Championship.
The good results in the closing races of 2009 may give rise to a more promising outlook for the team's forthcoming season. From a purely aerodynamic standpoint, the race cars will be very similar this year to last year's. New regulations, however, that ban in-race refuelling will force a near doubling of on-board fuel capacity. Bigger tanks will require changes that will impact on both the car's wheelbase and its centre of gravity, a challenge that will require the finest of engineering.
The many years of fruitful collaboration with Peter Sauber, who took over the team after BMW's departure in 2009, are behind CERTINA's decision to prolong the partnership. The brand has great faith in the team's strong dedication and broad racing experience in top-level motor sport. So in 2010, the CERTINA logo will prominently figure on the rear-view mirrors of the F1 cars, and continue to appear on the helmets, gloves and overall cuffs of the team drivers, for a notable increase in brand visibility.
"For many years, the CERTINA brand has been closely linked with sports, and more specifically with motor sports. Just like the BMW Sauber F1 Team, CERTINA stands for precision, innovation and Swiss dynamism," states Adrian Bosshard, President of Certina. "The extremely positive impact of our partnership, worldwide, shows that Formula 1, the true pinnacle of motor sport, conveys perfectly the CERTINA brand's fundamental philosophy and principles."
In kind, BMW Sauber F1 Team Owner and Principal Peter Sauber has his own words of praise over the excellent collaboration. "We are very proud of the trust that CERTINA has invested in our team. The partnership that we have nurtured over the years has been highly beneficial, and so we are happy to see it prolonged. CERTINA and the BMW Sauber F1 Team share many common values, including a passion for precision and a highly craft-oriented philosophy. We are therefore natural allies, and that's why I think that our partnership has been so successful. With their logo now boldly displayed on the mirrors of our cars, CERTINA will no doubt enhance their visibility even further."
