TAG Heuer Watch Partners with FIA Formula E Championship
Monday - 20 May 2013
TAG Heuer has announced its role as Official Timekeeper, Official Watch and Chronograph and Founding Partner of the FIA Formula E Championship.
Formula E is a new championship featuring racing cars powered exclusively by electric energy. The first official electric car race will take place in 2014, and the FIA hopes that the sport will promote awareness of sustainability and clean energy.
TAG Heuer will provide all live timings for the championship's inaugural season, taking place on 10 street circuits worldwide, including London, Rome, Los Angeles, Miami, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Beijing.
"Teaming up with Formula E, the world's top competition for electrically-powered racing cars represents the next logical step for TAG Heuer's ongoing commitment to motorsports, as it draws on both our racing heritage and our commitment to sustainability," said TAG Heuer President and CEO Jean-Christophe Babin. "An intense passion for automobiles has fuelled our technical innovation and performance since the earliest days of the brand. We patented the first dashboard chronograph in 1911, pioneered driver ambassadorship with Jo Siffert in 1969, signed on as the first 'nontechnical' partner of a Formula One team with Ferrari in the 70s, and continued that tradition with McLaren and its drivers from 1985 to the present day. Through these and our other partnerships - Indy 500, Audi Sports at LeMans and World Endurance Championship and the mythical Monaco Grand Prix among them - we have pushed precision to record-breaking levels.
TAG Heuer has also been deeply involved in sustainable development for years, with for example solar roofs providing electricity in our Swiss facilities. We have an ongoing partnership with Leonardo DiCaprio and Green Cross international’s ecological initiatives. In 2010, we organised with Tesla the very first ever world tour in a 100% electric GT car and in 2011 , we signed on with the Electric Masters Kart in Paris Bercy. So Formula E is a natural fit."
The announcement was made alongside the first 3D images of the new Formula E car. The car is capable of reaching 0-100kph in less than three seconds, and is currently under construction by Spark Racing Technology. It features a Dallara chassis, Michelin tyres and a powertrain by TAG Heuer partner McLaren.
Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings, said: "Without doubt, TAG Heuer is the perfect partner to the FIA Formula E Championship and we are delighted to have a brand of their prestige, excellence and expertise on board for the inaugural season. TAG Heuer's time-honoured passion for motorsport dates backs more than 150 years and their quest to push technology to the highest level of performance epitomises the values of our Championship. As Founding Partner, they will bring us a global communication platform and the best of their services for teams, drivers, media and fans around the world."
Stephane Linder, the new TAG Heuer CEO from June 1st, said: "TAG Heuer draws inspiration from the technology, design and artistry of professional motor racing to produce the world's most precise, reliable and thrilling timepieces. Formula E promotes interest and investment in electric vehicles and sustainable motoring. We look forward to participating in this noble and exciting endeavour, as we share its values: innovation, performance and sustainable development. And, at the core, a deep and abiding love for the world's fastest sport."
Browse our TAG Heuer watches.
