Ferrari will soon sport an Indian touch. Making the announcement, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo termed the deal historic.
MUMBAI: Ferrari will soon sport an Indian touch. While motor sports have been on a crash course for the past 10 days with Honda pulling out of Formula One and Suzuki and Subaru exiting the World Rally Championship, in a trend reversal of sorts, Indian corporate giant Tata has widened the scope of its agreement with Ferrari for F1.Making the announcement, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo termed the deal historic. “For the first time, an Indian brand will appear on the Ferrari,” Montezemelo was quoted as saying.
Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni told DNA that Tata — through Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) — has extended its contract as an official supplier of Scuderia Ferrari.
“The position of the logo will be revealed at the launch of the car. The duration of the agreement is three years,” Colajanni said.
TCS had inked a deal with the Italian team to provide software solutions beginning 2007. But Ferrari cars did not sport the Tata symbol.
That the logo will feature on the cars starting from the season-opening March 2009 Australian Grand Prix is an indication that the scope of the deal has widened. Colajanni, however, refused to divulge details.
Despite repeated attempts, Tata officials could not be reached for comment.
This is not the first time a Tata logo will feature on an F1 car. The business conglomerate was involved in a brand sponsorship with Jordan in 2005 and Williams in 2006. The Williams sponsorship, which reports suggest was around Rs15 crore per annum, consisted of the Tata logo being prominently featured on the nosecone of the car and drivers’ helmets and racing suits.
While details of the Ferrari deal are not known, the 500-million viewership F1 attracts worldwide will give the Tatas a huge platform.
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