Qantas remains the title sponsor of the Australian Grand Prix
The Australian airline Qantas has decided to extend its title sponsorship contract for its national event for the third consecutive season.
Despite financial difficulties linked to the decline in global traffic in civil aviation, the airline is therefore continuing its commitment that began more than 25 years ago. Qantas has heavily invested in this sport since, in addition to its presence on the Melbourne circuit, it has also appointed Mark Webber as its brand ambassador.
Ronald Walker, the president of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, also takes this announcement as an opportunity to highlight the media impact of a presence on the banks of Albert Park: “Qantas has been associated with the Australian Grand Prix for over 25 years and we are delighted that this important partnership continues. Formula One is the most popular annual sport in the world, attracting a television audience of 520 million fans worldwide. Last year, 4.23 million Australians watched the Australian Grand Prix. You simply cannot put a value on such exposure.”
Nevertheless, the event still faces strong criticism from city residents who cannot stomach the 50 million Australian dollars bill left to the State of Victoria. This has led the Herald Sun to disseminate false information. Indeed, the local tabloid reported in an article that “We understand that logistics specialist DHL has relinquished its title sponsor rights after negotiations with Supremo Bernie Ecclestone. The local race officials claim they have managed to find a new sponsor, but according to the Herald Sun’s information, the agreement does not meet the initial budgets.”
This information cannot be true since Qantas has been the title sponsor since 2010, as reported by yours truly. DHL is indeed present in F1 as the official carrier of the teams’ equipment to all corners of the world. It was also the title sponsor of the Turkish Grand Prix, which was removed from the 2012 calendar. What is even more surprising is that such information is relayed by other publications known for the reliability of their information, like pitpass.
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
