In the nine years since IWC Schaffhausen signed as official partner for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team in 2013, the team’s lead driver Lewis Hamilton has won the Championship six times.
Just missing out on winning last year’s title in a dramatic and controversial final race of last year’s season has given Mercedes and Mr Hamilton a new hunger, and the arrival of a second world class British driver, George Russell, will further ignite the competition within the team as well as with its F1 rivals.
Not that IWC will have needed any extra spice to sign an expanded multi-year partnership with Mercedes, which is precisely what they have announced this week as the 2022 race car was revealed.
“Our mutual passion for engineering at the highest level is what has brought us together and strengthened the bond between us, resulting in a partnership that is unique in the industry. Over the last almost 10 years, we have formed a strong community.
“Many members of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team are now also part of the IWC family. I am looking forward to continuing and expanding our collaboration,” Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC, said at the 2022 curtain raiser.
Rather than simply a timekeeping partner for the racing team, IWC has been unveiled as an Official Engineering Partner.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes- AMG Petronas Formula One Team, explains: “The many parallels between motorsport and watchmaking formed the foundation for our collaboration in 2013. Since then, we have been able to learn a lot from each other and experience many unforgettable moments together. Our actions are always determined by long-term thinking and the extension of our partnership is great news, ahead of the new season and beyond.”
The broader partnership will also extend to the virtual world with IWC becoming a sponsor of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team in the upcoming F1 Esports Pro Series.
