“Ford Team RS have a long proud heritage in rallying and proved in 2003 that whether with star veterans or young rookies, they always challenge for rallies and for championships. We are delighted to extend the contract and to work with such a dedicated team and talented young drivers”, says Andrew McPhail, Senior Manager of PUMA Motorsport. “Supplying the rally drivers, co-drivers and support crew with suitable gear for such a wide range of terrain and climatic conditions gives us a chance to demonstrate the know-how in high-performance motorsport apparel, which we have been able to accumulate with many partners over a number of seasons.”

“As a result of the good partnership, we have decided to extend the deal with PUMA,” states Malcolm Wilson, the former rally driver behind the wheel of the Ford attack to WRC. “The World Rally Championship is one of the most demanding and challenging motorsport competitions worldwide. It is therefore crucial for our drivers and team to have high quality, functional gear, and PUMA can give us exactly that.”

The FIA World Rally Championship races in 16 countries, starting in the French Alps near Monte Carlo, turbo-charging through the snow bound forests of Sweden, over the wide countryside of Argentina, past the historic scenery of Greece’s Acropolis and ending in the dirt and dust of Australia. Millions of fans in countries all over the world watch the teams battle it out on 5 continents.

PUMA® performance racing shoes were first used by various drivers and teams in the 1970s and early 1980s. And since 1998 PUMA’s motorsport division has gradually assembled an impressive portfolio of sponsorships. Along with Ford Team RS and a WRC partnership, PUMA will in the 2004 season be the official supplier of racing gear in several motorsport disciplines such as Formula One, F 3000, motocross, etc.

SAUBER PETRONAS driver Giancarlo Fisichella states: “Since the right gear is an important factor in motorsport, I am more than happy to wear PUMA racewear and footwear on track. PUMA not only has extensive experience with high-perfomance motorsport wear, but also nicely combines quality and functionality with fashionable design.”

“We are delighted to extend the contract with SAUBER PETRONAS and continue the good partnership,” says Andrew McPhail, Senior Manager of PUMA Motorsport. “It is a pleasure to work with such a professional and successful team that has achieved some impressive results in its long Formula 1 history. With the new, modern wind tunnel to test the cars and Fisichella and Massa as drivers, SAUBER PETRONAS will certainly be a force to contend with this season.”

SAUBER PETRONAS is an international Formula One team, located in Hinwil, Switzerland, where Peter Sauber founded his company back in 1970. The team’s highlights were the 1-2-victory 1989 at the 24 hours of Le Mans, the back-to-back sportscar World Championship Titles 1989 and 1990 and the 4th place in the 2001 Formula One Constructors’ Championship. Amongst the successful Sauber junior drivers were Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

PUMA performance racing shoes were first used by various drivers and teams in the 1970s and early 1980s. And since 1998 PUMA’s motorsport division has gradually assembled an impressive portfolio of sponsorships. In the 2004 season PUMA will be the official supplier of racing gear in several motorsport disciplines such as Formula One, F 3000, motocross, WRC etc.

“In 2004 Jaguar Racing started to show their claws demonstrating flashes of brilliance”, says Andrew McPhail, Senior Manager of PUMA Motorsport. “We are particularly pleased to see a driver like Mark Webber from the Australasian region achieving so much success in Formula One – helping to make the sport more global than ever. Now combining Mark Webber in his third year of Formula One, with promising rookie Christian Klien, the team will undoubtedly produce even more highlights in 2004. We are therefore delighted to extend the partnership and are proud that PUMA will be clearly visible with every pit stop Jaguar Racing make throughout the season.”

Jaguar has been involved in motorsport since it was founded by Sir William Lyons in 1922. Due to Jaguar’s long proud history, PUMA thought it appropriate to give the pit crew a shoe with a unique vintage character that takes its inspiration from the early days of motor racing. The “Rennbahn 50 UL” has an oil resistant and non-slippery rubber outsole and the “used look” leather further underlines the value and the heritage of the product.

PUMA performance racing shoes were first used by various drivers and teams in the 1970s and early 1980s. And since 1998 PUMA’s motorsport division has gradually assembled an impressive portfolio of sponsorships. In the 2004 season PUMA will be the official supplier of racing gear in several motorsport disciplines such as Formula One, F 3000, motocross, WRC etc.

“I am very pleased with our new partnership with Ferrari and its Formula 1 team,” says Jochen Zeitz, CEO and Chairman of PUMA AG. “Over the past years, PUMA has strengthened its position as one of the leading suppliers in the motorsport area. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro is at the top of Formula 1 and like PUMA they combine high performance, technological competence and design with innovative styling. This makes the team the perfect fit for us and we are proud to work with such a successful partner and to celebrate future triumphs together with them.

Jean Todt and Jochen Zeitz

Jean Todt, Director General of Ferrari, as well as responsible for the Formula 1 team adds: “PUMA is one of the leading suppliers in motorsport and we are looking forward to working with our new partner.”

With the Future Cat (high and low cut) the merchandising collection – available to the consumer from March 2005 – features a unique product. The red and white shoe carries both the Ferrari Racing Shield as well as the PUMA logo. The range of articles will also include the team-shirt and team-polo (long- and short-sleeve) as well as caps, sweatshirts, rainjackets, and the official replica-shirt, identical to those worn by the team. As a special design feature the well-known footwear Formstrip is incorporated into the epaulette.

Ferrari has a long and proud history in motorsport. As early as 1951, Ferrari achieved its first victory at the Grand Prix of Great Britain. Besides the early success in securing this season’s World Drivers’ title as well as the World Constructors’ Championship, further highlights have been the 13 other Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship titles the team collected over the past decades.

PUMA performance racing shoes were first used by various drivers and teams in the 1970s and early 1980s. And since 1998 PUMA’s motorsport division has gradually assembled an impressive portfolio of sponsorships. In the 2004 season PUMA is the official supplier of racing gear in several motorsport disciplines in addition to Formula 1, such as WRC, F 3000, DTM, etc.

PUMA is extremely pleased to partner-up with Ducati, as the brand not only stands for outstanding performance resulting in high core credibility, but also incorporates the sportlifestyle aspect in their products. With a total of 12 Riders’ and 14 Manufacturers’ world championship titles, Ducati Corse represents an unparalleled racing team. With iconic motorcycles such as the Monster, Ducati Motor Holding is a premier, design-led brand that focuses – like PUMA – on the desirability of its products.

“We aimed at teaming up with a brand that is deeply rooted in the core business of motorsport without neglecting the sportlifestyle component. Like PUMA, Ducati is known throughout the world for pushing the boundaries of both performance and style, and we believe that this partnership is a perfect way to bring innovative Moto products to our consumers”, says Jochen Zeitz, CEO of PUMA AG.

Ducati Motors Holding CEO Federico Minoli: “We are extremely pleased to have PUMA as new partner and supplier. Besides the racing team, there are other parallels between PUMA and Ducati which make them an ideal team: Both brands are consumer-driven, design-led and both are thirsty for innovation and engineering newness.”

The common performance and sportlifestyle collection will be launched in spring 2007 and distributed in selected Ducati and PUMA retail stores as well as in wholesale partner stores. This partnership is a further milestone in PUMAs long term mission to be the most desirable sportlifestyle brand in the world.

Both F1 teams – Red Bull Racing and Torro Rosso – will be equipped with fire-proof PUMA racing and team suits, boots and accessories. In addition to this, a lifestyle-inspired replica collection will be developed for both F1 teams and distributed exclusively in PUMA Concept Stores, the Red Bull Online Shop and the “Bullshop” at races worldwide. The sportlifestyle company will also be the official supplier (track suits, boots, apparel and accessories) of Red Bull Nascar team starting this race season.

Furthermore, PUMA will provide the Red Bull Air Race team with team and pilot suits as well as shoes and accessories. As the name already points out, Air Race is an air race competition, where the pilots maneuver their planes at a low altitude through Air Gates. This stunning acrobatic flying spectacle will globally take place 12 times in 2007.

“Our new partner Red Bull fits perfectly to the PUMA brand: Red Bull always delivers a convincing performance on the race track and like PUMA combines sport with lifestyle”, said Jochen Zeitz, CEO of PUMA AG. “We are looking forward to this new partnership where we will jointly set new benchmarks in the sportlifestyle segment and continue to inspire our customers with innovative and exciting motor sport products.”

PUMA will also provide MERCEDES GP PETRONAS with its latest innovations of fireproof racewear for the team’s drivers and all technical pit personnel. As the Sportlifestyle brand with the longest heritage in motorsport, PUMA’s development of fire retardant technology has helped revolutionise driver racewear by dramatically reducing weight, while maintaining the optimal performance of safety and comfort.

Ross Brawn, Team Principal at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS commented: “PUMA has a long and successful heritage in motorsport and, having worked with them previously in Formula One, I know their technical performance innovations for racewear are amongst the best in the industry, which is of course critical to our racing operation. PUMA’s global capability to design, develop and distribute licensed products for fans of the Silver Arrows around the world is equally impressive. This is a key partnership for MERCEDES GP PETRONAS, and one we are delighted to have established.”

Christian Voigt, Senior Head of Global Sports Marketing at PUMA said: “PUMA is fully committed to motorsport for the long term, and signing this partnership with the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team is a major statement for us as a brand. Mercedes-Benz has such a rich heritage in motorsport and MERCEDES GP PETRONAS is an exciting continuation of this story. With such talented drivers and team personnel, it’s clear they are destined for great things in the years to come. Combining our experience in licensed product development and distribution with the brand equity of the team has significant commercial benefits for both parties, and is another strong basis for this new partnership.”

This new partnership, effective from 1 February 2012, will see PUMA benefit from prominent branding locations on all BMW Motorsport racing cars and all Race and Teamwear for BMW Motorsport technical staff. With BMW re-entering the DTM racing class in 2012 following an illustrious history in GT car racing, PUMA will outfit drivers Martin Tomczyk, Bruno Spengler, Andy Priaulx, Augusto Farfus, Dirk Werne and Joey Hand with the latest innovations in fireproof technology.

In 2004, PUMA first partnered with BMW Motorsport, through its involvement with the BMW Williams Formula One team. This relationship continued when BMW acquired Sauber F1 to become BMW Sauber F1, and after BMW ceased its Formula One activities in 2009 to reorganise its activities, PUMA and BMW Motorsport have once again joined forces with this new deal.

PUMA will also develop BMW Motorsport licensed products for global sales and distribution. While existing motorsport markets in Europe are a key focus for this distribution, a strong emphasis will be placed on expanding sales performance of BMW Motorsport products in emerging markets, particularly in Asia Pacific and the Americas.

“It is great to have such a well-known and reliable partner as PUMA on board again at such an exciting time for us,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “The link between BMW Motorsport and this successful company has grown over the years and goes as far back as the 2004 season. It is hard to imagine our team and driver apparel without the characteristic PUMA logo. As a strong partner in the field of licensed products, PUMA will play a major role in ensuring that our fans around the world enjoy the products from the BMW Motorsport collections.”

Christian Voigt, Senior Head of Global Sports Marketing at PUMA said: “PUMA is delighted to once again be working with BMW Motorsport, following the successes we enjoyed with them through their tenure in Formula One. Their heritage in competitive motorsport and automotive engineering is so impressive, and their global profile derived from this makes them another strong partner for PUMA in motorsport. Through our experience in licensed product development and distribution we are fully confident this will be a successful partnership for both parties, and we hope to grow it in the years to come.”

Dr. Thomas Goerdt, Head of Lifestyle Collections in the BMW Group, added: “From 2012, BMW will be even more active and prominent in motorsport than it has been in recent years. For this reason, securing this partnership with PUMA was a priority for BMW Lifestyle right from the start. As leading sport lifestyle brand, PUMA boasts a unique wealth of expertise and proficiency in developing and distributing licensed products on a global scale. Bearing in mind the great success we have enjoyed together in the past, we are looking forward to continuing this partnership.”

PUMA will continue to outfit team drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg with its lightweight race suits and footwear. All technical pit personnel will also wear PUMA’s latest innovations in performance race wear. 

A licensed MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS collection will also continue to be developed and distributed by PUMA which will include footwear, apparel and accessories that are inspired by the F1 team’s heritage and driver personalities.

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, commented: “PUMA has been a key performance partner for the three seasons we have now worked together, ensuring our drivers are outfitted in the lightest and most innovative performance race wear. This is an important component of our racing operation within a continually evolving and challenging industry. As a licensed partner, PUMA has excellent capabilities of designing, developing and distributing high quality products that carry our brand identity. This partnership is very important for MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS and we are delighted that it will continue for the years ahead.”

Bjørn Gulden, Chief Executive Officer for PUMA said: “We are very excited to continue our partnership with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, who, after an incredible season this year will no doubt continue to achieve great things. PUMA has good heritage in motorsport and we are constantly working with our partner teams to innovate our performance race apparel and footwear, and help them be the fastest and achieve success. We’re proud to work with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team and look forward to the next phase of this relationship.”

*Subject to official confirmation by the FIA of the results of the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship