Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart/Brackley, Germany/United Kingdom, Feb 01, 2011

On the day of the launch of the new Silver Arrow for the 2011 Formula One World Championship, the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team is pleased to confirm its partnership with world leading car insurer, Allianz.


The new partnership further underlines the ongoing commitment of Allianz to road safety, Formula One and the automotive industry with the two partners, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS and Allianz, planning to work together to promote safety within Formula One with a global road safety information programme.

From this week’s first pre-season test in Valencia, Allianz branding will feature on two of the sport’s main safety features; the HANS (Head & Neck Support) system worn by the team’s drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, and the seat belts of the team’s MGP W02 cars.

Allianz has been a partner of Formula One since 2000 and sponsors the Official Formula One Safety Car and Medical Car, both provided by Mercedes-Benz.

Joseph K. Gross, Global Head of Group Market Management at Allianz SE, said: “Allianz, much like the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team, are interested in all aspects of road safety and see the benefit in a reciprocal exchange between the racing team, car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz and car insurer Allianz. Heightened awareness means safer driving, which means fewer accidents and finally, less damages. 3,000 people die in traffic accidents worldwide every day and around 30,000 people are seriously injured. As a global insurer for over 50 million cars, Allianz has a vested interest in reducing the frequency and severity of accidents. With its Formula One engagement, Allianz can create links between the safety of Formula One drivers and the everyday safety of drivers worldwide.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS, commented: “We are delighted to welcome our new partner Allianz to the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team as we begin our pre-season testing programme. Allianz have been involved with Formula One for a number of years and have achieved excellent work in raising the profile of road safety through their marketing campaigns. Safety is absolutely fundamental in our sport and with every innovation that improves safety in Formula One, there is the possibility of increasing road safety for drivers everywhere.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming Allianz as a new partner for our team. Since the invention of the automobile 125 years ago, Mercedes-Benz has been above all a pioneer in all aspects of safety in and around the car, and has been decisively pushing progress with regards to safety and will continue to do. This ambition is fitting with Allianz and we want to emphasise this jointly with our partnership in Formula One.”

Allianz

Together with its customers and sales partners, Allianz is one of the strongest financial communities in the world. In 2009, 153,000 employees in around 70 countries achieved total revenue of 97.4 billion euros and an operating profit of 7.2 billion euros. Payouts to our customers reached 82.9 billion euros. Around 75 million private and corporate customers rely on Allianz´s knowledge, global reach, capital strength and solidity to help them exploit financial opportunities and to avoid and safeguard themselves against risks. With over 50 million cars insured, Allianz is also the world´s leading car insurer and actively promotes accident prevention and road safety. Allianz´ business success in the fields of insurance, asset management and assistance services is based increasingly on customer demand for crisis-proof financial solutions for an ageing society and a world facing the challenge of climate change. Verifiable transparency and integrity are key components of sustainable corporate governance at Allianz SE.

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