The McLaren Formula One team has announced that its longstanding partnership with fashion label Hugo Boss will enter a record 30th year. According to the team the contract extension makes it the “longest sporting association of its kind on record”.
Terms of the renewal, which had never been in doubt and are thought to have been concluded during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, are believed to be along the same lines as recent agreements between the company and the British team. The best estimates suggest Hugo Boss pays around US$3 million a year for its sponsorship.
“Hugo Boss is a fantastic partner,” said McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh, “and has been with McLaren throughout our most successful years – sharing in and contributing to the many world championship triumphs we’ve achieved with legendary drivers such as Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton.”
He added: “I believe Hugo Boss and McLaren continue to enjoy a natural ‘fit’ from a number of other perspectives – commercial and promotional, obviously, but also in terms of the two companies’ shared commitment to striving for and attaining excellence in their respective arenas.
Revealing his “great pleasure” in securing the contract extension, likely to be a one-year rolling contract, Hugo Boss chief executive Claus-Dietrich Lahrs said: “This year we’re working with, and supporting, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, two of the most internationally recognised sportsmen in the world today. Their appeal reaches not only Formula 1 fans but also a far wider lifestyle audience, too. As a leading global fashion brand, that extra reach is very important to the growth of our business.”
