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Ferrari has
confirmed in an official statement that Telecom Italia's
broadband internet division 'Alice' will appear on the
flanks of the Scuderia's cars during the 2007 FIA Formula 1
World Championship, the start of a three year deal which
will see them replace current sponsor Vodafone who are
switching to the McLaren-Mercedes team to become their title
sponsor. A week ago Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo
had confirmed that Telecom Italia would be joining Ferrari
for the 2007 season during a conference he held at the Luiss
University.
"Ferrari is pleased to announce that it has reached a
sponsorship agreement with the Telecom Italia Group, a
leading telecommunications, media and internet company,"
read the statement issued by Ferrari this morning. "Telecom
Italia, through its Alice brand will thus become an official
sponsor of the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, with a presence on
the cars that take part in the Formula 1 World Championship.
The agreement comes into effect as from 1st January 2007 and
lasts for three years," it added.
"We are happy to embark on a partnership with a group as
prestigious as Telecom Italia, which is a major industrial
player," commented the Maranello marque's Managing Director,
Jean Todt. "Innovation, the pursuit of excellence, speed and
a spirit of competition are just some of the values we share
with Telecom Italia and they will form the basis of a close
and productive collaboration."
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Ducati Corse factory
rider Sete Gibernau on his way to eighth place in
last Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix: Telecom Italia's
Alice brand appears on the Ducati Desmosedici in
this year's MotoGP World Championship. |
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Michael Schumacher on
his way to victory in the European Grand Prix at the
Nürburgring earlier this month: Mobile phone
operator Vodafone will be replaced on the flanks of
the Ferrari next year by Telecom Italia's 'Alice'
broadband division. |
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Telecom Italia was founded twelve years ago through the
merger of five telecommunication companies and the dominant
Italian domestic phone operator has rapidly grown into an
international player over the intervening period, with a
major position in the Brazilian market. Its retail internet
broadband division was launched in 2002 under the brand name
'Alice' which was drawn from the heroine of author Lewis
Carroll's children's books.
Today Telecom
Italia has annual revenues of 29.9 billion euros, 85,253
employees, operates in ten countries, and has over 7.6
million broadband customers (6.1 million in Italy) and about
30 million TIM-branded mobile phone lines in Italy. TIM also
has 21 million mobile phone lines in Brazil (17.8 million of
which are GSM) and also has 3 million UMTS mobile lines.
As well as the huge exposure of the Alice brand name
globally that will come with its appearance on the flanks of
the F1 Ferrari cars, as Telecom Italia target growing their
worldwide broadband penetration, Alice - like Vodafone -
will also benefit from being able to deliver exclusive
content directly to their wide customer base.
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