This article first appeared in F1Technical.net
Scuderia Ferrari has ended its long-term sponsorship and strategic partnership with the Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot which will be replaced by another Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille.
Hublot and Ferrari announced during the 2011 Ferrari World Finals at Mugello a long-term strategic partnership which officially started at the beginning of 2012, making Hublot Ferrari’s “Official Watch” and “Official Timekeeper”.
Asked by F1technical’s Balázs Szabó, a Ferrari’s spokesperson confirmed that the team’s sponsorship with the Geneva-based luxury watchmaker Hublot came to an end on the 31th December 2020 and the two parties decided not to extend the contract.
The company which was founded in 1980 will be replaced by Richard Mille. The company was founded by Richard Mille and Dominique Guenat in 1999 and based in Les Breuleux, Switzerland. The Swiss company, which has 148 employees, ’combines the best in technical innovation, in architecture and in fine watchmaking heritage”.
The company is not unknown in autosport. One of the founders, Richard Mille is also Chairman of the Endurance Commission of FIA. The brand became the partner of the Le Mans Classic in 2002.
Over the last years, the Richard Mille brand has teamed up with a number of drivers from Formula 1 teams, such as Alfa Romeo Racing, Haas F1 Team and McLaren Racing, and from Formula E.
In 2017, Richard Mille and McLaren Automotive signed a 10-year partnership agreement. In the same year, the Swiss company became an official partner of the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, and of the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet in 2018.
In 2021, Pirelli, Kaspersky, UPS, Mahle, OMR, Puma, SKF, VistaJet, Marelli, NGK, Brembo Experis ManpowerGroup, Riedel, Iveco, Palantir, Bell Helmts, TechnoGym, Alfa Roemo, Garret Advancing Motion, Sabelt and Radiobook will form the partner list of Scuderia Ferrari.
