Renault Sport Formula One Team and Alibaba’s Tmall will partner for the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship, with the logo of the Chinese B2C marketplace – the iconic Tmall Cat – being displayed prominently on the Renault R.S. 18 F1 challenger.
More details of the partnership will be released in March.
China, a strategic market for Groupe Renault, is the top priority in the company’s new mid-term plan, “Drive the Future.” The Chinese joint venture, Dongfeng Renault Automotive Company, has set a target of 400,000 passenger cars sales by 2022 based on nine local models.
Cyril Abiteboul, managing director of Renault Sport Racing: “One of the key objectives of returning to Formula 1 was to leverage its global platform for Groupe Renault. China has been identified as a market of strategic importance and partnering with high-profile companies like Alibaba’s Tmall will provide opportunities to significantly improve Renault brand awareness and opinion in China, with a strong presence over the Chinese Grand Prix in April, but also throughout the year.”
Wei Yu, General Manager of Tmall Auto, commented: “We are excited to partner with the Renault Sport Formula One Team to make our activity around the Chinese Grand Prix a success and to be working closely together to bring one-of-a-kind experiences with the Renault Sport Formula One Team to our customers.”
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