Spanish bank Santander will end their four-year association with McLaren in 2011, and put all their resources behind Ferrari. Santander first entered F1 with McLaren in 2007 to tie in with Fernando Alonso's move to the British team, but while Alonso moved on to Renault at the end of 2007, Santander retained their sponsorship of McLaren. The Spanish company has slowly reduced its involvement in the Woking-based outfit, and have now confirmed that they will sponsor only Ferrari next year. Santander and Ferrari signed a five-year partnership agreement in 2009. "We have had a transition with McLaren and who knows if in the future we will keep on having a relationship with them and their drivers," spokesman Juan Manuel Cendoya told members of the Spanish media. With Vodafone stepping up its stake in McLaren, the loss of Santander is unlikely to cause the team any headaches.
Not really; Santander sponsored both McLaren & Ferrari this year.....isn't that what you're referring to?
Santander has confirmed that it is to extend its sponsorship deal with McLaren into the 2011 F1 season. The bank has been a sponsor of Lewis Hamilton since 2007 and used the Briton in a successful advertising campaign last year as it embarked on an expansion programme in the UK. Thanks in part to the success of that campaign, which has extensively boosted awareness of the Santander brand, the bank has now extended its backing of McLaren with its logo set to appear on the helmet and overalls of both Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button. We are delighted to sign an extension to our deal with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team and drivers, Santander UK CEO Ana Botín said. Its exciting to be able to continue working with Lewis and Jenson; they have been very popular figures with both staff and consumers. The relationship that we have built, initially with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, and now its drivers, has been integral to creating and building the Santander brand in the UK. Without it, we would have not been able to rebrand to Santander in 2010. The partnership has helped us launch the Santander brand in the UK and will contribute greatly in helping us meet our goal of being the UKs best commercial bank. McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh also welcomed the extended deal. Santander has been a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes partner since 2007 and we are delighted to be working together in building a successful future for both brands, he said. The support of our Partners is a critical element of our success. We are looking forward to a winning season for 2011.
