Dubai: Property developer Pacific Ventures has reiterated its involvement with Formula One racing despite ongoing controversies following the Sauber team that it supports.
The real estate company became one of the sponsors of the Switzerland-based Sauber F1 Team at the beginning of 2014, giving the firm branding opportunities with Pacific Ventures logo appearing on the rear sidepods of the car and the drivers’ overalls.
At the end of last season, Sauber became involved in a legal dispute with their reserve driver Giedo van der Garde. The driver was allowed a partial award under international arbitration and new drivers Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson were nearly stopped from starting the 2015 season due to an alleged breach of contract.
“For Pacific Ventures, the F1 association is about building our brand on the international stage. I think we have made our entry and also had an impact as a brand in a short period of time using sport as a means,” Shaher Mousli, Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Ventures told Gulf News on the sidelines of the Al Noor Centra gala night on Thursday.
“Our company has made its mark in India since the past 20 years and now, with our entry into the UAE since 2009, we wanted to find a means of reaching out to an international market. This association with Formula One will help us expand into other countries in the future,” he added.
Zurich-based Sauber F1 Team was founded by Swiss businessman Peter Sauber in the 1970s and began competing in the F1 only in 1993.
With Ericsson and Nasr as its two drivers and Ferrari Driver Academy member Raffaele Marciello as reserve driver for the 2015 season, Sauber are currently in fifth place in the 10-team Constructors’ Championships, while Nasr has managed 21 points to stand ninth in the drivers’ position and only six races gone in the season.
