NetJets has formed a partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Management to provide travel for race drivers and team members.
NetJets hopes to streamline the travel process for the teams during its demanding race calendar, with the ‘triple header’ of three consecutive race weekends in 2018 being just one example of logistical challenges posed. The private aviation company will aim to optimize travel times and improve its efficiency.
Patrick Gallagher, executive vice president of sales and marketing, NetJets, commented, “We share a special kinship with motorsports professionals who thrive at the intersection of speed, safety and innovation.
“We’ve always had a keen interest in Formula One racing, and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport is the pinnacle of that. NetJets gives the drivers and team engineers a competitive edge by giving them faster access to tracks like Baku [Azerbaijan] and Spa [Spa-Francorchamps – Belgium], at a fraction of the cost of whole aircraft ownership. That’s a big plus in an industry where speed and efficiency matter.”
To mark the new partnership, Finnish racing driver Valtteri Bottas took his first journey with NetJets from Nice, France, to Budapest, Hungary, on a Phenom 300 ahead of July’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, said, “Over the past season, we have been working to optimize every area of our team operations and that includes how we best manage the challenges of race travel.
“People will automatically think that private aviation means luxury lifestyle – but it has been common practice in Formula One for some time and will provide us with valuable time savings that can then be invested in finding more performance.
“We know that these extra hours can make the difference and also keep the team fresher and fitter as the season goes on. I am delighted that we have been able to transform this work into a partnership with a market leader like NetJets.”
