Lada may be one of the car manufacturers you’re least likely to associate with F1 but the Russian company is set to change that having agreed a sponsorship deal with Renault.
The company’s logos will appear on the cockpit sides of the Renault R30 and on Vitaly Petrov’s overalls.
Renault owns 25% of AvtoVAZ, which manufactures Ladas. Petrov won Lada racing championships in 2002 and 2005.
Renault F1 chairman Gerard Lopez said:
Through Mangrove Capital we have been actively investing in Russia over the last years. We know the country well, we have a high degree of appreciation for it and, as such, it is an honour for our F1 team to spearhead Russia’s entry into the sport and to carry the Lada brand at the highest level of world motorsport. We look forward to an exciting and successful season together.
Gerard Lopez
The high-level involvement of a Russian car manufacturer in F1 will be music to Bernie Ecclestone’s ears – he’s been trying to establish a Russian Grand Prix for years.
Here’s how Lada’s logos will look on the R30:
VXR
4th March 2010, 10:17
I never thought I’d see the day….
Sush Meerkat
4th March 2010, 10:20
You think thats shocking, what about Ferrari’s new Tata F10?
Sush Meerkat
4th March 2010, 10:20
Powered by BMW I might add.
Nirupam
4th March 2010, 13:38
Whats wrong with that?
(Statutory Warning: I am an Indian!! :) )
Gagan
4th March 2010, 14:59
that TATA is for TATA Consultancy Services, the company where i worked once and one of the largest IT companies in the world…
BritishRacing
4th March 2010, 15:32
free ads for India TaTa Group
Rubel_Frm_BD
7th March 2010, 6:03
Not only that TATA is the owner of such brand as Jaguar, Jeep. So don’t underestimate them.
Rubel_Frm_BD
7th March 2010, 6:05
do u have any pic of that. just post
Bertie
4th March 2010, 11:04
Do you think in generations to come Lada will be synonymous with racing car? Can you imagine a £100k+ supercar lada?
Calum
5th March 2010, 20:00
I once called a rally car a LADA Stratos!!
MigueLP
4th March 2010, 13:28
nice graphics qho made this pics?
Sush Meerkat
4th March 2010, 10:19
“The company’s logos will appear on the cockpit sides of the Renault R30 and on Vitaly Petrov’s overalls.”
Here you go Robert, your new overals….
“no thank you”
“Renault owns 25% of AvtoVAZ, which manufactures Ladas. Petrov won Lada racing championships in 2002 and 2005.”
Renault also owns 25% of the Renault F1 team, anything else they also own 25% of to stick on the car?.
Ned Flanders
4th March 2010, 10:37
Those kind of one driver deals always reminds me of pay drivers. Toyota had a similar sponsorship of Kazuki Nakajima but not Nico Rosberg
ajokay
4th March 2010, 10:41
I’m surprised they don’t cover half the car with Nissan stickers too.
gabal
4th March 2010, 10:43
Nissan and Dacia…
Cube
4th March 2010, 12:15
Dacia are owned by Renault too…. Renault Sandero & Dacia Sandero are the same… =/
Ronman
4th March 2010, 15:15
My thoughts exactly, They might as well say it;s powered by a Nissan Engine, has a Dacia one size fits all interior, renault badging, built in brazil for the indian market with a russian driver partnered by a pole.
Renault have lost the plot…I think, but the Livery looks good.
DGR-F1
4th March 2010, 16:59
I always wondered why Renault never rebadged the cars as Nissan for the Asian and American markets – they could even name them ‘Infiniti’ since that brand is getting a world-wide launch now…….
Why create such a big group as Renault-Nissan-Lada and not take the marketing opportunity?
And remember, the ‘World Series by Renault’ used to be the ‘World Series by Nissan’….
chris
4th March 2010, 18:12
dacia is romanian built in romania!(with renault engines and backing)
GeeMac
4th March 2010, 10:28
So now Russia have an F1 driver and the logo’s of Marussia and Lada on F1 cars.
I hear the Russian GP calling.
dsob
4th March 2010, 16:33
Works for me. Just think what a spectacle, 200,000 fans in the bleachers and on rooftops as the pack screams through the tight ess bends and chicanes in Red Square, like the stadium portion of Hockenheim.
Now THAT I’d pay to see!
PJA
4th March 2010, 10:34
At least Renault own part of Lada I suppose so it is not as if they are advertising a completely separate car company, still it does seem odd Lada sponsoring a F1 team.
I remember when I was a kid the two car companies which seemed to be the butt of jokes were Skoda and Lada, in recent years Skoda have managed to improve the image of their brand a lot, but I wasn’t even aware that Lada were still going.
If the Renault is poor this year I expect some to start calling it a Lada
Jay Menon
5th March 2010, 2:02
Skoda is owned by Volkwagen, hence the vast improvement in quality over the years.
The new Skoda’s are Volkwagens essentially.
Ned Flanders
4th March 2010, 10:41
That’s a pretty small logo. I still see a huge bulbous yellow sidepod which is just screaming ‘sponsor me!’, but I don’t suppose they’ll get much money for that if they’re as slow as they’ve looked in testing
Robert McKay
4th March 2010, 11:00
Seems like a slightly incestuous partnership.
Not to mention the fact both Renault and AvtoVAZ have had their fair share of Government money recently from their respective nations.
Still, sponsor logos are hard to find at the moment. Hope Sauber have found some…
J.A. Summers
4th March 2010, 21:13
I lol’d.
matt88
4th March 2010, 11:12
Also Ferruccio Lamborghini started with tractors, i wouldn’t be surprised if Lada built a supercar someday…
Mouse_Nightshirt
4th March 2010, 11:49
They still make tractors.
spawinte
4th March 2010, 11:22
eugh do not want. :(
thestig84
4th March 2010, 11:33
Dont forget Lada competed in the WTCC recently.
Robert McKay
4th March 2010, 12:34
Jaap Van Lagen, Viktor Shapovalov and Kiryill Ladygin for the win!
Oh…
Actually they’d introduced a new car and it was starting to make them look quite respectable in some rounds. Thus perfect timing for a pull-out, in time-honoured manufacturer-misjudgement-time tradition.
K
4th March 2010, 12:13
I guess I can see why there is derision and snobbery concerning this but it’s just a sticker on a car. It’s not like Lada are the kind evil, conniving, lying, generally destructive and detrimental company that Shell or Total are and yet no-one complains about their presence.
K
4th March 2010, 12:14
the kind of!
Ronman
4th March 2010, 15:19
I don;t think anyone is complaining about Lada’s presence as a symbol of what you mentioned up there. it’s just that Lada’s are the furthest possible team from motor-sport possible.
i get a russian supercar manufacturer sticking his name on a Virgin race car, but Lada, just because it’s part owned by renualt?
then Ferrari would stick Alfa, Lancia or now Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep for the same reason.
it doesnt make sense. They could have funded the team in a different way, and made the Dacia Duster a Lada to compete in some other form of motorsport…
renault F1 right now is what i call branding strategies gone wrong…
DGR-F1
4th March 2010, 17:02
It makes you wonder why Ferrari don’t have a ‘B’ team badged as ALFA or Lancia……
K
4th March 2010, 21:03
Or Maserati.
Steezy
4th March 2010, 13:05
Regarding Ferrari and Tata, it’s abit different seeing as Tata isn’t simply an automobile manufacturer unlike Lada. Infact according to wiki it’s “Tata consultancy services” which sponsor Ferrari rather than “Tata Motors”
Just thought I’d chime in with that
Nirupam
4th March 2010, 13:44
+1
Also just to point out here, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) does have a link with Ferrari, providing software support to them. TCS has a project running with DUCATI as well.
And being a TCSer for almost 6 years now it indeed feels great for me!! :)
KilledBDeath
4th March 2010, 14:09
Tata also owns range rover/jaguar so i think they have a place on an f1 car.
Electrolite
4th March 2010, 14:17
completely agree. don’t see why people always have to have such strong opinions against what is really something that’s fine.
Electrolite
4th March 2010, 14:18
*edit* replied to K.
Jay Menon
5th March 2010, 2:49
TATA are a major conglomerate, so you can’t really consider them as you box standard car manufacturer like Lada.
TATA’s involvement with Ferrari is via their IT division.
TATA is a brand name, so they’re advertising their brand.
You never know, since TATA own Jaguar, would they be inclined to fund a team in the near future? With the Indian GP on the way, anything is possible.
tomtyl
4th March 2010, 14:52
But Ferrari has a fiat sticker on its nose (at least they had during previous season to my knowledge). Isn’t it more or less similar?
UKK
5th March 2010, 11:25
this was only during the years they were friends with FIA(T) ;-)
OPENWATER
4th March 2010, 16:22
Hahaha LADA ????? Wow, boys ….. very funny thing !
nemo
4th March 2010, 16:44
what next..
Sokda F1 :p
ukk
4th March 2010, 16:56
I drove a few Ladas in the past – hope the R30 will be a wee bit more reliable and big-time better performing and handling than a Lada :-) Never thought I’d see a VAZ on the F1 tracks :-)
chris
4th March 2010, 18:23
the good thing about lada is that when it breaks down(and they do break down) you can just fix it on the roadside and continue your trip after half an hour… try that with a reanult… :)
UKK
5th March 2010, 11:22
this would be a whole new pitlane show – change a crankshaft and tune valves in less than 5 minutes :-)
mhmhkel
4th March 2010, 18:48
Too bad towing isn’t allowed in F1…
Spud
4th March 2010, 19:47
What do you call a Lada at the top of a hill…???
A MIRACLE!!!!
What do you call a Lada convertible?
A SKIP!
Did you hear about the bloke who had his Lada broken into?
The thieves put him in a radio!
How do you make a Lada worth twice as much?
You fill up the gas tank!!!!!
Why is the Lada’s rear window heated?
So the hands of the people pushing it will not freeze!!
How do you make a Lada disappear?
You spray it with rust remover!!!!!!!
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D
I’m here all week you guys!! :P
Spud
4th March 2010, 19:50
Here’s another one…
What’s the difference between a Lada and a golf ball?
You can drive a golf ball 200 metres!!!!!!
HA HA HA!!!!!
:D :D
God, I’m easily amused. :P
Dave in NZL
4th March 2010, 20:43
I know everyone is saying that the HRT car has its front wheel on backwards – but by that same measure, so does this Renault.
James_mc
4th March 2010, 22:20
Ah more accurately it should be “Lada logos now appear on the Renault R29 painted as an R30″…. :D
Daniel
5th March 2010, 11:23
Let’s hope Renault will perform better than the Ladas…
Cube
5th March 2010, 11:50
This is just another example of how F1 drivers are kept in their seats because of sponsors.
An example would be Nakajima & Williams. Williams couldnt get rid of the terrible Japanese driver because of the Toyota engine deal. He took up space & was the worst performing driver of 2009.
Now we have Petrov & lada with the Russian prime ministers backing… plus an entire country behind him. A country that spans half of the globe…
If Petrov doesn’t pick his pace up then… he’s another f1 reject.
How can someone get to FORMULA 1 in 9 years…. driving Ladas………. its a joke isnt it?
wasiF1
5th March 2010, 14:49
Good for Renault,& too for Bernie who wanted to have an race in Russia.May be in 2012 if not in 2011.
Daniel
8th March 2010, 7:12
I love the Lada Niva and always have loved it. TheLogo thing isnoting really.I think its good news. I want to see more Lada in Australia.
Chaz
11th March 2010, 18:24
Why do I want to chuckle. Who would have ever thought the Lada name would be on a F1 car…