Volvo Truck Ltd extends relationship with Jaguar.

Volvo Truck has extended its relationship with Jaguar Racing with the announcement that it has become a sponsor partner for the Jaguar Racing Formula 3 team.

The announcement was made at the unveiling of Jaguar Racing's new Formula 1 and Formula 3 cars for the 2001 season at the Jaguar Engineering Centre at Whitley. The event also saw the rebranding of the former Stewart Racing team (Formula 3) under the Jaguar Racing banner.

Volvo Truck Limited will be a major partner sponsor for Formula 3 racing team, supplying 1 transporter to the F3 team and supporting that with 2 more FH12 tractor units to the F1 team, providing transportation for the team and its equipment to race circuits the length and breadth of the UK. The sponsorship is for three seasons and complements the current sponsorship arrangement between the Jaguar Racing Formula 1 team and Volvo Truck's parent company in Sweden.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Volvo Truck's Product Director Martin Cronin said, "Formula 3 is the Motorsport staircase to Formula 1, with no less than five former Stewart Grand Prix drivers active in Formula 1 in the 2001 season. It was therefore a logical choice to extend our relationship further with Jaguar Racing in this important racing sector".

He added, "The partnership will provide excellent opportunities to further enhance the Volvo truck brand in the UK and it will be an important component of our dealer marketing activity in the coming years."

Speaking at the launch, CEO of Jaguar Racing Bobby Rahal said, "We are delighted to have Volvo Truck Limited as a sponsorship partner, particularly as it further extends the already excellent relationship we have with Volvo through our Formula 1 team. An association with a company like Volvo not only enhances the credentials of the team, but also is vital in our logistics operation, ensuring that our cars and equipment get to race meetings and testing days on schedule."