The Renault Sport Formula One Team has joined forces with Tmall, China’s leading B2C online marketplace, in a branding partnership for this year’s FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the French manufacturer announced on Tuesday.
As part of the agreement, the team’s new 2018 car—the Renault R.S. 18 F1 challenger—will feature Tmall’s well-known cat logo during the F1 World Championship this year, starting from April’s Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
The tie-up with Alibaba Group-owned Tmall is part of a specific focus on the China market, which Groupe Renault in its new mid-term strategic plan called “the top priority” for the company.
“China has been identified as a market of strategic importance, and partnering with high-profile companies like Alibaba’s Tmall will provide opportunities to significantly improve Renault brand awareness and opinion, starting with the Chinese Grand Prix in April and continuing throughout the year,” said Cyril Abiteboul, managing director of Renault Sport Racing.
