Renault adds Lada sponsorship (Pictures)

Lada logos now appear on the Renault R30

Lada logos now appear on the Renault R30

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:

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59 comments on Renault adds Lada sponsorship (Pictures)

  1. VXR said on 4th March 2010, 10:17

    I never thought I’d see the day….

  2. Sush Meerkat said on 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 said on 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 said on 4th March 2010, 10:41

      I’m surprised they don’t cover half the car with Nissan stickers too.

    • Nissan and Dacia…

      • Cube said on 4th March 2010, 12:15

        Dacia are owned by Renault too…. Renault Sandero & Dacia Sandero are the same… =/

        • Ronman said on 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 said on 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 said on 4th March 2010, 18:12

            dacia is romanian built in romania!(with renault engines and backing)

  3. GeeMac said on 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 said on 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!

  4. PJA said on 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 said on 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.

  5. Ned Flanders said on 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

  6. Robert McKay said on 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…

  7. matt88 said on 4th March 2010, 11:12

    Also Ferruccio Lamborghini started with tractors, i wouldn’t be surprised if Lada built a supercar someday…

  8. spawinte said on 4th March 2010, 11:22

    eugh do not want. :(

  9. thestig84 said on 4th March 2010, 11:33

    Dont forget Lada competed in the WTCC recently.

    • Robert McKay said on 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.

  10. 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.

    • the kind of!

      • Ronman said on 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…

  11. Steezy said on 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 said on 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 said on 4th March 2010, 14:09

      Tata also owns range rover/jaguar so i think they have a place on an f1 car.

      • Electrolite said on 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 said on 4th March 2010, 14:18

          *edit* replied to K.

          • Jay Menon said on 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.

  12. tomtyl said on 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?

  13. OPENWATER said on 4th March 2010, 16:22

    Hahaha LADA ????? Wow, boys ….. very funny thing !

  14. nemo said on 4th March 2010, 16:44

    what next..

    Sokda F1 :p

  15. ukk said on 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 said on 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 said on 5th March 2010, 11:22

        this would be a whole new pitlane show – change a crankshaft and tune valves in less than 5 minutes :-)

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