TAG HEUER OFFICIAL SUPPLIER OF VOLKSWAGEN IN THE WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

August 20, 2014 by Volkswagen Motorsport

◾Watch and sunglasses brand on board as new partner of Volkswagen Motorsport

◾Sébastien Ogier's personal sponsor supports World Championship winning team

Volkswagen Motorsport welcomes a strong new partner on board: renowned watch and accessories manufacturer TAG Heuer is the official supplier of the 2013 World Rally Champions and current WRC leaders. The first stopwatch mechanism, the first chronograph accurate to a hundredth of a second – innovations courtesy of TAG Heuer, which have become common place in motorsport as the timing systems for Sébastien Ogier (F) and Co. Accurate timing and the race against the clock are crucial factors in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).

'TAG Heuer has been synonymous with innovations in the development of chronographs for more than a century and a half,' said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. 'At the same time, the premium brand is also a permanent fixture in motorsport circles, and has been the official timer and sponsor of high-class events, champions and sportsmen and women for many years. We are pleased to welcome TAG Heuer into the Volkswagen family.'

'More than any other motorsport world championship, the World Rally Championship is all about the direct race against the clock,' said TAG Heuer CEO Stéphane Linder. 'TAG Heuer has been in the motor-racing business for more than 100 years. We invented the first dashboard counters back in 1911. We partnered with Ferrari in Formula One in the 1970s, and have been part of McLaren since 1985. We've always had a soft spot for a world where every fraction of a second counts, and are pleased to be able to work with the best in rallying. Volkswagen is a strong brand, which is currently shaping the World Rally Championship and, like TAG Heuer, strives for the utmost precision.' Founded in 1860 by Switzerland's Jack Heuer, the company is the global leader in the field of renowned high-precision chronographs.

Swiss brand TAG Heuer not only supplies Volkswagen Motorsport in the WRC, but is also a personal partner of Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia, who were crowned World Rally Champions with Volkswagen last year.