Scintillating: Ferrari Ends an Era with a Deal with Major Competitors
Ferrari have terminated a longstanding F1 partnership following the establishment of a significant agreement with their rivals.
The Prancing Horse have officially parted ways with non-alcoholic beer brand Estrella Galicia 0.0, marking the end of their sponsorship starting next season.
In January 2023, Ferrari announced a new brewery partnership with Asahi Europe & International, which owns Estrella rivals Peroni.
The collaboration with Estrella began in 2021, coinciding with Carlos Sainz’s entry into the Ferrari team. Estrella Galicia not only became a partner of Ferrari but also supported Sainz, commemorating his victories.
These included Sainz’s triumphant win in the British Grand Prix in 2022, breaking Red Bull’s dominance. In the 2023 season, amidst yet more Red Bull supremacy, Sainz emerged as the sole non-Red Bull driver to claim victory, disrupting the potential of 22 consecutive wins by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Ferrari thanks Estrella
“Three seasons of memories, and a great partnership. Thank you very much,” Ferrari wrote on their social media accounts, alongside a video showing Sainz enjoying their beverage after a win.
With this message, Ferrari has bid farewell to Estrella Galicia, whose future may well still remain in Formula 1 in the coming years.
The latest rumours indicate ongoing negotiations between the brewery and Aston Martin, which fields Sainz’s fellow F1 Spaniard Fernando Alonso in their driver line-up.
However Aston Martin are currently still in collaboration with Peroni and featuring its non-alcoholic beer sponsor, Nastro Azzurro 0.0%.
Further Reading:
MotoGP legend Rossi rejected move to shock F1 team after Ferrari test
The nine-time MotoGP world champion said that having won with Yamaha in 2004, he was then asked to make the move to drive four-wheels for Minardi, paving the way for a potential transition to Ferrari in the future.
An enticing permanent offer, made by current F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, eventually materialised on the heels of Rossi’s impressive outings behind the wheel of a Ferrari F1 car having also tested the car in 2006.
His remarkable performance not only raised eyebrows but also left a profound impression, signalling that the legendary two-wheel maestro had the skill set required to undertake the extraordinary journey from motorcycles to motorcar racing.
Vasseur: I was fast in F1
“It was true in the sense that, in 2004 when I won with Yamaha, Stefano Domenicali called me and he said ‘I have to let you test the car’,” Rossi told the Gianluca Gazzoli Podcast.
“We went to Fiorano to test the car. I was pretty fast and I lapped under the minute – 59’1.
“I remember that the mechanics were betting on whether I would lap above or below one minute and, in the end, I won.
“Then after those tests I went to Mugello. I also did a real test in Valencia. And there I had to choose. If I had said yes I would have raced with Minardi, the B team.
“And then if I had gone fast enough the goal and the path would have been to race with Ferrari. It was all up in the air. That was 2006.”
However, the move never occurred with Rossi admitting that he didn’t feel “ready to quit racing bikes” at the age of 27, as they were his “first passion”. Minardi also ceased to exist by the end of 2005, being acquired by Red Bull to form Toro Rosso.
Leave a Reply