Luxury watchmaker Rolex revealed that "it will become F1's official timekeeper starting with the '13 season," according to Norman Fischer of MOTORSPORT TOTAL. As a result of the deal, the Rolex logo "will appear at all racetracks and at several turns during F1 races." Rolex CEO Gian Riccardo Marini said, "Over the last 50 years both Rolex and Formula 1 have grown into world-leading aspirational brands, and there will be many fantastic opportunities that we can enjoy together." F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone was also delighted about the deal and said, "Without question Rolex is the partner of choice for a world class sporting series like Formula One." Former F1 driver Jackie Steward, who has been working with Rolex for more than 40 years, said, "I am delighted that Rolex, a very unique brand that chooses its relationships very carefully, and Formula One have entered into a partnership." In addition to becoming F1's official timekeeper, Rolex "will also replace Hublot as F1's official timepiece" (MOTORSPORT TOTAL, 12/5). REUTERS' Alan Baldwin reported South Korean electronics group LG, which "signed a five-year deal in '08 to be the official data processor," has had its "branding on timekeeping systems in recent years" (REUTERS, 12/5).
