Since its Formula 1 team "began winning," Mercedes' sales have increased nearly 20%, according to Javier Rubio of EL CONFIDENCIAL. The car maker sold 1.57 million units in '13, 1.7 million in '14 and 1.87 million in '15. In '15, Mercedes "recorded record sales in China and set a record for total units sold in a year." Daimler Board Chair Dieter Zetsche said, "Last year we sold more cars than ever. It's difficult to scientifically develop a correlation between our efforts and successes in motor sports and business, but I am totally convinced that it has not been by accident that in the last three years our brand has received a fantastic boost." The example of Mercedes "confirms the reasons that bring major manufacturers to the circuit," even ones facing difficulties such as Renault and Honda. Mercedes surpassed Audi in '15 as the second int'l "premium" car brand, behind BMW. In Europe, Mercedes' '15 sales were a 10.5% increase on the previous year, compared to 10.2% for BMW and 5.4% for Audi. In China, Mercedes' sales improved by 32.6% in '15, while BMW recorded a 1.7% increase and Audi's sales in China fell 1.4% (EL CONFIDENCIAL, 3/15).
