Carmakers have "regained a significant role in F1 with new technologies like energy recovery systems being incorporated into cars," according to Rubio & García of EL CONFIDENCIAL. Infiniti, the title sponsor for Red Bull, "is enjoying a singular experience as much from a marketing point of view as from a technology standpoint thanks to its association with Red Bull." Infiniti F1 Activities Global Dir Andreas Sigl said of Infiniti's entry into F1, "Being here in the paddock seems fun, but it is a business program. We have been around globally for 25 years and we launched our U.S. brand in '99, but we did not take off in Spain and Europe until recently. The objective is to become more global and position ourselves as a premium brand. We wanted to be in this segment together with Audi, Mercedes and BMW. And why? Because it means an 11% increase in global market volume, although 50% of profits come from the premium sector." Sigl said of Infiniti's returns since joining F1 in '11, "We wanted to build a brand and increase awareness of our company on a global scale. This is difficult to measure, and it moves very slowly. You have to gain affection over time. In terms of exposure, our first year, in 2011, we made $250 million, in the second year we made $339 million and when we became a title partner in 2013, we gained exposure worth $200 million, making us No. 1 in F1 in this regard" (EL CONFIDENCIAL, 2/3).
