Mercedes launches partnership with Ineos Sports

19 December 2019 - 08:45 By Reuters
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Ineos Team UK, the British challenger for the 36th Americas Cup in 2021, during training on race yacht Britannia on November 7 2019 in Portsmouth, UK. The vessel is skippered by Sir Ben Ainslie.
Ineos Team UK, the British challenger for the 36th Americas Cup in 2021, during training on race yacht Britannia on November 7 2019 in Portsmouth, UK. The vessel is skippered by Sir Ben Ainslie.
Image: Lloyd Images/Getty Images

Formula One world champions Mercedes have agreed a technical partnership with Ineos Sports' cycling and sailing divisions in a bid to drive performance levels on track, road and sea.

The move, announced on Wednesday, will see its teams join up to develop innovations in areas such as “engineering, human science, simulation and data analysis”.

Six-time Formula One constructors' champions Mercedes will be working with the Team Ineos cycling outfit and Olympic yachtsman Sir Ben Ainslie's Ineos Team UK, which is  preparing to challenge for sailing's America's Cup in 2021.

Petrochemicals giant Ineos, owned by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, took over Team Sky's successful Tour de France cycling outfit in May.

“Tapping into the unrivalled expertise and success of the Mercedes Formula One team to support our sporting ambitions across sailing and cycling is an exciting proposition for us,” Ratcliffe said in a statement.

Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff added: “When Jim Ratcliffe approached us with the concept of bringing together the three organisations ... we immediately saw the opportunity to grow and diversify our business — and to learn from some of the most successful teams in world sport.”

“We are very excited about this agreement's potential in the months and years ahead,” he said in a statement.


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