Renault Secures MegaFon Deal for 2009

Flavio Briatore revealed his team has signed a new financial agreement with an important sponsor ahead of this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul. According to a press release issued by Renault F1 Team, Russian telecommunication company MegaFon will become official partner of the Enstone based team for the remaining rounds of this season, starting from the very Istanbul race.

The MegaFon logo was actually spotted on the Renault R29 during the first practice session on Friday, as it will continue to appear on the carbon fiber floor (in front of the rear wheels) of the car during all the 2009 racing weekends. In addition, the company's branding will also be visible on the drivers' racing suits.

Neither the Russian representatives, nor Briatore, gave any further details on the sponsorship. The deal will presumably expire at the end of the current F1 season, with the possibility of an extension from 2010 onwards.

“Russia is a market of significant and growing interest to the global economy and is therefore important for Formula One. Our partnership with MegaFon will help enhance our ability to communicate with a huge number of potential Formula One fans across Russia,” said Briatore.

“It’s a great honour for us to become a partner of the ING Renault F1 Team, one of the most popular racing teams in the world. The partnership with the ING Renault F1 Team is an opportunity for MegaFon to show its capabilities on the international market. Formula One expresses the ideas close to the corporate culture of MegaFon, which are perfection, development of high technologies, good results, and striving for new victories,” added Andrey Kraynik, CEO of Megafon Kavkaz.

Among other sporting partnerships secured by MegaFon in recent years, one could find out that they're official mobile partners of the XXII Olympic Winter Games to be held in Sochi in 2014.