Cooper Tire signs on as title sponsor

Cooper Tire has been announced as the new tire supplier and title sponsor of the prestigious British F3 International Series. The agreement will commence for the 2009 season and run until the end of 2011. The US tire manufacturer takes over the role held for 27 years by Avon Tires, a brand owned and manufactured by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company.

The British F3 International Series, widely acknowledged as the toughest domestic single-seater championship in the world, has produced champions and future Formula 1 stars such as David Coulthard, Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello, Mika Hakkinen and Ayrton Senna.

“Through our many years in British F3 with the Avon brand, we know that it is a genuine stepping stone of great drivers on the way to F1, and therefore requires the very best components in every area," explains Julian Baldwin, managing director of Cooper Tire Europe.

“Avon Tires is very well established in British and European motor racing and, as Cooper Tire grows as a brand in Europe, we want it to stand for the same standard of quality. Cooper’s racing tires deserve to be allied with a high-profile championship in Europe and you don’t get much bigger than British F3."