AkzoNobel extends partnership with McLaren

AkzoNobel CEO Hans Wijers

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has announced an extension to its deal with the world’s leading decorative paints company, AkzoNobel. The agreement was renewed on the day of McLaren’s 2011 car launch, with the MP4-26 being revealed in Berlin on Friday.

AkzoNobel currently employs over 50,000 people, with its headquarters situated in Amsterdam. The company will feature on the cars of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button this year, with its logo being displayed on the rear-wing endplates of McLaren's new MP4-26.

“Our innovative capabilities are well suited to McLaren’s high performance requirements," AkzoNobel CEO Hans Wijers said. “The shared knowledge we have gained from the existing partnership has already enabled us to translate 80 percent of the tailor-made solution supplied to McLaren Racing into a commercial value proposition for AkzoNobel customers.

“Now, with an exciting new agreement in place, we will look to further build on the pioneering work which both companies are currently carrying out to develop a next generation of superior coatings products."

McLaren Group Chairman Ron Dennis added: “We are delighted to expand our partnership with AkzoNobel, which has already contributed to several performance and efficiency improvements, including reducing the weight of our F1 car and halving the paint’s curing time.

“Unparalleled technical expertise is vital to our competitive ethos and we look forward to successfully exploring other areas where we can use our combined innovative strengths."