Infiniti may not be the first car brand comes to mind when one thinks of Formula 1, but the reality is they’ve been involved in the discipline since 2011. Now though, the company has decided to leave Formula 1 behind.
They went from commercial sponsor of the Red Bull Racing team, to title sponsor of the same team before finally settling as technical partner to the Renault DP World F1 Team. In this role, their engineers co-developed the Energy Recovery System (ERS) – which they say went on to inspire a similar system found in the INFINITI Q60 Project Black S. They got quite a bit out of the partnership, especially in terms of knowledge transfer through their Engineering Academy.
Besides pulling out of Formula 1, Infiniti also pulled out of the Malaysian market a couple of years ago, but you can still find some of their interesting models in the used car market.
Here’s the press release with more on their involvement in Formula 1.
PRESS RELEASE
INFINITI will conclude its involvement in Formula 1™ at the end of 2020, following 10 successful years in the sport. This move will allow the brand to focus its efforts and resources on becoming a top challenger brand in the premium segment, concentrating on its most active markets (China and North America) and on its goal to create unique solutions for electrified performance powertrains.
The brand entered Formula 1™ in 2011 as commercial sponsor of Red Bull Racing to then become title sponsor of the team in 2012, establishing one of the most successful sponsorships in the history of the sport in terms of brand exposure, awareness and visibility.
Following the introduction of hybrid power trains in Formula 1™ in 2014 and given the brand’s extensive experience in hybrid performance, INFINITI became an active player of the sport in 2016 as technical partner of Renault DP World F1® Team for the co-development of the Energy Recovery System (ERS), one of the most innovative and sophisticated technologies in motorsport.
Throughout this decade, INFINITI has remained at the forefront of innovation with pioneering initiatives such as its widely acclaimed INFINITI Engineering Academy and the development of the groundbreaking INFINITI Project Black S working prototype in collaboration with Renault DP World F1 Team.
The electrified performance powertrain explored through the INFINITI Q60 Project Black S features an Energy Recovery System (ERS) inspired by the one proven in Formula 1™. The main aim of the prototype is to test how F1® electrified performance and thermal efficiency can potentially be transferred and applied to the brand’s future electrified vehicles.
The five-year technical collaboration with Renault DP World F1 Team has been very successful for INFINITI. During the partnership, several INFINITI engineers have worked with the F1 team in the development of the racecar’s ERS, and both companies have raced 100 Formula 1 Grands Prix together, achieving a total of 459 championship points and three podiums.
The INFINITI Engineering Academy has also thrived during this technical partnership, given the unique opportunity it offered to work six months with INFINITI and six months with Renault DP World F1 Team. This global recruitment program received nearly 30,000 registrations from engineering students in 44 countries and 133 universities throughout the five-year period, hosted 28 final events around the world and selected 33 winners, 50% of whom went on to secure full-time positions with INFINITI or in motorsport after completing their placements.
