Ahead of this weekend’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, it has been announced that Mercedes have partnered up with a former major sponsor of Ferrari – Snapdragon.
The Italians and Snapdragon went their separate ways at the conclusion of last season, with the deal having been worth $25 million, according to RacingNews365.
The addition of Snapdragon to the Silver Arrows’ sponsor collection was noticed on social media by Decalspotters, who also noted which other companies Mercedes had entered a relationship with.
Snapdragon are a semiconductor brand of technology company Qualcomm, who are a leading 5G modem and chip producer for the likes of Samsung.
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The Snapdragon logo was present on the W14 at the team’s launch of their 2023 car prior to pre-season testing, with it having been spotted on the rear wing and wheel guards of the side’s newest challenger.
Mercedes’ partnership with Snapdragon comes after the German manufacturer announced a technical collaboration with Qualcomm last September, but for their road cars.
Nevertheless, Decalspotters wrote on Twitter: “#SponsorWatch: Multiple World Champions @MercedesAMGF1 have announced five new partnerships heading into 2023.
“Among the new partners are @SoleraInc and ex-Ferrari partner from 2022, @Snapdragon.”
Qualcomm supposedly has “several exciting projects planned” with the German manufacturer and in particular with the Brackley-based team ahead of the new season.
“We are pleased to announce our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, and welcome them into our expanding partner ecosystem,” said chief commercial officer Richard Sanders.
“With several exciting projects planned, our shared passion for technology and innovation will bring noticeable benefits to our fans, our partners, and our team.
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“It is great to welcome the Snapdragon brand and to see the logo on our newly launched 2023 car. We look forward to broadening our collaboration as we embark on our renewed partnership.”
Mercedes will be hoping that the addition of Snapdragon can support their push towards the front, with the side wanting to take their fans along with them every step of the way.
2023 is the year, of course, where Mercedes will attempt to recover from their blip in 2022, where they disappointingly slumped to third in the Constructors’ Championship.