Demon drivers: Kaspersky backs Formula 1
Casting aside the adage to not sponsor anything that can sink or crash, security company Kaspersky Lab has splurged on a deal that will see its logo slapped across Ferrari's Formula One cars for the 2011 and 2012 Grand Prix.
Eugene Kaspersky, left, with Gestione Sportiva Ferrari chief Stefano Domenicali
at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. (Credit: Kaspersky)
Chief executive Eugene Kaspersky revealed the plans to sponsor Scuderia Ferrari amid the glitz of the final Grand Prix 2010 race in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
"When we do something at Kaspersky Lab we are always striving to do it better than anyone else and, most importantly, we do it differently," Kaspersky said.
"The two companies are closely connected by the notion of speed — Ferrari makes some of the world's fastest cars, while Kaspersky Lab ensures the fastest outbreak response times to malicious programs," the company said in a statement.
Kaspersky Labs would not reveal the value of the deal.
It is the second time Kaspersky has thrown cash at motor racing — it sponsored the Ferrari AF Corse racing team for the Le Mans Series Championship this year.
The Moscow-based security company also last year inked a multimillion-dollar, three-year sponsorship deal with AFL's Melbourne Demons.