Global logistics, shipping and marine services company, the GAC Group, has entered into a partnership agreement with the top Formula One (F1) motor racing team, AT&T Williams, to develop cost efficient logistics services in support of their efforts to meet the demands of an industry-wide cost reduction programme.

Cutting costs
The strategic partnership will help the AT&T Williams team respond effectively to increasing pressure to reduce costs in the sport.

Under the AT&T Williams agreement, GAC will provide efficient logistics support in connection with the company’s Formula One freight requirements and oversee the management of the equipment for a challenging global programme that visits 19 different countries on five continents in nine months.

GAC will also provide logistics services from the new Williams Technology Centre in Qatar, the first Formula One-related technical centre outside the sport’s traditional heartland of Europe. There, Williams will be developing simulator technology and their F1-derived Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) which allows energy to be recovered and stored in a flywheel for a wide range of environmentally-friendly civil and industrial applications. GAC is responsible for shipping equipment to Qatar and providing day-to-day support at the facility.

As a result of the partnership, the GAC logo will get a boost thanks to prominent branding opportunities on the AT&T Williams race cars, race trucks and other areas in the team environment, commencing at the opening race of the 2010 Formula One season in Bahrain. The GAC Group will also be well placed to offer its services to AT&T Williams’ business associates and suppliers.

On track
The agreement is GAC’s first collaboration with a Formula One team. Group Commercial Vice President, Bill Hill, says: “We are excited to be able to partner with AT&T Williams in their logistics needs. With GAC’s global network,
resources and track record in sports and automotive logistics, I am confident we will be well on track to support AT&T Williams in their bid to reduce overall operations costs.”

Some of GAC’s sport clients have included the Doha Asian Games, MotoGP, the A1 Grand Prix, World Rally Championship, the eco-powerboat ‘Earthrace’ and Manchester United Soccer Schools.

AT&T Williams Team Principal Sir Frank Williams said, “We are delighted to have formalised a partnership with a logistics specialist. I am impressed with GAC’s proactiveness, creativity and resourcefulness in helping us implement the most cost and time efficient logistics solutions. I believe that this is a start to a long and successful partnership.”