MARTINI®, one of the world's most iconic Italian brands and the world's leading vermouth and best-selling Italian sparkling wine, kicked off the Formula One™ season in style with the ultimate Terrazza experience in Pessione, Italy the home of MARTINI. The brand revealed plans for Grand Prix™ city take-overs where consumers will enjoy a series of curated events and creative collaborations through the famous Terrazza MARTINI experience.

The event also played host to Williams MARTINI Racing drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas who made a rare public appearance in advance of Melbourne. The drivers were on hand to reveal the FW38 show car, which sat proudly beside a rare collection of MARTINI Racing heritage cars.

Acknowledging one of the richest brand histories in motorsport was special guest Manfredo Rossi di Montelera, whose father Gregorio along with his brother Vittorio, founded MARTINI Racing in 1968. Manfredo brought with him some of his prized racing car collection, including the famed Cosworth Brabham that was driven by Reutemann and Pace. The car won many Grands Prix including, more recently, the FIA Masters Historic Formula One Championship in 2014 driven by Manfredo himself. The collection also featured a Tecno BA123, Lotus 80 and a Brabham BT45, all proudly carrying the iconic MARTINI racing stripes.

Massa and Bottas spoke of their hopes for the 2016 season and their new FW38. Both drivers have just returned from testing the car in Barcelona. Massa commented, "Not only is the car in good shape, but it looks great too."

Bottas added, "After finishing third in the 2015 Championship we are aiming to push the front-running teams. Knowing the history of MARTINI's involvement and passion for motorsport and having those iconic stripes on the car, we want to make everyone proud."

Returning for the 2016 season is the 'hottest ticket in town', the Terrazza MARTINI®. Kicking off in Sochi, followed by Barcelona, Liege, Milan, Mexico City and Sao Paulo, the Terrazza is the beating heart of any city during race weekend. Distinctly Italian with a nod to the host city, the Terrazza will feature the best local talent across food, fashion, music and F1.

Finally, to demonstrate the brand's intrinsic link with racing, the event also saw an exclusive preview of MARTINI's new bottle and pack design which will affect the entire portfolio of its award-winning and best-selling vermouth, as well as aromatised and Italian sparkling wine range. The aesthetic has evolved to bring the bottles into a new era while maintaining MARTINI's renowned heritage cues. The labels contain design detail found on MARTINI bottles from the mid-19th century and for the first time in 20 years, the iconic MARTINI racing stripes return.

"There is no doubting MARTINI's distinctive and unique role in racing," explained Paolo Perego, Regional President, Europe, for Bacardi. "It's a reminder that racing isn't just about a lifestyle on the track, it's about a lifestyle off the track."

MARTINI IN FORMULA ONE™

The MARTINI brand's longstanding relationship with motorsport and rich history of both sponsorship and participation in worldwide sporting events began in 1968 with the creation of MARTINI Racing™. This bold and ambitious move resulted in a pioneering sponsorship program that saw MARTINI become one of the first-ever non-motorsport entrants to sponsor a racing team.

MARTINI Racing continued to evolve throughout the 1970s, and it was during this period that the distinctive blue and red livery of MARTINI Racing was created. A pioneering design that emulated the team's speed and style, the MARTINI livery was a consistent presence throughout the heyday of MARTINI Racing between 1971 and 1996.

In 1972, MARTINI made its first foray into Formula One™, partnering with Tecno™ for a one-year deal, and then returned in 1975 as a partner of the Brabham™ team, a partnership that continued for three years. From 2006 - 2008, MARTINI was an official partner of Scuderia Ferrari™, the most prestigious and successful team in the history of the FIA Formula One World Championship™.

With the brand's return to Formula One™, a new generation will fall in love with the gioia di vivere (the Italian "joy of living") that MARTINI brings to the world.

About MARTINI

One of the most iconic brands in the world, MARTINI® is the leading name in Italian winemaking and a purveyor of the highest quality aromatized and sparkling wines. The award-winning, vibrant and bittersweet taste of the MARTINI range is the result of secret blends of more than 40 botanicals sourced from the finest locations across the globe. The MARTINI portfolio includes: MARTINI Bianco, MARTINI Rosato, MARTINI Rosso, MARTINI Extra Dry, MARTINI Asti, MARTINI Moscato d'Asti, MARTINI Prosecco, MARTINI Rosé, MARTINI Brut and MARTINI Royale. Created in 1863 in Turin, Italy, the MARTINI brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, and continues to be the market leader of the category. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

About Williams

Williams is a leading Formula One™ team and advanced engineering company. Formed in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head, the team has secured 16 FIA Formula One™ World Championship titles since its foundation. Nine of these titles have been won in the Constructors' Championship, with the remaining seven titles being Drivers' Championships won with Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.

Williams Advanced Engineering is the division of Williams that harnesses Formula One™ derived technology, development pace and knowledge to deliver highly innovative products and services to the motorsport, automotive, transport, and energy sectors.

Working in close collaboration, Williams Advanced Engineering helps its customers meet the sustainability challenges of the 21st century and improve their performance, market position and brand image.