WHAT began as a global branding initiative 22 years ago has since turned PETRONAS into a powerplayer in the Formula One world.
As spectators and fans bid adieu to the Malaysian GP from Sept 29 to Oct 1, PETRONAS will continue its legacy in the elite sport, after announcing in July, its second contract extension as title partner of the Mercedes-AMS PETRONAS Motorsport F1 team, to solidify their involvement until 2020.
But the path to making the brand synonymouswithF1was not short, nor was it easy.
It started in the early 1990s when PETRONAS began its global expansion drive to augment its hydrocarbon reserves and develop a skilled and professional world-class workforce.
The success of these goals required a very fast vehicle, hence, participation in the F1 was the perfect solution, and the first team they chose to back was the Red Bull Sauber Ford F1 team in 1995.
It was during the commencement of this sponsorship that Malaysia’s fully integrated oil and gas multinational company positioned itself as a global brand as it put Malaysia on the grid.
Two years later, PETRONAS engineers initiated the F1 Technology Transfer programme with the team when they became the title and engine sponsor of the Sauber PETRONAS F1 team.
This was the beginning of the F1 Technology Transfer Programme, the same year Sauber Engineering AG was incorporated.
But the revelation for PETRONAS revealed itself in 1999 when they unveiled the PETRONAS E01 engine on home soil at the Malaysian GP, the very year that saw the birth of PETRONAS Primax, a premium unleaded motor gasoline.
After the formulation of Primax, it only took a year for PETRONAS to develop Syntium, a high-performance engine oil, which is just the beginning of the Syntium range.
PETRONAS made a huge leap for Malaysia in 2001 when they dabbled in two-wheels to unveil the country’s first prototype motorcycle racing engine.
The same year saw eight PETRONAS engineers (Shaharuddin Hamid Mustapha, Hasnan Kahar, Kamarulzaman Ahmad, Syed Omar Syek Alsagoff, Ahmad Izahan Ismail, Mohd Irwan Mohd Anuar and Mohammad Ruhaidi Abdul Rashid) chosen for the F1 Technology Transfer Programme, where they began working with Sauber PETRONAS.
It took two years since the first Syntium range was unveiled, but PETRONAS Syntium 3000, fully synthetic multi-grade premium engine oil, was produced and followed by Syntium 5000 a year after.
After they produced the winning formula, PETRONAS commissioned the preparation of approximately 35 new engines at Maranello during the Italian GP, while also establishing the Centre of Excellence to conduct research and development programmes under one banner.
After a 10-year collaboration, PETRONAS extended its relationship with Sauber to become a premium partner of the BMW Sauber F1 team where they announced its driver development programme, the Formula Experience (PFX), a year later.
But, it was not until four years later that PETRONAS and the Silver Arrows’ dominance started to form through the Mercedes GP PETRONAS F1 team, represented by seven-time championship winner Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg.
The love affair was just beginning as PETRONAS formulated Primax 95 and 95 Xtra, which subsequently became a key supplier of lubricants to Daimler-Mercedes key markets in Europe and Asia.
The new formulation matched with a new team, PETRONAS was unstoppable and in 2012, Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 secured its first win in 57 years at the Chinese GP.
Schumacher made his exit a year later and was replaced by Great Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, who joined the team with a championship belt under his name and as the technical performance consultant for PETRONAS.
From here on in, Mercedes AMG PETRONAS dominated the circuits to claim their first Constructors’ and Drivers’World Championships in 2014, to maintain the dominance for three straight years.
PETRONAS has signed a new deal with Mercedes, solidifying its involvement in Formula One to keep developing world-class products from the track and for people to use on the road.
To keep the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One team winning time and time again, PETRONAS will keep improving the winning formula continuous engineering and always pushing the limits of technology.