Zoom Vettel is the latest TAG backed race winner

Toro Rosso driver Sebastian Vettel made history earlier this month by dominating the Italian Grand Prix and becoming Formula One’s youngest race winner. A member of TAG Heuer’s elite team of Brand Ambassadors since the early stages of the 2008 racing season, the 21-year-old racing prodigy confirms the Swiss watchmaker’s reputation for recognizing ¬ and signing the best in motor racing talent.

In 2003, TAG Heuer distinguished itself by choosing Lewis Hamilton as an ambassador, then only 18 years old. For a young driver, signing with TAG Heuer is more than just a simple sponsoring deal; it means joining ranks with the most legendary names in the history of motor sports. Juan-Manuel Fangio, Jo Siffert, Jacky Ickx, Emerson Fittipaldi, Clay Regazzoni, Ronnie Peterson, Mario Andretti, Nikki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, Gilles Villeneuve, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard, and Juan Pablo Montoya — these and more have proudly worn TAG Heuer colours.

Today, the legacy continues. Along with Vettel, TAG Heuer has partnered with the world’s most talented young drivers, from the present leader in F1, McLaren Mercedes’ Hamilton, to Scuderia Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, a TAG Heuer brand ambassador since 2002 and the reigning F1 World Champion. Five-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais, now Vettel’s F1 team-mate at Toro Rosso, was first signed in 2002, while at the wheel of a F3000 car. Twenty-year-old Sebastien Buemi, currently a regular GP2 driver and a test driver for the F1’s Red Bull Racing team, has been sponsored by TAG Heuer since 2004. Other young drivers in the TAG Heuer ambassadorial stable show great potential, including Romain Grosjean and Karun Chandhok, both winners in GP2 this year, and Alexandre Premat, who recently won the Le Mans Series with Audi.

A strategic pursuit at TAG Heuer for many years, the nurturing of young driving talent remains a priority. At this September’s "British Drivers in Formula 1" exhibition in London, TAG Heuer presented six watches to young English drivers who have made their mark in English and European championships. These incredible prodigies, aged 10 to 15, have demonstrated ability at the wheel of single-seaters, and the potential that could lead to top-level careers.

In addition to representing the brand, many drivers share their racing experience with TAG Heuer engineers and designers to help develop new TAG Heuer products. A perfect example is Bourdais, who has helped the brand to develop an exclusive line of eyewear with ultra-flexible sidepieces — easy to wear under a helmet and comfortable for daily use — as well as dedicated lenses that considerably enhance night-time driving.