Motorsport

Virgin Racing Formula E Team has appointed the sports and sponsorship communications agency Pitch as it prepares to compete in the inaugural 2014 FIA Formula E Championship, just days after the new motorsport series confirmed a London event will be held in Battersea Park in June 2015.

Pitch will provide all PR and social media support for Virgin Racing as the team gears up for the first race of the championship, which takes place in Beijing in September, and announced its driver line-up of Jaime Alguersuari and Sam Bird last month. 

Stanley Black & Decker has confirmed it will continue its sponsorship of MotoGP as ‘Official Power Tool Supplier’, ‘Official Hand Tool Supplier’ and ‘Official Tool Supplier’ to the motor racing sport, supplying Stanley, Dewalt and Facom tools for races around the world.

Bradley Smith has received a further boost following a promising start in the opening round of the MotoGP World Championship, after Bridgestone UK announced a sponsorship deal with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 star.

The global tyre manufacturer and official series supplier is teaming up with the Oxford-born rider for the 18-round MotoGP season, which kicked off under the floodlights at the Losail International circuit in Qatar. 

Global engagement agency, Limelight Sports, has appointed Mike Jones as Head of Business Development, following 16 years in Formula 1 and top level motor sport.

During that time Jones has held positions including Sponsorship Director, Eurosport Events and Vice President, Sales Europe (Motorsport & Action Sports) at Wasserman Media Group. 

BT Sport has unveiled details of its programmes and presenters for the 2014 FIM MotoGP World Championship season, in what it says will be the most extensive coverage of the sport that has ever been seen in the UK.

The broadcaster has signed a five-year deal with Dorna Sports for exclusive rights to televise motorcycle racing’s premier contest, the FIM MotoGP World Championship, starting from the 2014 season, with the opening race in Qatar on 23rd March.

BT Sport has acquired rights for the World Rally Championship motor-racing series in a short-term deal through until the end of 2014.

BT’s agreement begins with the opening event of the 2014 season, the Rallye Monte Carlo, which begins on 15th January. 

Coverage will include preview and review shows for each rally plus a daily highlights show.

The WRC campaign runs through to 14th to 16th November with the Wales Rally GB event, the final weekend of the season.

Just Marketing International (JMI) has been sold to Chime Communications in an acquisition that will see the global motorsports agency become part of Chime’s sports marketing division, CSM Sport & Entertainment. 

The deal was confirmed early on Friday and marks a first entrance into motorsport and the United States for CSM Sport & Entertainment, which has been headed by Lord Sebastian Coe as executive director since October last year.

Eurosport has extended its broadcasting deal with the British Superbike Championship through until the end of the 2020 season. The agreement was confirmed ahead of the final weekend of the 2013 season at Brands Hatch, which saw Alex Lowes become the youngest ever British Superbike champion after his second-place finish in the last race on Sunday.

The 23 year-old clinched the title ahead of three-times winner Shane Byrne.

BT Sport has announced three MotoGP riders who will be used as ambassadors to promote the sport during the channel’s coverage of the motorcycling series.

Cal Crutchlow, Bradley Smith and Scott Redding will feature in BT Sport’s MotoGP marketing and programming after the channel signed a deal to become the exclusive UK broadcaster of the series for five years from 2014.

Car rental brand Hertz will once again take its place as title sponsor of the British MotoGP in 2013, after extending its partnership for the British edition of the motorcycle racing world championship, which will be held at Silverstone from 30th August to 1st September.