TAG Heuer Celebrates British Formula 1 Drivers F1,Formule 1, construct, konstrukce

TAG Heuer Celebrates British Formula 1 Drivers

Miroslav Sanytrák | 15.10.08 | Aktuality

TAG Heuer, the leader in prestigious sports watches and chronographs since 1860 has joined forces with brand ambassador and Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, former Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill OBE, and legendary racing driver Sir Stirling Moss OBE, to host a unique photography exhibition celebrating British Formula 1. TAG Heuer has sourced photographs from the vast archives of Getty Images supported by additional photographs from Olympus and Cahier Archives. The exhibition creates a spectacular celebration of drivers, cars and the heritage of British Formula 1.

This memorable collection of images will be unveiled at a private preview in London on Monday 15th September 2008 in the presence of our three curators followed by an exhibition to the general public from the 16th-20th September 2008 at The Mall Galleries, The Mall, (near Admiralty Arch), London, SW1.‘This is a fascinating collection drawn from across the years,' comments Sir Stirling. ‘The exhibition will provide an amazing opportunity to see just how much Formula 1 has changed overtime. It also underlines the phenomenal contribution Britain has made and continues to make in world motor sport. It's a great privilege to be involved.'TAG Heuer and Motor Racing Since 1860 TAG Heuer has identified with the world of competitive sport, most notably Formula 1. TAG Heuer has served as Official Timekeeper at countless sporting occasions whilst continuing to develop top-of-the-line sports watches and chronographs. TAG Heuer has enjoyed a long and rich history in motor racing. In 1911, TAG Heuer developed its first dashboard chronograph for engine-powered vehicles with its dedicated ‘Time of Trip' patent. In 1916 the company launched the ‘micrograph'; the first mechanical sports chronometer capable of measuring time to within 1/100th of a second in a period when precision had only reached 1/5th of a second - such innovations gave timing a dramatic new dimension. During the world's first Formula 1 Championship in the 1950's, TAG Heuer was present with several teams using the Heuer manual chronometers. The 1960s saw TAG Heuer develop a timekeeping board made of three mechanical hand-operated chronometers controlled by a bracket. Pressing the bracket meant simultaneously measuring each individual lap. With the development of electronics, a single timing operator could measure the times of all vehicles crossing the finishing line with the push of a ‘morse' key.The early 1970s also saw TAG Heuer support many Formula 1 teams and engine suppliers including Team McLaren. The decade further cemented a Heuer-Ferrari partnership, with Enzo Ferrari selecting Heuer as the Official Timekeeper for the Scuderia Ferrari. Advanced computer technology permitted race statistics to be established that were more reliable and faster to use, this helped shape the fascination of F1 today. In 1978, when Grand Prix organisers selected several different timekeepers who all came through with different results, the Formula 1 paddock had to agree on 1 benchmark. The reliable, accurate reputation of the Heuer-Ferrari partnership of this decade stood clear and saw the Heuer system became the only reference in motor racing.During the 1980s, TAG Heuer and McLaren began 1 of the most enduring and successful partnerships in Formula 1. Today, the TAG Heuer/McLaren partnership is stronger than ever. All McLaren Mercedes cars carry TAG Heuer technology, not just in F1 but at all professional levels of the sport. Throughout the 1990s and up to the present day, TAG Heuer's technological input to F1 has played a key role in transforming the television broadcasts of each Grand Prix into genuinely gripping entertainment. In 1992, TAG Heuer was appointed official timekeeper of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship this enabled television viewers to follow the race thanks to the detail and range of information displayed on the screen. Without this information provided by TAG Heuer it would be impossible for the audience to follow and fully understand the race.In 2008, the extraordinary TAG Heuer brand ambassadorial team is stronger than ever, especially in F1, where 5 TAG Heuer drivers are competing: Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastian Vettel. These extraordinary drivers are a constant source of inspiration for the brand's watchmaking and technology teams!TAG Heuer and British Motor Racing TAG Heuer and Great Britain both independently have a remarkable heritage within the sport. TAG Heuer who has always had a presence at Formula 1 Grand Prix's is delighted to be celebrating British Formula 1 Drivers during this exceptional exhibition featuring a number of unseen photographs.The first British Grand Prix being held at Brooklands in 1926. In 1950, Britain hosted the first Grand Prix of the official Formula 1 World Championship, held with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in attendance. In 1955 and after a temporary change of venue (the GP was held at Aintree), the British Grand Prix had a home winner - Stirling Moss. The race continued to be held at various different venues, including Silverst1, Aintree, Brands Hatch and Donington Park until finally taking up full-time residence at the super-fast and extremely challenging Silverst1.The British Grand Prix has witnessed many memorable performances from some great British drivers, including Sir Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, John Watson, Damon Hill OBE, Johnny Herbert, Jenson Button including British TAG Heuer Ambassadors such as Nigel Mansell, David Coulthard and most recently and Lewis Hamilton.The curators The TAG Heuer exhibition has been curated by Lewis Hamilton, Damon Hill OBE and Sir Stirling Moss creating an exciting overview of British Formula 1 since the 1950's to present day. They have commented on their favorite photographs and moments from each of their respective eras, as well making observations on each other's, resulting in a very personal vision of British Formula 1.Lewis Hamilton TAG Heuer ambassador since 2003 and Vodaf1 McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished second in the 2007 Formula 1 Championship, his debut season, behind Scuderia Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen. Hamilton has set numerous F1 rookie records and graduated to motorsport's top echelon after dominating in the Formula 3 Euroseries and GP2.Hamilton's rise is already that of a legend. When he was 10, he approached McLaren team principal Ron Dennis at an awards ceremony and told him he would drive for McLaren 1 day; three years later Hamilton was signed by McLaren and Mercedes-Benz to their Young Driver Support Programme. Twelve years after this initial encounter, Hamilton made his Formula 1 debut with the McLaren team.Damon Hill OBE Damon Hill OBE won the Formula 1 World Championship in 1996 after a thrilling season-long battle. Son of the 1962 and 1968 World Champion Graham Hill, Damon is the only son of a world champion also to win a world title.He started his Formula 1 career in 1992 with the Brabham team and he took the first of his 22 victories at the 1993 Hungarian Grand Prix for the Williams team the following year. Hill took eight victories and the world championship in 1996 and retired from the sport at the end of the 1999 season, after 122 races. His win-to-race ratio puts him up with the sport's greatest names.In 2006 he became the President of the British Racing Drivers Club, succeeding Sir Jackie Stewart. The BRDC recently established the ‘Superstars' campaign which aims to discover and nurture the next generation of British racing talent, and which TAG Heuer is an enthusiastic supporter of.Sir Stirling Moss OBE This legendary figure needs little introduction - Moss was recently named by 1 of motorsport's most respected experts as the greatest driver of all time. He's certainly the best never to have won a world championship. Known during his career as ‘Mr Motor Racing', Sir Stirling, who started competing when he was 18 in 1948 and continued until 1962, won 211 of the 387 races he finished, including 16 Formula 1 Grande Epreuves. He once told an interviewer that he had participated in 529 races overall, as many as 62 in a single year, in 84 different cars. Like many drivers of his era, he competed in several formulae - sometimes on the same day. His status has grown with time and he is widely regarded as British motor racing's number 1 figure.Pictures of the event are available on: www.tagheuer.com/tools/f1-british-drivers/index.lbl