La Chaux-de-Fonds, 1 March 2015

Today, TAG Heuer, founding partner and official timekeeper of the new FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully electric motor-racing series, has organized an extraordinary car-stroll downtown Geneva up to the Mont-Blanc Bridge. Behind the wheels, the young Swiss driver Simona de Silvestro. Objective: to help make an ePrix event possible in Switzerland in the very near future.

The last Grand Prix in Switzerland was held at the circuit of Bremgarten, near Bern, in 1954. Now, with a historic decision by the Swiss Parlement and the Federal Council to adopt a motion by National Councillor Fathi Derder, Switzerland can now officially welcome again professional motorsport back into the country. The new law is restricted to electric races. Its objective is to encourage sustainable mobility and promote the use of emission-free electric vehicles, especially in cities.

To symbolize this opportunity, TAG Heuer is organizing an extraordinary car-stroll of a Formula E car downtown Geneva. The car will to be seen throughout the streets with Friend of the brand Simona de Silvestro behind the wheel. The car will be part of the large TAG Heuer exhibition at the Geneva MotorShow 2015 starting 3 March.

“Bring motoracing back to Switzerland is an amazing opportunity,” said Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the Watch Division, LVMH Group. “We will work hard to scout the best location and dates. Ideally, this will happen sometime during the 2016/2017 season.”

“We would never have dreamed of getting an ePrix in Switzerland off the ground without TAG Heuer and Mr Biver’s continuing support,” said Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings. “We are very proud to have TAG Heuer as a founding partner, and thankful that they are able to assist us in this exciting challenge. If the race takes place, TAG Heuer will definitely be our title sponsor. The ePrix will strengthen our close relationship with this country, which is the home market of our Global Partner Bank Julius Baer. They have been fully behind us since the very first race in Beijing."

“TAG Heuer has always been ahead of its time and attracted by firsts,” added Jean-Claude Biver. “Formula E is more than a race, it is the biggest innovation in motor racing and entertainment of the last 10 years. It all adds up to zero-emission, unlimited adrenaline and fun. I will be proud if we can host it in Switzerland. If it happens, we’ll be throwing a party to remember!”

The FIA Formula E Championship is deeply committed to the promotion of sustainability and aims to drive the change towards an electric future. The popular success of the season’s inaugural races in Beijing, Putrajaya, Punta Del Este, Buenos Aires, and those coming soon in Miami, Los Angeles, Monaco, Berlin, Moscow and London, prove the Championship’s capacity to help plug the world into a better future.

The public targeted by this exciting championship is young, concerned by the environment and interested in technology. They want to have fun and they seek out unique experiences. The universe created around the E race, which is as important as the race itself, is a perfect draw for them. One could even say that Formula E is redefining the relationship between music and motorsport. TAG Heuer’s approach to its market is quite the same.