Sauber confirms Chelsea FC partnership

The Hinwil squad had sported liveries with the "Out of the Blue" and "True Blue" messages on the engine covers of its car in the Chinese and Bahrain Grands Prix, triggering speculation about a possible deal.

Chelsea's deal was confirmed by the team on Monday morning, and the football club's logo will appear on the car for the first time in the Spanish Grand Prix.

"A partnership like this between Formula 1 and Football has never existed before in this form, yet there are numerous commonalities and possible synergies," said Sauber CEO Monisha Kaltenborn. "In either case we are talking about team sport at the highest - and international - level.

"The Sauber F1 Team and Chelsea FC are dealing with many of the same sporting and commercial topics and we want to strengthen each other in these areas. We are looking forward to exploiting these opportunities, and we congratulate Chelsea on making it to the final of the Champions League."

Chelsea Chief Executive Ron Gourlay added: "This is an innovative partnership that will see a football club link up with a Formula 1 team like never before, bringing together two of the world's biggest sports and uniting our fans. We felt that this Swiss team, the fourth oldest of the existing teams, reflects our own ideals perfectly.

"In a year when Chelsea celebrates 20 seasons as a Premier League team, Sauber does so as a Formula 1 team. We share many philosophies when it comes to how the respective organisations are run, from the development of young talent to constantly striving for success. Sauber's philosophy towards grassroots development has produced some of the best drivers in F1, which mirrors our dedication to develop promising young football talent through our Academy.

"This partnership will benefit us both greatly, with the potential to create unique commercial opportunities. It is a shared vision to unite the two most attractive sports in the world. We look forward to working closely with the Sauber F1 Team and wish them the very best of luck for the remainder of the Formula 1 season."