Press Releases

Asahi Kasei becomes official partner of WRC

July 24, 2018
Asahi Kasei Corp.

  • Asahi Kasei becomes official partner of WRC

Asahi Kasei has concluded an agreement with WRC Promoter to be an official partner of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).

The WRC pits drivers and production-based cars against some of the toughest and most varied conditions on the planet and is the world’s premier rally series.

It consists of 13 events across 15 countries and five continents. The winner of each rally is the team that completes all the high-speed competitive special stages in the shortest total time.

Drivers and co-drivers compete under extremely tough and varied conditions in dramatic surroundings, ranging from the ice and snow of a Scandinavian winter to the stifling heat of high summer in Sardinia.

Last year WRC was broadcast on television for a total of more than 13,000 hours in 155 markets, with a cumulative audience of 850 million people. WRC also has a huge digital profile, with more than 1.6 billion online engagements in 2017.

More information about WRC is available at www.wrc.com/en/.

Asahi Kasei joins as a premium partner of WRC starting with Rallye Deutschland 2018 on August 16–19, followed by Wales Rally GB on October 4–7 and Rallye de España on October 25–29. During these events, the Asahi Kasei logo will be displayed prominently in the windshields of the competing vehicles as well as along the route in the host cities and surrounding areas.

Asahi Kasei is globally expanding its automotive-related business which includes engineering plastics to replace metal and enable vehicle weight reduction, microfiber suede for seats with superior comfort, and an in-car communication system utilizing audio and speech processing technology.

Its partnership with WRC will enable Asahi Kasei to enhance corporate brand recognition in Europe where there is a rich heritage of rally competition, while supporting the automotive industry’s effort to improve vehicle performance through motorsport competition under the most severe conditions.