Jack Heuer guest of Vodafone-McLaren at Shanghai F1 GP

Jack Heuer, great grand-son of Heuer Founder and Honorary Chairman of TAG Heuer, had a fantastic week-end. The man, whose early interest in motor racing transformed a small Swiss stopwatch and dashboard brand into a Swiss watchmaking legend and an iconic Formula 1 partner, spent the day on Shanghai Grand Prix yesterday where he met with the Vodafone McLaren drivers and team principals and is now taking home some of the best memories of his life.

Fascinated by the world of cars and races, Jack Heuer not only has launched the Heuer Carrera in 1964 or the Monaco in 1969, he also initiated the partnership with the legendary Scuderia Ferrari F1 team in 1971 for 9 years. Thanks to him, TAG Heuer is the first watch brand to have sponsored a F1 team.

In 1968, Jack Heuer became friend with Swiss driver Jo Siffert and signed him as the very first ambassador of the 150 years long history of the Swiss Avant-Garde brand. History begins every morning for this man who enrolled with Heuer a stupendous roster of F1 racing ambassadors with other racing legends such as Juan-Manuel Fangio, Jacky Ickx, Clay Regazzoni, Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve, followed in his steps by TAG Heuer with Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen, Jacques Villeneuve, David Coulthard, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Jack Heuer did not return on a Grand Prix since 2002. He spent the whole day inside the VODAFONE-McLaren pit, wearing a headset linked to engineers and technicians: "My best race ever ! It sent me decades back and I could feel my beginner's spirit during the whole week-end".

And how better, at 78 years old, could he tie again with this fascinating universe than with a double victory of sponsored team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, celebrating this year with TAG Heuer 25 years of partnership ?

« I was like a kid in a chocolate factory ! I have lived Formula 1 backstage for several years but this world has evolved so fast… it was like living a totally new experience. Getting to personally congratulate Jenson and Lewis, two world champions, for their win was definitely a highlight of my experience.

Meeting with Bernie Ecclestone was also stunning : we had so much to share, me, the old man who lived the early days of Formula 1, and him, who made it what it is now.»