Spies Hecker signs agreement with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team
Spies Hecker has been named as an Official Team Supplier of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team. The aftermarket paint brand will supply the team with its highly innovative paint solutions and paint mixing equipment as well as full product training and on-site technical support with immediate effect.
Before the partnership was agreed, stringent technical requirements needed to be met – and the Spies Hecker Permahyd Hi-TEC System ticked all the boxes. It offered a compliant paint system, which is crucial for the team, and means that Mercedes AMG Petronas is the first team to use a fully VOC compliant system in Formula One™. The winning combination of trustworthy, efficient and fully VOC-compliant paint solutions (including compliant high solids clearcoats) first-class colour matching, experienced technicians, strong brand history and a long-standing relationship with Mercedes-Benz, made Spies Hecker an easy choice for Mercedes AMG Petronas.
Once the technical aspects were met, the next step for Spies Hecker was to develop a new silver colour for the team. Andrew Moody, Head of Paint and Graphics at Mercedes AMG Petronas said: “We wanted to develop the silver colour used on our Silver Arrows race cars and asked the colour team at Spies Hecker to create something that included an increasingly popular aluminium effect and suited the Mercedes-Benz brand. A few colour samples later, we had a brilliant, clean silver that was exactly what we required.”
In addition to the paint for the race cars, the six Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks used to transport the team to the Grand Prix venues, the team’s garage equipment, and hospitality systems will also be sporting Spies Hecker paint.
Dan Hartland, Spies Hecker brand marketing coordinator UK and Ireland, said: “We have a long history of providing specialised paint solutions to our customers – and just because this customer is a Formula One™ team, it is no different. We are pleased to be able to deliver a brand new colour, and products that meet the demanding needs of the Formula One™ arena, as well as providing services that enable the Permahyd Hi-TEC System to be used to its maximum benefit.”
Andrew Moody added: “Formula One™ is a fast-moving sport which is also highly technical, and we needed a paint partner that was fully VOC compliant. The speed and efficiency of the Permahyd Hi-TEC system equates to very quick re-sprays so the cars are back on the track as soon as possible. Spies Hecker has exceeded all our expectations – the technical expertise and knowledge the team has is second-to-none – and we look forward to a strong relationship.”
Hartland believes that the personal relationships Spies Hecker forges with all its partners was one of the keys to its success in gaining this approval. He concludes, “our tagline may say Simply Closer, but we truly pride ourselves on our relationships with our customers. Everyone at Spies Hecker wishes the team at Mercedes AMG Petronas a successful second half to the season.”