Long-term McLaren sponsor Hugo Boss has dealt the team a blow following confirmation that it will switch to rival Mercedes next season.
The fashion brand has been linked with McLaren since 1981, making it the longest ever sports sponsorship partnership. But it will come to an end this year.
“The McLaren-Hugo Boss association has been an outstandingly successful F1 partnership for more than 30 years,” a team spokesperson told journalist Adam Cooper.
“However, Hugo Boss has recently decided to co-operate with Mercedes-Benz on a number of international marketing projects unrelated to F1.
“That being the case, it would be inappropriate for Hugo Boss to continue in partnership with an F1 competitor to Mercedes-Benz, however successful that partnership has been in the past and remains now.”
Whilst not a major sponsor, the news comes as McLaren has failed to attract a new title sponsor following the loss of Vodafone last year.
However racing director Eric Boullier told reporters including The F1 Times on Saturday that the failure to sign a title sponsor won’t harm their 2015 budget, which he says will increase on 2014.
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