Press release: Ferratum Group announces new title sponsor partnership with STARD for the 2019 FIA World Rallycross
Championship
Helsinki, 8th of April 2019 – Ferratum Oyj (“Ferratum” or the “Group”) is pleased to announce a new
sponsoring partnership as title sponsor of the STARD race team for the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship.
For nearly 14 years, Ferratum has been at the forefront of technological disruption in financial services by
challenging the status-quo through constant in-house technological innovation to bring new, fully digital and real-time financial
solutions and services to personal and business customers globally.
In the FIA World Rallycross car racing industry, the STARD racing team is at the forefront of the game in
motorsports and shares the same unconventional mindset. Using disruptive technologies to support the development and management of
their racing cars, STARD thinks outside of the box and is constantly raising the standards of diagnostic accuracy and performance
analysis after each race, similar to Ferratum´s constant evaluation and improvement of it´s credit scoring algorithms. There is a
clear DNA match between the organisations of Ferratum and STARD, which makes the partnership highly attractive.
The partnership entails the provision and management of two new Ford Fiesta RXS Evo 5 Supercars by STARD,
bearing Ferratum logos in the 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship.
The FIA World Rallycross Championship’s popularity increases dramatically year over year, and it’s global
dedicated broadcast viewership has jumped by 22% year on year from 2017 to 2018 to reach over 678 million households.
Jorma Jokela, CEO and Founder of Ferratum commented:
“Since our formation in 2005, we have strived to offer our customers the fastest and most convenient loans,
later on expanding also to further financial services. Our partnership with STARD in FIA World Rallycross allows us to bring our
brand and services closer to an even broader audience – some of the fastest cars in racing advertising the equally fast services
offered by Ferratum, it is a perfect match. In the same way that we are driving innovation in financial services, the team with
STARD is at the forefront of technological advances in motorsports and world RX races, with a highly innovative and technologically
advanced team, and we look forward to continuing this partnership and the great mutual benefits from our collaboration.”
Michael Sakowicz, CEO and founder STARD:
“With Ferratum Group we found a forward thinking and open minded partner, perfectly matching our mindset at STARD. That
enabled us to manage, to setup and start our new 2 car 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship programme within an incredibly short
amount of time. We are very looking forward to the further, so far fantastic, cooperation with the whole Ferratum team in order to
expand our common activity also beyond Rallycross still this year. Although we cannot disclose any details yet, just so much: be
prepared for quite a few proper surprises to be included! Clearly Ferratum is one of the most dynamic non-technical sponsorship
partner we have ever cooperated with so far, and coming home after the Abu Dhabi World RX season opener race at the Formula 1 Race
Track Yas Marina this weekend, with Janis Baumanis being classified as 3rd overall in the drivers ranking is certainly
an appropriate start for this cooperation and for our new car´s race debut”
ENDS
About STARD
STARD (Stohl Advanced Research and Development), founded by CEO Michael Sakowicz, is a research and development specialist company
active in advanced motorsport, racing and high performance technology. Stohl Group was founded and is owned by former Gr.N rally
world champion Manfred Stohl and consisting of 3 major independently operating business departments:
- STARD (R&D for motorsport, automotive and beyond),
- Stohl Racing (technical and logistic motorsport service, aftermarket),
- Stohl Apartments (Accommodation)
STARD is focussing on entire vehicle and subsystem development and, together with Stohl Group´s other
departments, covers the entire process chain entirely in house, from first concept, design, prototype build up, up to small series
vehicle production.
Stohl Racing additionally offers worldwide top level race service of mainly STARD in-house developed
vehicles.
STARD is competing in the FIA World Rallycross Championship with in house developed Ford Fiesta based Supercars
since 2015.
Since 2008 STARD is also very active in R&D projects for full EV powertrain systems and has taken a
pioneering role in EV technology for mixed surface motorsport categories like rally and rallycross by introduction of the world´s
first all-electric Rally/Rallycross development car “HIPER MK1”
Information on all electric HIPER MK1:
https://www.motorsport.com/rally/news/world-s-first-electric-rallycross-car-revealed-843163/843163/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5844VCjRpv0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIeD56BnI-o
www.stard.at
STARD Homepage: www.stard.at
STARD Contact: office@stohl-group.com
Facebook page: @stard.austria
Instagram: stard.austria
About FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy.
The FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy is head-to-head, short, sharp racing on mixed surfaces (dirt
and asphalt) contained within amphitheatre venues. High profile drivers are equipped with RX Supercars with over 600bhp and an
acceleration of 0-60mph in less than two seconds. World RX debuted in 2014 with a calendar including events. In Argentina, Turkey,
Canada and throughout Europe. Building on the success of World RX’s first five seasons and the burgeoning momentum behind the
series, the 2019 calendar will incorporate 10 rounds across four continents. Along the way, it will visit some of the world’s most
historic rallycross tracks, while introducing two exciting new challenges in the shape of Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit and the
legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Following its successful debut last year, Silverstone’s Speedmachine Festival returns on May 25-26.
Visit our official website: www.fiaworldrallycross.com
Be a part of #RX:
Twitter: @FIAWorldRX, | Facebook.com/FIAWorldRallycross |
YouTube.com/RallycrossRXTV | Instagram: FIAWorldRX
FIA World Rallycross Championship 2019 Calendar
ABU DHABI, 5. – 6. April Yas Marina Circuit
BARCELONA, 27. – 28. April Circuit de Catalunya
BELGIUM , 11. – 12. Mai
Spa-Francorchamps
UNITED KINGDOM, 25. – 26. Mai Silverstone
NORWAY, 15. – 16. Juni Hell
SWEDEN, 6. – 7. Juli Holjes Motorstadion
CANADA, 3. – 4. August Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières
FRANCE, 31. August – 1. September Lohéac, Bretagne
LATVIA, 14. – 15. September Bikernieki National Sports
Base
SOUTH AFRICA, 9. – 10. November Killarney International
Raceway
About Ferratum Group:
Ferratum Group is an international provider of mobile banking and digital consumer and small business loans,
distributed and managed by mobile devices. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Ferratum has expanded rapidly to
operate in 25 countries across Europe, Africa, South and North America and the Asia-Pacific region.
As a pioneer in digital and mobile financial services technology, Ferratum is at the forefront of the digital
banking revolution. Ferratum's mobile bank, launched in 2016, is an innovative mobile banking platform offering a range of banking
services, including real time digital payments and transfers, within a single app. It is currently available in five European
markets. Ferratum has approximately 2.0 million active and former customers who have an account or have been granted one or more
loans in the past (as at 31 December 2018), of which over 792,000 customers have an open Mobile Bank account or an active loan
balance in the last 12 months.
Ferratum Group is listed on the Prime Standard of Frankfurt Stock Exchange under symbol ‘FRU.’ For more
information, visit www.ferratumgroup.com.
Notes to editors:
STARD #codeRX driver’s team for 2019 FIA World Rallycross Championship
Janis Baumanis, all Events
Jani Paasonen, Finland at least 5 Events
Jere Kalliokoski,Finland, at least 2 Events; Finnish Championship, Nordic X
Pal Vetle Try, Norway at least 3 Events
STARD Ford Fiesta RXS supercar with new livery & FERRATUM Group Logo
Janis Baumanis “Leading the Pack” in the first Race in Abu Dhabi
Janis Baumanis landing the Jump @ Yas Marina F1 Circuit
Action packed World Rallycross Head to Head Racing, for the first time ever at Night in Abu Dhabi
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