Sport and Sponsorship
Benetton Group entered Formula One as a sponsor of Tyrrell in 1983, then Alfa Romeo in 1984; this arrangement was extended to both Alfa and Toleman in 1985. Benetton Formula Ltd. was formed at the end of 1985 when the Toleman and Spirit teams were sold to the Benetton family. The team saw its greatest success under Flavio Briatore, who managed the team from 1990 to 1997. Michael Schumacher won his first Drivers' Championships with the team in 1994 and 1995, and the team won their only Constructors' title in 1995. From 1996, the team raced under an Italian licence although it continued to be based, like Toleman, in Oxfordshire in England. The team was bought by Renault for US$120m in 2000 and was rebranded Renault F1 in 2002.
In 1979, Benetton first sponsored their (then amateur) local rugby team, A.S. Rugby Treviso. Benetton Rugby has since become a major force in Italian rugby, with 11 league titles and supplying many players to the national team.
Benetton Group has sponsored the Treviso rugby, basketball and volleyball teams for many years, underlining close links with its origins and its city, through a vision of sport that is both competitive and social. The Benetton group has the same philosophy to sport as to business: i.e. passion, challenge, competition and results.
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The 1983 season Tyrrell 011, showing the company's logo at the time.
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Schumacher's B194 of the 1994 season.
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