Lucas di Grassi the new TW Steel brand ambassador

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (March 4, 2010) – TW Steel, the international Dutch watch brand renowned for exceptional oversized watches, is delighted to announce a partnership with Brazilian Formula One driver, Lucas di Grassi.

The 25-year-old from Sao Paulo will make his Formula One debut at the ʻGulf Air Bahrain Grand Prixʼ on Sunday, March 14th, the opening round of the 2010 F1 World Championship, and in follows a long line of illustrious Grand Prix drivers hailing from his native Brazil.

TW Steel welcomes Lucas as its first Brazilian Brand Ambassador – ʻThe Watch in Steelʼ continues to grow in popularity in South America, as it has globally since debuting in The Netherlands in 2005.

“Iʼm extremely pleased that weʼve been able to align the TW Steel brand with one of Brazilʼs leading young sports stars,” said TW Steel Chief Commercial Officer, Stewart Bain. “Heʼs already proven his talent and he undoubtedly deserves the opportunity to showcase his abilities in Formula One. Weʼre relishing the chance to promote our association with Lucas, not least in Brazil where heʼs already a big personality, but worldwide.”

Lucas di Grassi commented; “This is a really exciting time in my career and Iʼm naturally happy to be supported in my move up to Formula One by TW Steel. I was a fan of their oversized collection before so to be able to partner with them means a lot to me. Theyʼve proved themselves as an ambitious brand in a very competitive market. Iʼve gone through similar experiences to make it into Formula One so we have many shared synergies.”

Lucas di Grassiʼs racing career started in karts in 2000, and soon after the determined Brazilian quickly graduated to cars. A pair of runner-up finishes in Brazilʼs Formula Renault Championship and F3 Sudamericana Series propelled him into European competition in 2004.

Victories in the British F3 and the F3 Euro Series championships cemented his potential and saw him step-up to Formula Oneʼs official feeder category – the GP2 Series. He finished runner-up in 2007, backing that up with additional wins and top-three finished in 2008 and 2009 respectively. At the same time Formula One tests beckoned, the popular racer eventually landed a full-time ride in Formula One with fellow newcomers, Virgin Racing, for the 2010 season.

TW Steel, celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2010, continues to develop and lead the oversized watch market. A family-owned company, headed by 27-year old Chief Executive Officer, Jordy Cobelens, ʻThe Watch in Steelʼ has emerged as an innovative, bold lifestyle brand – now available in over 50 countries worldwide.