International lubricant specialist, Motul, will be extending its motorsport reach within the Antipodes from 2013 as a technical partnership with the prestigious Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand is announced.
Successfully involved in all categories of motorsport around the world – more than 60 titles were clinched in 2012 using the company’s extensive and motorsport-specific range of products – Motul New Zealand will be lining up alongside established and successful partners to the championship and become the official lubricant partner. Motul already has an established relationship with Toyota in the Asia Pacific region through the Supercar Thailand series in which it is technical partner to the official TRD Toyota team.
As it enters its ninth season, the Toyota Racing Series (TRS) is celebrating a significantly increased degree of prominence and relevance on the world stage. For young, single-seater racing drivers setting out on the path to the top, the TRS has become an important part of their career development and the start to many a successful, championship-winning season. Year-on-year an increasing number of drivers from around the world have landed on New Zealand’s scenic shores to spend five weeks racing in the five-round series. They come to challenge themselves far away from the comfort and familiarity of their homes in new cars on new tracks, in unpredictable weather conditions, against a high level of competition.
Toyota has made an unprecedented commitment to nurturing rising race drivers and giving them essential experience in modern ‘wings and slicks’ race cars during the northern hemisphere winter. The Toyota Racing Series gives New Zealand and international drivers an intensive race series that sharpens their racecraft and delivers them into their European racing campaigns race-fit and fast. The benefit of this has shown in the results recorded by TRS graduates in top championships and particularly in the increased profile of New Zealand drivers in European motor sport. Mitch Evans, GP3 champion, is a double TRS champion and – at 16 years of age – the youngest Grand Prix winner in the world. Brendon Hartley won the first ever TRS race, went on to win Formula Renault 2.0 in 2007 and is now working for Mercedes F1. Richie Stanaway won Formula Masters in 2010 and German Formula 3 in 2011.
With performance and development being integral to Motul’s long involvement in motorsport, President of Makay Imports Ltd – Motul’s NZ importer – Tim Pollard commented: “I am very excited about the opportunity for Motul to join forces with the Toyota Racing Series and its existing partners as it reinforces our existing product links with Toyota Racing Development (TRD). We have two strong brands here partnering for the common objective of achieving excellence in performance and I believe that can only make this project even more successful.”
Known and respected as a benchmark in the industry for its high-tech automotive racing products and success at the highest levels across many disciplines, the single-seater Toyota-powered cars within the TRS will be using the world-famous 300V lubricant. However, Motul and TRD also have a co-branded range of products for the car market including TRD Sport Engine Oil 5W40 by Motul for gasoline engines as well as TRD Sport Engine Oil 5W40 by Motul for diesel turbos, TRD Sport Brake Fluid by Motul and TRD Sport Gear 75W140 by Motul. These products are already distributed in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia and will be soon available in New Zealand.
ABOUT MOTUL
Motul is a world-class company specialised in the formulation, production and distribution of high-tech engine lubricants (two-wheelers, cars and other vehicles) as well as lubricants for industry via its Motul Tech activity. For Asia Pacific, Motul is operating in collaboration with importers and distributors in 16 countries, with a regional HQ based in Singapore.
Unanimously recognised for more than 150 years for the quality of its products, innovation capacity and involvement in the field of competition, Motul is also recognised as a specialist in synthetic lubricants. As early as 1971, Motul was the first lubricant manufacturer to pioneer the formulation of a 100% synthetic lubricant, issued from the aeronautical industry, making use of esters technology: 300V lubricant.
Motul is a partner to many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological development in motorsports. It has invested in many international competitions as an official supplier for teams in: FIM & FIA World Endurance Championships, Superbike, Dirt Racing, 24 Hours of Le Mans (cars and motorcycles), Paris-Dakar, 8 Hours of Suzuka, Bol d’Or, Daytona 200-mile motorcycle race.
