The Swiss sports watchmaker Certina is becoming a new official partner and timekeeper for the FIA World Rally Championship, WRC. As one of the main partners of the WRC, Certina will have a dominant brand presence during the racing on site, as well as with the time display on television.

Certina has already been involved in the rally scene between 2002 and 2005, as a partner of Colin McRae and Petter Solberg. The brand has been associated with motor sports since the 1970s, and the return to the rally scene, with its dynamic image, fits perfectly with the sporty and reliable Certina watches. In Scandinavia, where the sport-watch brand is the market leader, rallies are exceptionally important, and enjoy particularly high numbers of spectators. In addition, rally sport complements their involvement in Formula 1, a sport that Certina has been affiliated with since 2005.

Adrian Bosshard, President of Certina, confirms: «Rallying demands everything of man and machine that you can only imagine in racing. This dynamic and challenging environment is a perfect match for our brand and our timepieces.»

Jean Todt, President of the FIA says: «It gives me great pleasure to welcome Certina, the prestigious Swiss time maker, part of the Swatch Group, to the FIA World Rally Championship. As the Official Timing Partner, Certina will ensure fans and competitors alike will be able to follow the competition on the stages throughout a rally weekend, starting with the prestigious Rallye Monte-Carlo on January 15th. «The arrival of Certina to the FIA WRC is confirmation that the choice of promoter, the Sportsman Media Group and Red Bull Media House, has been the right one in attracting top level interest from highly-desirable partners for this exciting FIA World Championship.»

The World Rally Championship (WRC) is the top-ranked rally racing series and is organized by the FIA. It currently consists of thirteen rallies on three continents. In October 2012, the FIA appointed Red Bull Media House and the Sportsman Media Group to be the new WRC promoters. Both companies are responsible for all commercial aspects of the World Rally Championship and were jointly responsible for establishing the partnership with Certina.