Vodafone India brought a first-of-its-kind night street race experience to India, as international FI champion Lewis Hamilton burnt rubber at Mumbai’s commercial street corridor at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) this evening.
Driving his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes car, Lewis enthralled the crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered to have a glimpse of the popular racer performing hot laps and ‘donuts’. Few lucky Vodafone India customes also got the opportunity of riding with Lewis in a Mercedes AMG sports car.
Popular TV presenters and hosts Manish Paul and Mandira Bedi kept the audience on their toes, prior to the race and international artists were seen entertaining the viewers during breaks. Lewis also interacted with the finalists of the on-going Vodafone ‘Drive into the Big League’ contest for SMEs in India, which gives one winner of the Grand Finale, a money-can’t-buy-chance, to get their logo on the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes car that will race in second season of motor racing event in Delhi next month.
Fresh from the win at the Italian Grand Prix and one week prior to the Singapore Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton said, “It’s amazing how each time I come to India, the experience gets better. I wish to thank Vodafone for giving me this opportunity and for putting up such a fantastic show on a large scale. I feel privileged to have presented India’s first night street race show on behalf of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. The fans in Mumbai are simply the best and the unbridled love and adulation that I receive here in India is addictive and makes me want to come back for more action and adventure. I am really looking forward to racing in India next month and I am sure Indian fans will have a great show to look forward to.”
Vodafone is the ‘Title sponsor’ and official ‘Total Communications Partner’ of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team since 2007. Leveraging the Global association in India, Vodafone had launched ‘Vodafone Drive into the Big League – II’ that provides a never before opportunity to small & medium enterprises (SME’s) to have their logo on the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes cars that will race at the motor racing event in India.
Vodafone Drive in the Big League has received around 300,000 entries from small and medium business enterprises. In the Build-up to the Grand Finale, the fastest growing enterprises over the last 2 – 3 years were shortlisted from these entries for the qualifying rounds that were held from Sept 7-13, 2012 across ten cities in India. The winners for ‘Vodafone Drive into the Big League – II’ will be announced by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team on the eve of the motor racing weekend next month.