MARTINI and Airbnb Offer Grand Prix Fans the Chance to Spend the Night at the Williams Martini Racing Garage

Williams' title sponsor, MARTINI has kicked off the 2017 racing season with a once-in-a-lifetime experience for motorsport fans. In partnership with Airbnb, the iconic Italian brand is celebrating the joy of racing by giving one lucky winner and a guest the chance to spend the night at the Williams Martini Racing garage, at the Silverstone Circuit. Guests will eat, drink, sleep and dream in the home of one of the world's most prestigious names in motor racing on July 15, 2017, the night before the 2017 Formula One Rolex British Grand Prix.

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/495151/Airbnb_x_MARTINI_1.jpg )

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/495152/Airbnb_x_MARTINI_2.jpg )

Access to the team garage is extremely restricted during a Formula One weekend so the lucky winner will be one of very few people to enter the inner sanctum of the team.  During the MARTINI and Airbnb experience, the winner will receive a guided tour of the garage and be met by the team's Deputy Team Principal, Claire Williams before they shut eye next to the 2017 Williams Martini Racing FW40 cars and 50 years of MARTINI Racing history. This money can't buy experience includes meeting Felipe Massa and will culminate in the winners joining Williams Martini Racing for a racing experience of a lifetime which coincides with the team celebrating their 40^th anniversary.

Felipe Massa, Williams Martini Racing driver said, "It's amazing what MARTINI has done for racing since its return to Formula One.  They really understand the joy and passion of the sport - and celebrate it on and off the track."

Massa continued, "For me, the Williams Martini Racing garage has always felt like a home away from home and I can't wait to welcome the winners at Silverstone this summer."

Zara Mirza, Global Head of Creative Excellence, Bacardi Limited, added, "At MARTINI, we're not just a racing sponsor, we're race fans. Aside from driving an F1 car, spending a night in the garage is like waking up in your own racing dream."

The MARTINI and Airbnb Night at the Williams Martini Racing garage is the latest in Airbnb's 'Night at' series, which sees guests stay in iconic locations around the world. It is open to race fans from 27 April - 16 May, 2017. Applicants must be 25 age and over and a resident of the following countries only: Belgium, Italy, Germany, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom. To enter participants must, in 100 words or less, submit a creative story explaining what they love about racing and why they should be the lucky one chosen to stay the night at the Williams Martini Racing Garage at Silverstone before the 2017 Formula one Rolex British Grand Prix. To learn more, check out: airbnb.com/night-at/wmrgarage  

Below are the house rules:

• Always abide by the rules or you will incur a five-second penalty
• Please observe the local speed limit of approximately 80km/h in the pit lane
• No sleepwalking.  The nearby pit lane can be a very busy area of track
• No wearing a helmet in bed.  Helmet hair is not a good daytime look
• Ear plugs may be required when tuning is in practice
• In colder weather, tyre warmers will be provided.  Do not use your own.
• No flag waving.  This may distract your neighbours
• No pets. We find the loud engines scare them 

Notes to Editors:

MARTINI IN FORMULA ONE™ 

The MARTINI brand's longstanding relationship with motorsport and rich history of both sponsorship and participation in worldwide sporting events began in 1968 with the creation of MARTINI Racing™. This bold and ambitious move resulted in a pioneering sponsorship program that saw MARTINI become one of the first-ever non-motorsport entrants to sponsor a racing team.

MARTINI Racing continued to evolve throughout the 1970s, and it was during this period that the distinctive blue and red livery of MARTINI Racing was created. A pioneering design that emulated the team's speed and style, the MARTINI livery was a consistent presence throughout the heyday of MARTINI Racing between 1971 and 1996.

In 1972, MARTINI made its first foray into Formula One™, partnering with Tecno™ for a one-year deal, and then returned in 1975 as a partner of the Brabham™ team, a partnership that continued for three years. From 2006 - 2008, MARTINI was an official partner of Scuderia Ferrari™, the most prestigious and successful team in the history of the FIA Formula One World Championship™. 

Racing is a sport MARTINI has been involved in for nearly 50 years across a variety of iconic liveries, with the brand's return to Formula One in 2014 as the title sponsor of British owned Williams F1 team, a new generation will fall in love with the gioia di vivere - the Italian "joy of living" - that MARTINI brings to the world.

To demonstrate the brand's intrinsic link with racing, MARTINI's new bottle and pack design has evolved to bring the bottles into a new era while maintaining MARTINI's renowned heritage cues.   The labels contain design detail found on MARTINI bottles from the mid-19th century and for the first time in 20 years, the iconic MARTINI racing stripes return.

About MARTINI 

One of the most iconic brands in the world, MARTINI® is the leading name in Italian winemaking and a purveyor of the highest quality aromatized and sparkling wines. The award-winning, vibrant and bittersweet taste of the MARTINI range is the result of secret blends of more than 40 botanicals sourced from the finest locations across the globe. The MARTINI portfolio includes: MARTINI Bianco, MARTINI Rosato, MARTINI Rosso, MARTINI Extra Dry, MARTINI Asti, MARTINI Moscato d'Asti, MARTINI Prosecco, MARTINI Rosé, MARTINI Brut and MARTINI Royale. Created in 1863 in Turin, Italy, the MARTINI brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, and continues to be the market leader of the category. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

About Williams 

Williams is a leading Formula One™ team and advanced engineering company. Formed in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head, the team has secured 16 FIA Formula One™ World Championship titles since its foundation. Nine of these titles have been won in the Constructors' Championship, with the remaining seven titles being Drivers' Championships won with Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve. Williams Advanced Engineering is the division of Williams that harnesses Formula One™ derived technology, development pace and knowledge to deliver highly innovative products and services to the motorsport, automotive, transport, and energy sectors. Working in close collaboration, Williams Advanced Engineering helps its customers meet the sustainability challenges of the 21st century and improve their performance, market position and brand image.

Be responsible. Never drink and drive. 

MARTINI, MARTINI Racing, the ball and bar logo and the MARTINI Racing stripes are trademarks. For more information, please visit http://www.martini.com and http://www.williamsmartiniracing.com

For further information: Maeve Harte, Ogilvy PR +44-7392-106946