Honda extends partnership agreement

The Honda Racing F1 Team is pleased to announce the continuation of its partnership with the world's leading sunglasses and optical eyewear brand, Ray-Ban, for the 2006 season. The Ray-Ban brand, which first entered Formula One with the team in July 2004 and operates in more than 100 countries across the globe, is synonymous with style, design, quality and distinction.

Ray-Ban's partnership with the team has proved to be a powerful medium for promoting the brand's iconic identity. For 2006, the distinctive Ray-Ban signature will continue to appear on the cockpit sides of the Honda Racing F1 Team's RA106 race car throughout the season, along with a new prominent position on the helmet visors of race drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, and third driver Anthony Davidson.

All the eyewear models in the Ray-Ban collection show the brand's careful attention to styling and design. For the 2006 season, Honda Racing F1 Team members will be wearing the Ray-Ban 4075 sunglasses model from its new Spring and Summer 2006 sun collection, which have a sporty, wrap-around design which is well-suited to the F1 environment.

Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of the Honda Racing F1 Team, commented: "We are delighted to confirm the continuation of our partnership with Ray-Ban at the start of a very promising season for our team. The Honda Racing F1 Team continues to provide a valuable platform for the Ray-Ban brand by enabling it to reach the global F1 audience and benefit from the appeal of our exciting new driver line-up of Jenson and Rubens, who are the perfect fit for Ray-Ban's marketing programme.

Antonio Miyakawa, Executive Vice President Wholesale & Marketing of Luxottica Group, said: "We are thrilled to announce that Ray-Ban has just renewed its partnership with the Honda Racing F1 Team for the 2006 season. Winners choose winners and Ray-Ban is a winner all the way as its history proves. Honda also has a tremendous winning pedigree in many different motorsports and is totally committed to rediscovering its winning ways in Formula One. We are looking forward to starting the new season together with our partners at Honda Racing F1 Team."

-honda-