McLaren establishes health programme

Team McLaren Mercedes and Direxiv are pleased to announce the establishment of the "Direxiv Dynamic Wellbeing Programme". This programme will see Team McLaren Mercedes operating in close co-operation with Direxiv, to create a dedicated team of highly qualified and well resourced individuals with the sole objective of improving and optimising the fitness, health, wellbeing and diet of not only all of the Team McLaren Mercedes Formula One team and drivers but also of the participants in the Direxiv Driver Programme.

The "Direxiv Dynamic Wellbeing Programme" is headed by Aki Hintsa, the Chief Physician of the Finnish Olympic Committee. Aki has already worked with Team McLaren Mercedes for more than a year on a part-time basis and after the 2006 Winter Olympics Aki will leave the Finnish Olympic Committee and join McLaren. He will be supported by a team of four employees, two of whom will be based at the McLaren Technology Centre, staffing McLaren's Fitness and Wellbeing Centre. The other two are Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya's personal trainers Mark Arnall and Gerry Convey who will continue to form an integral part of the team.

Direxiv's involvement with Team McLaren Mercedes has not only resulted in the establishment of the "Direxiv Dynamic Wellbeing Programme" but also sees the Direxiv identity appear on the team's Formula One racing cars and on members of the Team operating the Programme at the races. In addition, the Direxiv logo will also, via agreement with McLaren, appear on the race car of Lewis Hamilton in his 2006 GP2 car run by the championship winning ART team.

McLaren and Direxiv will also explore opportunities to work together in synergistic sections of technology linked to their areas of respective expertise. This will be channelled through McLaren Group company 'McLaren Applied Technologies'.

Commenting on the announcement Misato Haga, CEO of Direxiv said: "Direxiv's motorsport objective is twofold: to support the drivers in our programme to compete at the highest level of motorsport and to provide a platform to promote the Direxiv products and services internationally. I am delighted to have entered into this agreement with McLaren whose renowned expertise and professionalism will help us get closer to achieving our goals."

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren Group CEO "I am delighted to formally welcome Misato Haga and the Direxiv brand to the Team McLaren Mercedes family. Misato has been a friend of the Team for some time and it is wonderful that we have found a way to work together in a manner that the Direxiv brand and Team McLaren Mercedes can both benefit."

"I have a longstanding belief in the role that pro-active health, fitness and dietary measures can play in the performance of drivers, team members and other individuals and the establishment of the "Direxiv Dynamic Wellbeing Programme" will take this to the next step."

"I am also particularly pleased that we have been able to extend the benefit of the facilities to our younger drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, as well as making facilities available more generally to staff at the McLaren Technology Centre.

-mclaren-