Jose Cuervo Tequila to Sponsor Sauber F1 Team

As tequila enters the mainstream as a premium spirit alongside the likes of vodka and whisky, so will it need a platform to promote itself. And few fora are proving as fitting as motor racing.

After rival distiller Patron promoted its sponsorship of individual teams in the American Le Mans Series to title sponsorship of the entire championship, Jose Cuervo has announced a new deal that takes them straight to the very pinnacle of motor racing: Formula One. The tequila company will be sponsoring the Sauber F1 team, and announced the deal shortly after the team signed Mexican driver Sergio Perez to race its cars this season.

Although Sauber may not be among the top teams today, it has fielded some of the best drivers in the sport, including world champions Kimi Raikkonen, Jacques Villeneuve and Sebastian Vettel. Though its best results came during the BMW years in 2007 and 2008 when it placed second and third in the championship, the team has since returned to using Ferrari engines.