Ahead of the launch of the team’s 2011 car in Berlin on Friday, the McLaren team has announced that Santander will continue to be one of its sponsors this year.

The news is something of a surprise as it had been expected that Santander would cease its ties with McLaren to concentrate on its rumoured US$40 million sponsorship of the Ferrari team. Instead, however, it will continue to take advantage of the marketing prowess of McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, which has formed a key part of the Spanish financial giant’s rebranding of its Abbey National branches in the UK.

Santander originally joined McLaren in 2007 when the team ran Fernando Alonso, but remained involved with the team following the Spaniard’s acrimonious departure at the end of that year. Hamilton and Button will take part in Santander advertisements and in-branch marketing campaigns during 2011.

“The relationship we have built with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team and its drivers has been integral to creating and building the Santander brand in the UK,” confirmed Ana Botin, chief executive of Santander UK. “Without it, we would not have been able to rebrand next year.”

The Santander logos will not appear on the car; instead they will be placed on the drivers’ overalls and, in a new development, on their helmets. Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren’s team principal, called Santander’s support “a critical element of the team’s success.”

Source: SportsPro