Manor Marussia F1 Team and Airbnb announce Challenger Partnership for the remainder of the 2015 season

CIRCUIT GILLES VILLENEUVE, MONTRÉAL – June 4, 2015 – The Manor Marussia F1 Team today announced a new partnership with Airbnb, the world’s leading community driven hospitality company, ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix du Canada for the remainder of the 2015 season. As the Challenger Partner, Airbnb branding will be proudly displayed on the team’s MR03B Formula 1 cars starting at the Grand Prix du Canada, and on the drivers’ race suits and across other team media, highlighting the commitment to making race fans feel at home as they travel all over the world from race to race.

“The Manor Marussia F1 Team is effectively a start-up. Of course, Formula 1 is an unusual start-up environment to operate in, but our challenges are the same as many other early stage technology companies. Airbnb is a phenomenal success story of a company that has completely reinvented an industry,” said Stephen Fitzpatrick, Team Owner. “We are delighted to announce this partnership with the world’s leading community driven hospitality company. We are two likeminded brands who are committed to innovation and discovery and have ambitions to positively and proactively impact our respective industries.”

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with the Manor Marussia F1 Team and we’ll be cheering them on as they compete in F1 races across six continents,” said Jonathan Mildenhall, Airbnb’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Just as we’re excited to have the team be part of our community, we know our hosts will look forward to welcoming race fans from all over the world into their homes.”

The partnership will kick off in Montréal for the Grand Prix du Canada and the city has grown into Airbnb’s largest destination in Canada, due in large part to the hospitality of local Montréal residents. Montréal Airbnb hosts have welcomed race fans from around the globe into their homes annually during the Grand Prix du Canada festivities, making it one of the busiest weeks of the year for the Montréal Airbnb Host community, and hosts around the world will continue to welcome fans during the 2015 season.

Airbnb has a long history of supporting big international events such as F1 races around the globe. It was a major design conference in San Francisco in 2007 that inspired Airbnb’s founders to open their own home to travellers, planting the seeds that would eventually grow to become Airbnb.  The global exposure that the Manor Marussia F1 Team provides to motorsport fans will generate increased awareness of travel accommodations available through Airbnb, particularly among F1 fans who routinely travel abroad to attend races.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

About Airbnb: Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile device. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 35,000 cities and 192 countries. With world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

About Manor Marussia F1 Team: The Team competes in the FIA Formula One World Championship®, racing in 19 countries across six continents, in front of a global TV audience of approximately 500 million. The team was reborn in 2015 and has embarked on an exciting new chapter, driven by a philosophy that with the same passion and determination as the long-established contenders, but by doing more with less, it can succeed in the tough and highly competitive environment of Formula 1.

About OVO Energy:  Founded by technology entrepreneur Stephen Fitzpatrick in 2009, OVO Energy is one of the leading brands disrupting the UK energy market. With turnover due to exceed £0.5bn in 2016, OVO uses technology to deliver award-winning service to its 480,000 customers.

MANOR MARUSSIA F1 TEAM MEDIA │ Tracy Novak, PR, Communications & Brand Director … M: +44 (0)7701 382031… E: tracy.novak@manorf1team.com

Team photography is available at www.manormarussiaf1team.photos  U: ManorMarussiaF1TeamMedia P: Media2015. Use of imagery is rights-free for editorial purposes but Manor Grand Prix Racing Ltd should be credited.