Subaru and Corona announce sponsorship deal.

The Subaru World Rally Team has joined forces with the world's best selling Mexican beer, Corona Extra, in a sponsorship deal to be unveiled at Corona Rally Mexico, which starts from Leon on 11 March.

The partnership will see the familiar Corona logo and crown motif on the rear spoilers and front wings of both Subaru World Rally Team cars.

In addition, the drivers' race suits will feature eye-catching graphics on the forearms.

David Lapworth, Subaru World Rally team principal, commented: "As you'd expect, we're very happy to be working with Corona Extra. The brand has an impressive history of motorsport involvement and a reputation for working with the best competitors in each discipline.

"Like the Subaru World Rally Team, Corona is an energetic and colourful brand and I expect that this partnership will bring us both real benefits. We're hopeful that this is the start of a long and successful relationship and of course it's great to be able to announce it in such a relevant country."

The Corona Extra brand will already be familiar to fans of World Superbikes, Rally Raids and CART racing, but the Subaru deal represents the first time that it has become involved with a factory WRC team.

Owned by the Mexican based brewing company Grupo Modelo, Corona Extra is the number-one selling beer in Mexico, the country's leading export brand and is available in more than 150 countries worldwide.

Corona Extra already enjoys strong links with rallying in Mexico and has been the title sponsor of Rally Mexico since 1999.

"We're very pleased to be associated with the Subaru World Rally Team," commented Martin Orbea, special events manager for Grupo Modelo. "We think it is a partnership that has a lot of potential."