This summer, arc editor Matt Waring was invited to the Netherlands Grand Prix in Zandvoort by Signify, to celebrate the 1-year anniversary the lighting brand’s partnership with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team. Here, he reports back on the adrenaline-fuelled visit.

At the end of the summer, I found myself in the Dutch seaside town of Zandvoort, alongside a select group of lighting journalists, to experience the thrills and spills of the Netherlands Formula 1 Grand Prix.

And why would a group of lighting journalists be interested in this, I hear you ask? The trip was coordinated by Signify; the Dutch brand is one of the lead sponsors of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team, and as this partnership celebrated its 1-year anniversary, it wished to celebrate the occasion at what was its “home” race. Despite admittedly not being a massive fan of Formula 1 beforehand (my knowledge extended to “Jenson Button is from the same town as my mum”), I felt that this was too good an opportunity to pass up, and I was also very intrigued to see how the partnership between a lighting brand and a Formula 1 team would work.

And so, off to the Netherlands I went. After an evening exploring the beautiful town of Haarlem, our team of distinguished guests was transported trackside to Zandvoort, and the exclusive, “backstage” behind the scenes area of the racing Paddock. Here, each team has its own base of operations in the form of vast, luxury trailers. Over coffee and pastries, the day began with a discussion between Nathalie Quéré, Head of Sponsorship at Signify, Ton Borsboom, Head of Design at Signify, and Mercedes AMG Petronas Team Representative, Bradley Lord.

During this insightful session, the panel shared the intricacies of the partnership between Signify and the Formula 1 team, outlining how its lighting products help to support the team wellbeing and optimise performance, not just of the two lead drivers – George Russell and Kimi Antonelli – but the 150-strong team of engineers and support staff on track for the race, as well as those based at the team’s UK factory, who will all be on-hand and working during each race, regardless of where it is in the world. Signify’s Nature Connect product in particular is being used by the F1 team to help those travelling around the world to combat jetlag, while also being implemented in a new “Human Performance Centre” at the team’s HQ.

The briefing then went on to cover the ways in which the two partners are learning from each other in terms of sustainability. Not typically viewed as the most sustainable of sports, Lord explained how, through measures such as sustainable cars, efficient logistics, and 100% renewable power, F1 as a sport is striving to be Net Zero by 2030; ad Signify is helping the Mercedes AMG Petronas team reach these goals. Indeed, the collaboration between the two was referred to throughout as a “partnership, not a sponsorship”, as both parties discussed their shared values and common interests in sustainability.

The morning session closed with a video presentation from the drivers themselves, each sharing their own understanding as to the power that light can have on their mentality and performance heading into a race. Such is the enthusiasm of Russell and Antonelli that they have specifically asked for certain lighting conditions and products in their pre-race spaces. Following this, we were treated to a surprise visit from Antonelli himself, who managed to steal away a couple of minutes from his heavily regimented, to-the-minute schedule to say hello to everyone.

After this, the group was taken on a very special, behind-the-scenes tour of the Mercedes AMG Petronas garage. Even though at this point the race was still two days away, the garage was a hub of activity, as the teams of engineers were hard at work constructing the two race cars. Even as someone with a passing interest in the sport, I could acknowledge the privilege of getting access to this strictly VIP space, and to see the work, precision, and detail that goes into putting together a Formula 1 car ahead of race day.

After a thrilling morning trackside, our group was then taken to the Zandvoort seaside, to Signify House – the company’s main base of operations during the Grand Prix. Here, after a delightful lunch, we had a round-table discussion with Harsh Chitale, CEO Professional Business, and Member of the Board at Signify, to discuss some of the broader developments from Signify as a company. Now firmly established following its rebrand from Philips, Chitale broke down the “brand identity” for Signify and how it seeks to stand out in this “brave new world” of IoT connected devices, “where illumination is just one small part of what the device does”.

Chitale also explained the origins of the partnership between Signify and the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team, stating that, as the company looked to establish itself as “the world’s largest lighting company” that is always looking to innovation and the future of design, it sought a global partner with a similar mindset.

He said: “Formula 1 as an industry stands for innovation, but we are looking for responsible innovation; we are redefining sustainability in our industry, F1 is also leading the charge in sustainability in the automotive industry, and redefining the ways in which the automotive industry can be sustainable. They’re committed to Net Zero in 2030, and amongst them, Mercedes AMG Petronas is leading the charge. We realised that our identities match in what we are driving, which is leadership, innovation, and sustainability.”

Speaking of the ways in which Signify are aiding in Mercedes AMG Petronas’ sustainability targets, Chitale added that, for an industry that is not known to be sustainable, even the smallest contributions can make a difference. “Lighting used to burn 18% of the world’s energy and carbon emissions. Now, with the innovation that we have done over the years, the industry has brought that down to 8%, and you can take that even further down with connected lighting, and so on,” he said.

“Mercedes as a team, but also Formula 1 as a whole, is moving to more electric power and biofuels, not just for the car, but for their transportation around the world, their facilities. It’s not just what happens in the race behind each team, there are a lot of people working around the clock in the background, analysing hundreds of sensors that are generating data from the car, so there is a lot of energy that is getting consumed in their facilities and offices and so on. We are working with Mercedes AMG Petronas to get all of those facilities fitted with more energy efficient, sustainable lights. We are working with them in developing their sustainability transition plan, because it is not just products that we can bring to the table, but also capability; we are a Platinum EcoVadis Rated company, the only one in our sector to have achieved that, so we are using this capability to help the team.”

Following the discussion with Chitale, guests were invited to explore the rest of Signify House, where they could learn more about the brand’s emerging lighting innovations – from its 3D-printed MyCreations range, and NatureConnect range of daylight-simulating artificial skylights, to its advancements in performance and entertainment lighting, professional outdoor and sport lighting, and its developments for the commercial sector.

Alongside this, the group also took part in a “time trial” competition of the Zandvoort circuit on a racing simulator game, with prizes on offer for the top three times. I’m pleased to say that I bagged a spot on the podium, finishing second overall. Clearly knowing my penchant for hats, I was rewarded with a Mercedes AMG Petronas / Signify cap for my efforts.

That cap was proudly worn the following day, when those of us in attendance were given an extra, bonus opportunity to attend Day 1 of Practice at the Dutch Grand Prix. A very different atmosphere than the previous day, as we approached the track, it was alive with excitement as the masses of Formula 1 fans, each donning the colours of their favourite teams and drivers, took to the stands to see these incredible feats of engineering in action. The roar of the crowd was nothing compared to the roar of the engines, and even as a self-proclaimed novice to the world of Formula 1, seeing these cars in action, up close and personal, was a unique experience, that I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to see.

Unfortunately, our new favourite drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, didn’t place on the podium at the Netherlands Grand Prix, but it was still a tremendous experience to see how Signify and Mercedes AMG Petronas are working together to reach a more sustainable future, with lighting at the forefront.

www.signify.com