The bobsleigh World CupMichael Schumacher tries out the Formula 1 of the winter with OMEGA
OMEGA ambassador and dyed-in-the-wool Speedmaster Michael Schumacher today took advantage of the last few days of his winter break to experience a new kind of speed in St. Moritz... Swiss watchmaker OMEGA invited the quadruple world formula 1 champion to experience the thrill of a "taxi" ride in the OMEGA bobsleigh prior to the bobsleigh World Cup held over the weekend in the exclusive Alpine resort of St. Moritz the birthplace of bobsleigh. Michael Schumacher was thrilled by the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to descend the world-famous olympic bobsleigh run (the world's oldest bobsleigh run and the only natural run in the world) together with OMEGA President Stephen Urquhart.
For once, Schumacher took on the unusual role of passenger as a professional bobsleigh pilot and brakeman took the bob down the run at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour, subjecting their passengers to over four times the force of gravity on their journey of just over one minute. After their arrival, Stephen Urquhart presented Michael Schumacher with a unique souvenir of the day: the limited edition OMEGA Speedmaster Racing Date watch produced to commemorate Michael Schumacher's fourth Formula 1 world championship title. The champion himself received watch number one fitting number for Formula 1 number one driver.
Michael Schumacher's visit was made possible thanks to OMEGA strong links with the Olympic bob run in St Moritz and the World Cup competition. Like many sports today where speed is crucial, results are often decided by tenths, if not hundredths, of a second. In bobsleigh racing, a 1/10th of a second advantage at the start can translate into a 3/10th of a second advantage by the finish line. Accurate timekeeping is therefore vital to the organisers during a race, but also for the teams during their practice sessions, with no less than six intermediate times along the route to monitor their progress and determine where along the course they need to improve their line.
OMEGA was the natural choice as official timekeeper for the bobsleigh World Cup, thanks to its unparalleled reputation in the manufacture and operation of timekeeping systems for sporting events where split-second accuracy is vital, such as swimming and athletics, as well as the timekeeping of some 20 Olympic Games. The men bobsleigh World Cup takes place 12 (two-man) and 13 January (four-man).