“Mercedes Benz is a family and we are dominating, says Hamilton at Laureus Charity Gala

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  Hamilton applauds the team’s number of 1-2 finishes

• Stars of F1 attend Laureus Charity Gala to support Laureus Foundation Italy
• Inter Milan Javier Zanetti honoured with first Laureus Foundation Italy Award
• Charity auction raises over €200,000 for Laureus projects

ITALY, September 5, 2014 – Lewis Hamilton has hailed the success of his Mercedes-Benz “family” in the run up to the Italian Monza Grand Prix this weekend.

Talking to Laureus.com, the F1 star said: “The season has been amazing, we have lots of 1-2s, and we are dominating as a team. You feel very much part of the family. I don’t think you have that anywhere else in F1.”

Hamilton was speaking at a star-studded gala charity night yesterday in Milan to raise funds for the Italian Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

The event, staged at the Mercedes-Benz Centre, had a strong Formula One focus, ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday.

Among the guests were Formula One legends Emerson Fittipaldi (Laureus World Sports Academy Member), David Coulthard and Nico Rosberg (Laureus Ambassadors), Lewis Hamilton, winner of the 2008 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, and French favourite Jean Alesi.

Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, also attended the event with fellow Academy Members Giacomo Agostini, Franz Klammer, Mike Horn and Alberto Tomba. Other guests included Miki Biasion, Davide Cassani, Marco Bortolami, Antonio Rossi, Daniel Fontana, Alessandro Fabian, Alessandro Troncon, Alessia Trost, Aldo Montano and Garret McNamara.

Laureus Chairman Edwin Moses said: “Ten years is an important milestone and we are here tonight to help shape the next 10 years of the Italian Laureus Foundation.”

The Formula One charity night raised substantial funds to support Italian projects which have helped more than 2,000 disadvantaged young people in its ten years of life.

A fundraising auction on the night raised the remarkable total of € 200,000. Conducted by Clarice Pecori Giraldi, Senior Director of Christie’s Europe, items were sold for the benefit of Laureus, included: a Mercedes-Benz Proton 220a from 1955, restored by the Mercedes-Benz Centre in Milan; the IWC Portuguese Tourbillon hand-wound watch in Platinum, a unique piece for the Laureus Charity Night; the Aprilia RSV4 factory motor bike autographed by two motor cycling champions Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli; Fabian Cancellara’s bicycle; and a Leica M ‘100 years’ with Summcrion 50mm lens.

The items in the auction were the result of generous donations by Italian and international companies, who, together with Pirelli, the event partner, showed their backing for Laureus. There was also considerable support from Mercedes-Benz and IWC Schaffhausen, global partners of Laureus.

Also present on the night was Javier Zanetti, former Inter Milan captain and now Vice-president of the club, who won the very first Italian Laureus Foundation award.

For further information please contact:
Website: www.laureus.com
Follow on Twitter @LaureusSport

NOTES TO EDITORS
Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good.  Laureus is composed of three core elements – the Laureus World Sports Academy, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the Laureus World Sports Awards – which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and use sport as the means to promote social change.

The first Patron of Laureus was Nelson Mandela.  At the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000, he said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.” This has become the philosophy of Laureus; the driving force behind its work.

The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy are: Giacomo Agostini, Marcus Allen, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sergey Bubka, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Yaping Deng, Marcel Desailly, Kapil Dev, Mick Doohan, David Douillet, Rahul Dravid, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Mika Häkkinen, Tony Hawk, Mike Horn, Miguel Indurain, Michael Johnson, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Dan Marino, Edwin Moses (Chairman), Nawal El Moutawakel, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, Alexey Nemov, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta, Steve Redgrave, Vivian Richards, Monica Seles, Mark Spitz, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba, Steve Waugh and Katarina Witt.

The Laureus Academy Members volunteer their services as global ambassadors for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which was set up to promote the use of sport as a tool for social change. The Foundation addresses social challenges through a worldwide programme of sports related community development initiatives. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over €60 million for projects which have helped to improve the lives of millions of young people. The mission of the Laureus Foundation is to use sport as the means to combat some of the world’s toughest social challenges facing young people today such as juvenile crime, gangs, HIV/AIDS, discrimination, social exclusion, landmines awareness and health problems like obesity.

The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year.  The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury – the 47 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today.  The Awards are presented at an annual Awards Ceremony, attended by global figures from sport and entertainment, which is broadcast to 120 countries and territories.

Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation which supports over 150 community sports projects around the world.  The 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards were held in Kuala Lumpur on March 26.

Laureus was founded by its Patrons Richemont and Daimler and is supported by its Global Partners Mercedes-Benz and IWC Schaffhausen.

Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is the inventor of the automobile – and has been passionately shaping its future since 1886. As pioneers in automotive engineering, it is both our inspiration and responsibility to continue the tradition of the brand with trailblazing technologies and high-quality products. Like no other trademark in the automotive world, Mercedes-Benz appeals to both the hearts and minds of its customers. We give our very best for customers who expect the very best.  Since the founding fathers Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, our corporate history has been one of innovation and pioneering achievements. Many technical innovations that are nowadays standard in automobiles first entered the market in a Mercedes-Benz. This is the basis for our claim to leadership in automotive engineering. The brand stands for Modern Luxury, and enjoys an outstanding reputation for quality, safety, comfort, design and comprehensive, sustainable mobility.

IWC Schaffhausen
With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people and maintains partnerships with organisations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.

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