Johnnie Walker moves to the starting grid with its first on-air sponsorship of the event. Under the sponsorship agreement the whisky brand will enjoy regional association with Formula One on Star Sports including on-air entitlements as well as marketing and online benefits.

ESS senior VP ad sales Charles Less, “We are delighted to welcome Johnnie Walker on board this on-air sponsorship. This is another example of our ability to develop a fully integrated media solution that will address the needs of our clients on multiple levels. We have invested a great deal to enhance and strengthen our Formula One coverage and are pleased that Johnnie Walker sees the benefits of its association with F1.

"We look forward to providing them with the right avenue and platform to fully leverage on the enormous potential of this world class event.”

The 2006 Formula One season is reaching more than 64 million households across the region.

In addition to the ‘live’ broadcasts of all 18 Championship races, ESS has also created a range of support programming to give motor racing fans the most comprehensive package of news, analysis and commentary of any network. Preview show RaceDay kicks off Star Sports’ coverage with a look at the race ahead, predictions, scenarios and past performances.

This is followed by the ‘live’ broadcast of the race, before Chequered Flag delivers a full round up including highlights, analysis, rankings and results, the post-race press conference and the awards ceremony.