Last month Formula One announced that the sport would be turning pink to raise awareness for breast cancer research at the US Grand Prix in Austin. F1 Managing Director of Commercial Operations Sean Bratches spoke with ESPN about partnering up with the Susan G Komen organisation and using the sport's global reach to support the ongoing battle against the disease.
"I had some familiarity with the Susan G Komen through a few years that I spent in the sports world," Bratches explained. "In the United States, October -- when the US Grand Prix takes place -- is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I went on a little bit of a mission to align the two and the support has been absolutely extraordinary.
"Really across the board. What is not to believe in when you talk about this? Breast cancer is not a disease that is focused on one gender or the other. Men and women can get this disease and everybody has family and friends and wives and girlfriends, spouses, partners that can be or have been affected by it.
"We think it is a high ground to take and a cause that we feel good about supporting. Our broadcast partners are supporting it and we feel very good in terms of where we are. We are going pink, which will be fantastic.
"The support has been absolutely extraordinary. Our promoter -- Bobby Epstein and COTA -- have put their shoulder behind this in a big way. Our sponsors have been fantastic. You have got Pirelli, who is doing pink tyres and pink podium hats; Carbon, who is doing pink carbon fibre pink champagne bottles and pink champagne for the podium. Tata Communications is getting involved. Heineken is getting involved, through Top Golf, to raise money. Across the board we have had support there."
All of the teams will be participating in the #DriveForTheCure campaign, using the Austin race weekend to raise global awareness of the Susan G Komen organisation's efforts to raise money to fund research into metastatic stage IV breast cancer. F1 hopes to use its global research to further increase awareness of a global disease, and using Breast Cancer Awareness Month to remind F1 fans of opportunities to help both near and far.
"We are indifferent in terms of which charity that the monies are directed to," Bratches said. "We are looking to help raise funds to cure this disease and to the extent that revenues flow to multiple sources as a result of it, that is all the better from our perspective.
"There is be an opportunity for us as the only global sport that takes place on an annual basis. The Olympics and World Cup take place every four years, so we have a unique platform to elevate awareness of this terrible disease that impacts so many people either directly or indirectly around the world. We feel very good about the effort that we have put behind it. Now it comes down to execution, and we feel good about where we are."
As befits F1's digital push under its new owners, the Drive For The Cure campaign will carry across to the sport's broadcast and digital offerings.
"Our graphic overlay is going to have a pink influence," Bratches said, "and the mic wind socks are going to be pink. We are going to have a presence on all our digital platforms. From a social standpoint, we are going to be finding the highest hill we can find and screaming about what the opportunity is for people to engage with this and help support awareness and support the cause.
"There are going to be opportunities to give back through digital means. You can go to komen.org/F1 and make a donation. For those at the track, in the fan area you will be able to donate, and in the Paddock Club there will be opportunities. Then, clearly, we will amplify that message on a global basis. Heineken is doing some Top Golf to raise funds for the organisation, so everybody is going to be participating in one way or the other."