Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and the Kuortane Sports Institutehave announced a new partnership. The partnership will see the Kuortane Sports Institute supporting the McLaren Human Performance Programme, which has been designed to take a scientific approach to driver preparation.

The Kuortane Sports Institute is an international training and coaching centre located in the west of Finland. The partnership will see the Kuortane Sports Institute conducting physical performance tests as well physical and medical examinations and providing professional consultations related to human performance improvement with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers and members of the race and test teams.

In early January 2007, the partnership began in earnest when the McLaren drivers, as well as a number of their race team colleagues, spent a week at the Institute taking part in a number of seminars as well as general physical training and team work development.

"Our agreement is a very important step in the development and promotion of the Kuortane Sports Institute’s global physical training and evaluation services," said Tapio Korjus, Manager of the High Performance Training Centre at the Kuortane Sports Institute.

"Vodafone McLaren Mercedes wants to be the best and as a result the team is leading the way with its comprehensive human performance training programme. The Kuortane Sports Institute is extremely proud that a top Formula 1 team like Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has chosen the Kuortane Sports Institute as its partner in assessing and developing the physical performances of its drivers and the team. The Kuortane Sports Institute will make the utmost effort to ensure the success of the McLaren Human Performance Programme."

"We are pleased to be working with the Kuortane Sports Institute in taking a more scientific approach to our current fitness and wellbeing programme," said Martin Whitmarsh, CEO of Formula 1 for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team. "The physical demands of driving a modern Formula 1 car mean that the drivers have to possess the highest level of human performance – the same as other world class athletes. The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 cars are designed and built using a scientific approach to obtain data to understand and rectify any weaknesses. The fitness of a driver or a member of the team can be a very influential variable on our overall racing performance, so together with the Kuortane Sports Institute, we have developed a scientific approach to assessing physical performance to pinpoint any possible weaknesses and then to work on improving these areas. Both the team and the Kuortane Sports Institute are looking forward to a successful future working together."