NEWCASTLE, England, March 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Sage has announced that it has extended and expanded its partnership with the Marussia F1 Team in a new European sponsorship deal for 2013. The Team is a long standing customer of Sage and this year has made a further investment in Sage HR & Payroll products. Sage ERP X3 provides the Team with the confidence, agility and innovation to keep pace on-and-off track in the fast-moving and highly competitive F1 environment.

Sage believes in Marussia F1 Team's dedication and ambition to achieve its objectives and progress through the ranks of F1. Sage partnered with the Marussia F1 Team because of the parallels that exist between the Team, F1 and the Sage ERP X3 solution. This new partnership will help to strengthen the common vision between the two organisations, and showcase Sage as an ERP vendor that provides businesses with a platform for growth.

Christophe Letellier, CEO Mid-Market Europe and CEO Sage ERP X3, Sage commented, "Both the Marussia F1 Team and Sage are UK-based companies with global customers, international operations and a strong focus on the user experience. In 2011 the Marussia F1 Team put Sage ERP X3 at the heart of its operations linking every part of its business for the first time. We are thrilled to announce that Sage will be partners and sponsors of the Marussia F1 Team for 2013. We believe this alignment demonstrates our dedication to support businesses with the confidence, agility and innovation they need to grow and succeed, especially in a highly-competitive environment. As F1 has become the most popular sport worldwide, we will be taking Sage ERP X3 to the biggest and most dynamic global stage."

Kevin Lee, Operations Manager Marussia F1 Team commented, "Sage ERP X3 has fully supported the build of our team's brand new car for 2013 - the MR02. From the release of the first MR02 part to the last race of 2013, the car will develop, change and evolve for every race and we trust Sage ERP X3 to manage this process end-to-end. From design release, to testing and product life-cycle management, Sage ERP X3 is an integral part of launching our new car, on time, on budget and ready to race."

Notes to Editors:

About Sage ERP X3

Sage ERP X3 is Sage Group's global ERP solution for mid-sized companies and subsidiaries of large groups with international demands. For over 10 years Sage ERP X3 has been a proven and comprehensive ERP solution addressing mid-market companies' specific requirements and challenges in industries from manufacturing and services, to distribution and many more. Sage ERP X3 has presence in 58 countries worldwide, with 260 resellers and more than 2,000 consultants in its ecosystem. Over 3,700 customers have chosen Sage ERP X3 because it is easy to use, rapid to deploy, and cost effective. For further information, please visit http://www.sageerpx3.com.

About Sage

The Sage Group plc is a leading global provider of business management software to small and medium sized companies, creating greater freedom for them to succeed. Sage understands how and why each business is unique. We provide products and services that suit varying needs, are a pleasure to use and are secure and efficient. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and entered the FTSE 100 in 1999. Sage has over 6 million customers and more than 13,500 employees in 24 countries covering the UK & Ireland, mainland Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, Asia and Brazil. For further information please visit http://www.sage.com.

About the Marussia F1 Team

Small is beautiful. That's certainly the premise of the Marussia F1 Team, a young and ambitious Anglo-Russian challenger competing in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Founded in 2009, the Team set out to demonstrate that, with the same passion and determination as the long-established Championship-leading constructors, but a fraction of the personnel and operating cost, it could succeed in the tough and highly competitive environment of Formula 1. 2013 is the Team's fourth season of competition, which means the Marussia F1 Team has not only survived its challenging initiation period, it is also here to stay.

Headquartered at the Marussia Technical Centre in Banbury, UK, the Team is majority-owned by the Russian supercar marque, Marussia, based in Moscow. The Formula 1 operation also benefits from a Technical Partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies, which has contributed to its ability to produce increasingly competitive racing cars.

In 2012 the Marussia F1 Team made clear the strength of its determination to progress towards the mid-field by holding the crucial 10^th place in the Constructors' Championship for most of the season. This year, with the benefit of KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and the further promising design step that its new MR02 race car represents, the Team will be pushing harder than ever in pursuit of its long-term ambitions. These include being in a position to compete successfully on home asphalt at the inaugural Russian Grand Prix in 2014 in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

SOURCE The Sage Group plc