Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN is teaming up with Accelleron to give fans an opportunity to be in Valtteri Bottas’s and Zhou Guanyu’s shoes – literally – and raise funds in support of Save the Children, the world’s leading children’s rights organisation and the team’s official charity partner.
A unique pair of customized Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN-issue Puma trainers have been commissioned by turbocharging leaders Accelleron and will be auctioned off in late November/early December to mark the end of the 2022 season. The special shoes have been hand-painted with pictures of the team’s 2022 Formula One contender – the C42 – and with design details inspired from the racing helmets of drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
Behind the exclusive design is Jetmir Dzelili, an Accelleron employee and artist, who began customizing shoes in 2020 under the name Jedy (Instagram: @jedy_customsneakers). It took Dzelili 37 hours to expertly turn the Puma trainers into a unique piece of F1 memorabilia, which were then presented to Valtteri and Zhou during an event at the Accelleron headquarters in October.
Signed by both drivers, and donated to support Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN’s long-standing relationship with Save the Children, the shoes will be auctioned to the highest bidder through an F1 Authentics online auction that will run from November 20 to December 6, 2022 at the following link: F1 Authentics Auction.
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal of Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN: “Giving back to the community is fundamental to our team and one of the key elements underpinning our relationship with Save the Children since 2019 and their commitment to supporting children in need all over the world. We are delighted to bring our partner Accelleron onboard for this project: the shoes they crafted are unique, and I’m sure fans will love the opportunity to have such a piece of memorabilia. Strategic collaborations between partners don’t just stop at business operations: as a team, we are glad to involve our partners to support causes close to our hearts.”
Oliver Riemenschneider, Chairman of Accelleron: “2022 has been a meaningful year for our partnership with Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN. Our collaboration is focused on the exchange of intelligence, experience and insight between our operations, and we are already seeing the benefits of the transfer of progress and high-performance innovation. These shoes were a creative way to recognise the bond between our organizations – and to lend our support to Sauber’s commitment to Save the Children. They are a fabulous piece of Formula One memorabilia, and I hope they will help raising funds for many good causes.”
Jetmir Dzelili, Accelleron employee and artist: “I have been drawing for many years, but it has become a more serious hobby since 2016. I painted a pair of trainers for a colleague’s son and word spread: I was then asked if I would like to help mark our partnership with Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, and of course I was happy to get involved, especially as it was for a good cause. It was a very special moment to be on stage and hand over the shoes to Valtteri and Zhou – they appreciated my work, and that’s the best compliment you can get.”
