15 Oct 2024

Roland and BWT Alpine F1 search for Europe's next best car wrapper

Roland DG and BWT Alpine F1 Team join forces to find Europe’s Next Best Car Wrapper.

Roland DG, the world’s leading provider of digital printing solutions, has announced a unique collaboration with its long-standing technology partner BWT Alpine F1 Team in the search for Europe's next best car wrapper.

This first-of-its-kind workshop will take place on November 7th 2024, at Alpine’s cutting-edge Technical Centre in Oxfordshire, UK. The event, named ‘The Wrap Academy’ will host 10 emerging car wrappers from across Europe, to showcase their talents and learn from the best in the industry to accelerate their car wrapping businesses.

Roland DG and BWT Alpine F1 Team have been long-standing technology partners for almost a decade, using Roland DG’s world-leading TrueVIS ink-printing technology in all aspects of the team’s branding, from the high-quality decals and artwork on the A524 race cars to the emblems on the transport trucks, and even on notices and signs around their facilities.

Contestants will go head-to-head for the chance to participate in an exclusive car-wrapping experience, joining BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Wrap Crew at one of the most iconic motorsport events, taking place in Las Vegas on Sunday 24th November 2024. The winner will get unparalleled access to the fast-paced world of F1 car wrapping - from the pit stop to the wrap shop.

The event, set to take place in BWT Alpine F1 Team’s state-of-the-art paint shop located in the heart of its UK Technical Centre, will challenge participants to showcase their creativity, precision, and craftsmanship by live wrapping the world-famous F1 team’s show car. Contestants will strive to impress a distinguished panel of judges, including car wrapping experts from Alpine, Roland DG and one of the most famous car wrappers in the world, Yianni Charalambous.

With over 6 million social followers, Yianni Charalambous will mentor the participants throughout the event. Car customiser to the stars, Charalambous has wrapped cars for everyone from Anthony Joshua to Harry Styles and is the owner of Yiannimize, a luxury car customisation garage based in London.

Commenting on the search for new talent, Charalambous said, “If someone had offered me an opportunity like this as I was establishing myself, I would have jumped at the chance. There are brilliantly talented car wrappers all over Europe, and this partnership with Roland DG and BWT Alpine F1 Team will give the lucky few a unique chance to learn from the best. It will no doubt accelerate what is possible for them in this industry.”

Stephen Davis, EMEA Marketing Director & UK President at Roland DG, commented, “We are always looking to support up and coming creative talent, and to do so by partnering with our partners at BWT Alpine F1 Team to give aspiring car wrappers a platform to elevate their craft, might just be the most exciting initiative we’ve launched to date. The Wrap Academy promises to be a highlight in the car wrapping calendar, providing access to invaluable insights and exposure to the best of the best in the industry.”

“We are thrilled to work with Roland DG to help nurture the next generation of car wrapping talent,” added Joe Mcnamara, Paint & Graphics Manager at BWT Alpine F1 Team. “Motorsports provides the ultimate testing ground to showcase the durability of our graphics and printing outputs under some of the world’s most challenging conditions - all fuelled by Roland DG’s print technology. Much like the spirit of Formula One, this event is all about discovering talent with a relentless drive for accuracy, precision, and high performance in the world of car wrapping. We look forward to seeing the creativity and innovation that the contestants will bring both to the table and the track.”

To enter, aspiring car wrappers from across Europe are invited to submit their application here: www.rolanddg.eu/en/landing-pages/wrap-academy. Entries close on 00.01 on 3rd October 2024

This event is part of Roland DG’s ongoing efforts to empower creators and professionals, following the success of its Level Up Lab series, which has already generated a significant following and waiting list across Europe.