Document from the BMW WilliamsF1 Team
Oxford, UK, July 3 -- The BMW WilliamsF1 Team today
announced the official re-branding of the team livery following the merger of the
team's principal sponsor,Compaq Computer Corp. with Hewlett Packard Company (HP)
on May 3, 2002.
The new livery will be unveiled tomorrow at Silverstone,
Northants, in the
preparation for the forthcoming British Grand Prix.
While the BMW WilliamsF1 Team's logistical preparation to
adopt the HP identity as the principal sponsor midway through a season has been
little short of gargantuan, the partnership with HP runs deeper than
simply cosmetic alterations to the team's outward appearance.
Also launched in preparation for the British Grand Prix
is a substantially revised aerodynamic package, intended to propel the BMW
WilliamsF1 Team's assault
forward in this season's FIA Formula One Championship.
The development of new aerodynamic package is reliant on
both traditional experimental techniques such as wind tunnel testing, and
increasingly on predictive modelling disciplines such as computional
fluid dynamics (CFD).
The process of aerodynamic development is a continuous
cycle, focused both on a race-to-race basis in the production of appropriate
aero maps for the different characteristics of each circuit, as well as having a
medium term outlook in the step changes that can make an underlying difference to
the competitiveness of a race car.
The predictive aerodynamic modelling based on CFD is
highly dependent on sizeable computational processing resource. Gavin Fisher,
the BMW WilliamsF1
Team Chief Designer explains, "CFD is a very useful tool,
but to generate meaningful results in the extremely time-pressured
context we require means that we need considerable processing resource to really add
value. It is no coincidence that the HP AlphaServer supercomputer
platform that we use at WilliamsF1 was also the hardware that unlocked the human
geno code."
HP's assistance permeates every aspect of the BMW
WilliamsF1 Team's
activities from trackside servers to process real-time
telemetry data to notebook and PDA hardware that are universally used by team
members spanning technical and commercial activities. It is relevant that
at Silverstone however,
HP's contribution to the team will be visible both on the
surface of the new car Livery, and well beneath it in the contribution to the
WilliamsF1 BMW FW 24's
aerodynamic performance in the forthcoming race.
Frank Williams, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team Prinicipal
acknowledges, "It a great privilege to have a technology partner of such global
status. Perhaps more meaningfully, it is a real benefit to be able to utilise
HP's expertise in so many areas of our operation. HP genuinely make a contribution
to our competitiveness in so many different ways."
While the aerodynamicists have been focused on drawing on
the advantages of HP's supercomputing hardware, elsewhere at WilliamsF1,
the logistical efforts to
re-brand the BWM WilliamsF1 Team for the British Grand
Prix have also been
extensive.
The extent of the task to re-brand the team commenced on
the completion of the merger on May 7, 2002, and has required extensive
planning by a dedicated project team at WilliamsF1 and HP. A vast array of team
assets have been catalogued and a programme established to effect a full
re-brand to coincide with the British Grand Prix.
In practical terms, the clothing manager has overseen the
alteration of 2,400 items of team clothing, requiring the preparation of no
less than 3.25km of fabrics with new team shirts alone accounting for 1km of blue
cotton. A new television commercial was planned and filmed with over 50 crew
members working with team drivers Juan Pablo Montoya & Ralf Schumacher. Over
60 hours of 35mm film were shot in a single day to produce a 30s spot
which will air on July 4.
Back team headquarters in Oxfordshire, four race team and
three test team trucks and transporters were re-liveried, not to mention three
race cars, two motorhomes, drivers racesuits, helmets, stationery,
merchandise, internet sites,press materials and video materials, right down to
engineer's mousemats for use in the team garage.
Frank Williams reflected, "When I was told by HP two
months ago that in 60 days we would have a completely re-branded team I told them
they were dreaming. They were as good as their word. We have hardly noticed
the transition from a business point of view and I have had a long hard look
and can't find a single old logo anywhere. We have been lucky to have such a
committed technology partner and principal sponsor since 2000 and believe that our
future with HP has great potential."
The final element of the re-branding package was the
design and build of a completely new HP motorhome to grace the Formula One
paddock for allEuropean races. Besides providing a trackside business
and media facility, the HP motorhome is specified with the latest HP
technologies, including a WLAN(wireless local area network) infrastructure with
Bluetooth capabilities to enable
short-range wireless communication. A cable network and several ISDN
(integrated services digital network) and analogue lines will also be installed to
facilitate communication and data processing between HP and the BMW
WilliamsF1 Team during the races.
HP is a leading global provider of products,
technologies, solutions and services to
consumers and businesses. The company's offerings span IT
infrastructure, personal
computing and access devices, global services and imaging
and printing. HP merged with
Compaq Computer Corp. on May 3, 2002. The merged company
had combined revenue
of approximately $81.7 billion in fiscal 2001 and
operations in more than 160 countries.
More information about HP is available at www.hp.com
HP is the principal sponsor of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team.
ÝHP is the technology power
behind the BMW WilliamsF1 Team providing products,
services and solutions that support
car design, performance management, manufacturing, and
telemetry
Photocall
All photographers please note:-
An official photocall with Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo
Montoya featuring the
WilliamsF1-BMW FW24 in its new HP livery will take place
outside the team
garage at 1300hrs on Thursday July 4 at Silverstone
This photocall replaces the previously notified photocall
of 1815hrs
For further information, please contact Silvia Hoffer as
noted below
Website
Media contact:
To obtain images from the re-branded car unveiling at
Silverstone, please visit the
WilliamsF1following website:
Liam Clogger
Tel: +44(0) 1235 7777 00
williamsf1.comliam.clogger@
www.sutton-images.com/hpinvent
Silvia Hoffer
Tel: +44 (0) 797 7275 838
silvia.hoffer@username: hpinvent
williamsf1.com
J–rg KottmeierBMW
Tel: +49(0)1705666112password: williamsf1
joerg.kottmeier@bmw.de
