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FORMULA ONE: BMW and WilliamsF1 announce commercial agreement extended cooperation

17 July 1999

Technical cooperation between WilliamsF1 and BMW from the
year 2000 was announced in the summer of 1997. WilliamsF1,
the most successful Formula 1 team of the past decade, will
embark on the next FIA Formula One World Championship
Grand Prix racing season with engines developed and
manufactured at BMW in Munich.

The existing technical partnership cooperation has now been
augmented with a significant commercial agreement that will
allow Williams and BMW to collaborate even more closely.

The team will operate under the name BMW WilliamsF1, which
testifies to the great importance that Williams attaches to its
partnership with BMW and which BMW associates with its own
re-entry into Formula 1. 

Moreover, the outside appearance with which BMW WilliamsF1
will present their cars at the race circuit underlines the joint
commitment, for it is BMW that will be developing the future
styling of the team. The cars are thus provided with an
unmistakable BMW identity. For the team, this is a strong new
platform on which to put together the future sponsorship family
on the basis of the BMW brand image. The wider cooperation
will extend over the term of the contract for engine deliveries
from BMW to Williams.

BMW Motorsport Director, Gerhard Berger has the following
comment on this agreement: "To BMW, Formula One
represents a major technical challenge, which at the same time
has an important communicative function for the company as a
whole as well for its products. With a view to these two
objectives, the new commercial agreement offers ideal
conditions, because Formula One lends itself as an excellent
instrument to convey the BMW image of sportiness, dynamism,
and innovation.. We are looking forward to this common future
with WilliamsF1."

Dr. Mario Theissen: "We shall soon be returning to top-flight
international
motorsport and the supreme technical standard fits in perfectly
with BMW's high-tech image. This new agreement now ideally
complements the technical agreement with WilliamsF1 and
underlines the BMW Formula One strategy."

Commenting on the agreement, Frank Williams said:  "This
extended partnership provides a sound commercial foundation
for our activities and will allow us to work in conjunction with
BMW for the global marketing of the team as well as providing
an attractive proposition for significant new sponsors investors
and the integration of our existing sponsorship base."

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