Compaq Gives BMW WilliamsF1 Team Technological Edge for 2002 Season

MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb. 27 Compaq the principal sponsor and computing power behind the BMW WilliamsF1 Team, discussed the technological evolution the sport of Formula One has seen over the last two decades with guest speakers BMW WilliamsF1 Team driver Juan Pablo Montoya, 1980 World Formula One Champion Alan Jones, and WilliamsF1 Chief Operations Engineer Sam Michael at a February 26 press conference in Melbourne, Australia.

With the progress technology has made in recent years, Compaq will play an important role in providing industry-leading end-to-end IT solutions through its products, people and services to the BMW WilliamsF1 Team for the 2002 season.

``By taking advantage of the latest technology available, Compaq's end-to- end solutions and IT support enables the BMW WilliamsF1 Team to optimize the performance and analysis of the race cars from a mechanical and aerodynamic point of view,'' said Sam Michael WilliamsF1 Chief Operations Engineer. ``From an operational point of view, Compaq's contribution ranges from the iPAQ Pocket PC the mechanics use to register faults on the car, to Evo notebooks, our standard tool for analyzing data, to the ProLiant servers, of which we have five or six running in the pit garage at any one time.''

Compaq's role in providing the computing power for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team has positioned the team as a strong contender for this season's 17 Grands Prix.

Formula One teams and their drivers will now be able to take advantage of bi-directional telemetry, a new rule that will be implemented for the 2002 season. The deployment of the bi-directional telemetry rule will allow a constant flow of data between the pits and the car, meaning that changes to set-up will be possible while the car is in the race.

``We're only just starting with the new telemetry rule, but I think it's going to be a big help during races. Before, everything was pre-set, but now we can modify certain elements like the traction control and the differential which will be a big help with the balance of the car,'' said Juan Pablo Montoya, BMW WilliamsF1 Team Driver.

As tools for more sophisticated and faster design, for development, for data transfer and communication, Compaq products and services are vital to Formula One.

``The electronics and computer technology gives us so much to work on,'' continued Montoya. ``We can adjust the traction control for every corner, for every part of the corner, and likewise with the differential. Use all those tools in the right way and you're going to find a lot of time.''

Compaq provides the BMW WilliamsF1 Team with the necessary support and solutions in the pit, during the race but also at the WilliamsF1 research and development center in Grove, England.

``At the WilliamsF1 headquarters in Grove, another 40 Compaq Evo notebooks are in constant use, but the workhorse of the whole operation is the AlphaServer super-computing platform installed last year. Its main use is in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD),'' explained Michael.

``The front and rear wings and brake ducts of the FW24 are the main areas where the Compaq super-computer has helped us,'' added Michael. ``I'd say there is a 30 to 35 percent improvement aerodynamically thanks to Compaq. Aerodynamics is the absolute key to this sport: if you have strong technologies in your wind-tunnel and CFD you have a major advantage.''

The new computing system has become an integral part of WilliamsF1's expanded Computational Fluid Dynamics testing facility in Grove, England. Using Compaq's powerful AlphaServer / Tru64 Unix-based computing platform, WilliamsF1 can conduct aerodynamic tests, such as the simulated performance of aerodynamic devices -- in a matter of hours, instead of the weeks it used to take. The new supercomputing capabilities also give the team more time to experiment with a greater quantity of designs.

About bi-directional telemetry

Telemetry provides immediate access to data as soon as it is generated. This allows engineers and data analysts to respond to the way the vehicle is performing and how it is being driven. In this way, testing is made more effective and competitiveness is improved during a race. Early detection of malfunctions can minimize damage to the car's equipment and increase driver safety. If logging memory size is limited, real-time download of logged data can be used to give better time resolution so performance characteristics can be examined in finer detail.

About Compaq

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation is a leading global provider of information technology products, services and solutions for enterprise customers. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets information technology equipment, software, services and solutions, including industry- leading enterprise storage and computing solutions, fault-tolerant business- critical solutions, communication products, personal desktop and notebook computers, and personal entertainment and Internet access devices that are sold in more than 200 countries directly and through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at www.compaq.com .