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Lear Corporation Signs Technology Agreement With Stewart Grand Prix

18 December 1997

Lear Corporation Signs Technology Agreement With Stewart Grand Prix

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 18 -- Lear Corporation ,
one of the world's leading suppliers of automotive interior systems, has
signed a three year agreement with Stewart Grand Prix to provide design,
engineering and manufacturing support for the team's seating and interior
safety systems beginning with the 1998 Formula One racing season.
    "We believe we're the first automotive interior systems supplier to get
involved in Formula One racing," said Dan Jannette, president of Lear's
Technology Division, "and we believe this involvement with Stewart Grand Prix
will not only provide significant benefits to the team, but could also provide
important benefits for our automotive industry customers and eventually to the
consumer."
    "Jackie Stewart has been a strong proponent of safety in motorsports for
decades as well as a being a much sought after automotive consultant.  Teaming
up with Stewart Grand Prix gives Lear the opportunity to demonstrate and
further develop its technical capabilities while providing its technology to
the Stewart team," he said.
    "Lear has been involved in racing seat development for the CART, Indy
Racing League, Indy Lights and Trans Am racing series," Jannette said," and
we've learned many valuable lessons during that involvement, lessons that will
be shared with the Stewart Grand Prix team."
    Lear will provide state-of-the-art, technologically advanced seating and
occupant protection systems for the Stewart team beginning with the 1998
Formula One racing season.  The seats, built of carbon fiber and Kevlar, will
be ergonomically designed for team drivers Rubens Barrichello and Jan
Magnussen.
    In addition to seats, Lear engineers also are designing energy absorption
systems that will surround the area between the seat and the tub to provide
improved side impact protection for the drivers.
    "The entire seat and safety system are being designed to provide not only
comfort for the drivers but to hold them in place should a shunt occur,"
Jannette said.
    "We've accumulated a large volume of test data from our previous racing
experiences that can be utilized into the Stewart vehicles," he continued.
"We've also been working with helmet manufacturers to get additional data that
in turn would be employed to form an improved safety environment for the
driver."
    The Lear racing system is focused on energy management, use of new
materials, testing and validation methodology, and driver imaging to provide
the most secure environment possible.
    "Our racing seat has been designed to ensure that the energy generated
during impact in a collision will be distributed across the seat and the
driver's body instead of being concentrated over a single part such as the
shoulders, spine, lower back or neck," said Jannette.
    A Fortune 250 Company, Lear Corporation is one of the world's largest
automotive suppliers, with 1996 sales of $6.2 billion.  The Company's world
class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by more than 50,000
employees in over 160 facilities located in 24 countries.  Information about
Lear and its products is available on the Internet at http://www.lear.com.

SOURCE  Lear Corporation