Formula One news

Petronas to stick with BMW Sauber

Petronas is to be the premium partner of the new BMW Sauber F1 Team it was announced today. The long term sponsor of Sauber will stick with the Hinwil outfit now that BMW has bought it out. The team has signed a four-year contract was signed in Kuala Lumpur, confirming Petronas as the main sponsor through to and including season 2009.

"We are delighted to have such a strong partner for our Formula One project," said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen after the contract signing ceremony in the Petronas Twin Towers. "We are building on a longstanding association between Petronas and the previous Sauber Team. Petronas is a major player above all in Asia, which is a very significant growth market for BMW too."

Rosman Roslan, Head of Petronas Motorsports stated: "Through our relationship with Sauber of more than ten years, Formula One became a powerful platform for Petronas to build a strong global brand in support of our international business expansion. As an extension of our long-standing relationship with Sauber to the new BMW managed team, Petronas is proud to be associated with a globally successful manufacturer and a premium brand. This association with BMW will enable us to further elevate Petronas globally as well as enhance our brand through worldwide exposure as well as worldwide positioning."

Petronas used to pay for Sauber's supply of customer engines - from Ferrari in recent years after Petronas' own project to build F1 engines was put on hold.

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