Dell Inc., Lotus strike Formula 1 deal - Austin Business Journal
Dell Inc., Lotus strike Formula 1 deal
AUSTIN BUSINESS JOURNAL - BY Jacob Dirr STAFF WRITER
Read more: Dell Inc., Lotus strike Formula 1 deal - Austin Business Journal
Dell Inc. has decided to get back involved in Formula One racing by becoming the chief technical partner for Lotus F1, according to an online announcement from the exotic car maker.
In a press release posted on lotus-central.com — an independent website for Lotus enthusiasts — Dell Vice President Stephen Murdoch said, “We’re thrilled to be working with Lotus Racing ... and we are excited about the role Dell can play in supporting the organization’s future growth.”
The partnership doesn’t mean Dell is tied to the proposed F1 racetrack for Austin, but it couldn’t hurt the ambitious plan still being put together, which is to result in a $200 million racetrack opening somewhere in Central Texas in 2012.
"We are providing IT equipment to Lotus. It is not a sponsorship. It is very much a customer relationship," a Dell spokesman said.
Earlier this week, the same spokesman would not confirm or deny whether it is involved in the racetrack planned for Central Texas.
Freescale Semiconductor Inc., IBM Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. — all of which have major Austin operations — also have ties to F1 racing but none have been linked publicly to the racetrack proposal.
Dell sponsored the BMW Sauber F1 Team from 2006 to 2009, reportedly for about $10 million a year and has had a long-standing partnership with BMW motorsports, sponsoring the company's Le Mans sports car endurance race effort in 1999 as well as the German Formula BMW Championship.
Dell products have been used at BMW’s Formula 1 facilities in Munich and Hinwil, Switzerland as well as on the race tracks. Also, the BMW Sauber F1 Team’s new Pit Lane Park is supported by Dell, according to the 2006 sponsorship announcement.
A BMW motorsports representative could not be reached to comment on the Lotus partnership.
Lotus is returning to Formula 1 this year after more than a decade of absence, according to past reports. The July 9 press release did not say if Dell’s logo will be featured on the car or team.
Read more: Dell Inc., Lotus strike Formula 1 deal - Austin Business Journal
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