Bmw Seals Castrol Deal.

It appears that BMW's return to the Formula One arena will be fuelled by Castrol, as the oil company tied up an exclusive, five-year deal with the German manufacturer over the weekend.


Although not necessarily a sponsorship deal in the true sense of the word, Castrol will benefit from the association with both BMW and Williams by becoming mutually linked to both companies. Part of the agreement will see Castrol become sole supplier of oil to BMW both at its Bavarian factory and through 5,500 distribution outlets globally, and be included not only in all BMWs, but also in Rover brand vehicles produced by the German company. It is also suggested that BMW's own brand oils will become part of the Castrol production plan.


Williams and BMW will begin their competitive F1 partnership at Melbourne next season, but have an intensive test programme lined up between now and then. Test driver Jorg Muller has already given the new German V10 its maiden runs at the A1-Ring, and regular Williams pilots Ralf Schumacher and Alex Zanardi are expected to get their first taste of the engine next month. Schumacher has admitted that he will be looking for a race win with the unit next year, although BMW motorsport boss Gerhard Berger has warned both the team and the F1 world not to expect so much so soon.