BMW announces a new sponsor for 2008

The Swiss company Sika will support the BMW Sauber F1 Team as a sponsor for the year 2008. Based in Baar, Switzerland, Sika is a chemical company well known to BMW.

The two parties know each other well as they have already collaborated on other projects concerning motorsports. The cooperation began in the 1980s.

The director of BMW Motorsport, Mario Theissen, stated: « We are very pleased that this long-standing collaboration is now taking place in F1. Sika, like ourselves and the other partners of the BMW Sauber F1 Team, share the same aspirations for the perfection of their own products. »

« Beyond that, it also means that we will have another Swiss entity in our team. »

Sika will be present as the official sponsor of the 2007 Formula BMW World Final, taking place this weekend in Valencia, Spain. Its participation in this event is the perfect moment to officially announce its role as a sponsor of the BMW Sauber F1 Team starting from January 2008.

From 1985, BMW and Sika jointly developed the first adhesive glazing (Sikaflex ©) for the BMW M3 and for 5 of the 7 series models released in the following two years. Later, this cooperation expanded to acoustic solutions (SikaBaffle ©), structural bonding, and reinforcement for all brands of the BMW group (BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce).

The company Sika was founded in 1910 and is now a firm specializing in innovative chemical products. Sika is a leader in the fields of sealing, bonding, reinforcing, and protecting load-bearing structures in construction and industry.

The Sika product range includes concrete, specialty mortars, sealants and adhesives, insulation materials, and structural strengthening systems. Sika has thus been able to innovate to replace old techniques such as screws, rivets, or welding, thereby opening up new possibilities.

Bruno Fritsche, member of the general assembly of the Sika Group, stated: « Our objective is to help our clients generate added value and always stay ahead of their competitors. Working with the BMW Sauber F1 Team perfectly aligns with our company’s philosophy. »