Lenovo Puts The Pedal To The Metal In Formula One RacingLenovo Puts The Pedal To The Metal In Formula One Racing

Lenovo is getting into the race. Formula One racing, actually.

The PC maker announced a sponsorship agreement with the AT&T Williams team competing in the Formula One World Championship. Lenovo's logo will be displayed on the 2007 cars of drivers Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz.

The computer company isn't just getting its name on the car, though. The racing team will be using Lenovo's computer technology in a variety of ways, from ignition checks to race operations and inventory.

"In Formula One, teams are highly reliant on PC technology," said Alex Burns, Williams Chief Operating Officer, in a statement. Formula One racing is a data and computing-intensive sport. Effective deployment of information technology is a key part of the Williams F1 strategy, and helps decide success on the track, he said.

Lenovo PCs will support engineers in car research, testing, development, and manufacturing, according to the company. The racing team will use them for racing analysis and to support the management team in marketing, logistics, travel, and race planning, as well as networking, inventory, human resources, finance, and relationships with clients, sponsors and suppliers.

AT&T Williams is one of the world's leading Formula One teams, with 16 Formula One World Championship titles and 113 Grand Prix victories. Williams F1 employs about 520 people at a technology campus based in the heart of the U.K.'s Motorsport Valley in rural Oxfordshire.