Last December, Intel Corp. signed-on with BMW Sauber as an official corporate sponsor in a relationship both companies are hoping will pay dividends. In addition to the usual branding arrangements, Intel is also providing the team with technology, from Xeon servers to Centrino-based laptops, to help BMW Sauber gain a competitive advantage in the increasingly technology-intensive world of Formula One racing.

Will Swope, Intel's vice-president and director, digital enterprise brand management, said Intel was looking for a worldwide sponsorship arrangement where its technology could actually make a difference to the outcome.

'World Cup soccer is a huge draw around the world'but there's not really a lot of technology in soccer," said Swope. "In Formula One, on the other hand, we make a material difference to the speed of the resulting car and the ability to be competitive.'

Swope said there are a number of ways BMW Sauber is using Intel technology. One is simulating wind and wind resistance and air flow dynamics on proposed vehicle designs, with virtual wind tunnels rapidly becoming a reality.

'This takes thousands of processors and thousands and thousands of hours of simulation," said Swope. "It is highly computer-intensive.' Another area of intensive technology use is telemetry. The average F1 car has about 200 sensors on it during a race, and many more during the testing phase when each individual component of the car is being tested and analyzed.