Exclusive partnership: BMW M3 DTM to race with Castrol EDGE and Aral livery.

Munich, 30th January 2012. BMW Motorsport returns with six BMW M3 DTM cars in 2012 as it makes its comeback in the DTM. One of the cars, the Castrol EDGE BMW M3 DTM, will bear the design of Castrol EDGE and Aral Ultimate. This marks an extension of the existing, long-term partnership between Castrol and BMW Motorsport, and sees Aral Ultimate presented as partner of BMW Motorsport in the DTM.

“For many years we have put our faith in high-performance Castrol lubricants, and have celebrated countless successes together on the racetrack,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “For that reason, everyone here at BMW Motorsport is delighted that we are able to build on this established partnership in the DTM. Castrol EDGE and Aral Ultimate are high-performance brands, which suit our DTM project perfectly.”

Michael Hansen, CEO Deutsche Castrol Vertriebsgesellschaft, said: “The DTM is one of the most spectacular racing series worldwide and pushes the drivers, teams and cars to the very limit. It is because of these high-performance demands that we research and develop our products through the extremes of motorsport. Together with our long-term partner BMW Motorsport, we are looking forward to the challenges ahead and will do everything in our power to ensure that BMW is able to triumph in the DTM as they did in the past.”

“The DTM cars have been using our Aral Ultimate high-performance fuel since 2005,” added Jürgen Blömers, Marketing Director Rhine at Aral. “It will obviously be very exciting to see how the BMW M3 DTM performs in its first season. Whatever happens we are convinced that the return of BMW to the DTM will make the series even more exciting and attractive for the fans. It is a logical step for Aral to be involved as a partner of BMW Motorsport.”

About Castrol EDGE:
Castrol EDGE is Castrol’s strongest and most advanced range of engine oils yet, with a strength to perform no matter how, when or where the car is driven. In its work with leading motorsport manufacturer BMW, Castrol EDGE provides leading technological insight and innovation to improve on track performances. The reliability and prime quality of Castrol EDGE is not only tested and proved in the lab, but also in practice with BMW on the most extreme racetracks in the world.

About Aral:
With 2,400 stations, Aral is Germany’s largest network of filling stations. The logo – the characteristic blue Aral “diamond” – has had such a permanent place in Germany’s brand environment that 90 per cent of all citizens recognise it at first sight. Aral has belonged to the international BP Group since 2002. As such, the company benefits from an international presence and guaranteed supply, as well as the know-how of the world’s second largest oil company, which employs about 96,000 employees in over 100 countries.

Aral will continue to improve tried-and-tested fuels and to consistently expand its research into premium fuel generations, such as Aral Ultimate. Only this way is it possible to continuously achieve greater performance while at the same time improving environmental friendliness, and therefore to continue working on the practical implementation of sustainability concepts.