Infineon annuncia con un comunicato stampa ufficiale di essere divenuto fornitore ufficiale del team Ferrari per la Forumula1:

Infineon is “Official Supplier” of Ferrari’s Formula 1 Team

Munich, March 5, 2003 – Infineon Technologies AG (FSE/NYSE: IFX) and Ferrari SpA have agreed on a wide-ranging technical co-operation. Infineon, one of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, is with immediate effect “official supplier” of the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Formula 1 team.

As part of the technical co-operation agreement, Infineon contributes its leading technology in automotive electronics and a team of experienced motor sport engineers. During the 2003 Formula 1 season, Infineon engineers will work with Ferrari on advanced racing systems, providing expertise in the areas of electronic engine control systems, telemetric systems, electronic power distribution, sensor technologies, and high-speed measuring systems. Through its activities in motor sport Infineon is able to optimize products before mass production.

“We are pleased to partner with the present Formula 1 world champion. This co-operation underlines our leading position in automotive electronics and builds on our record of outstanding success in motor sport co-operations,” commented Dr. Reinhard Ploss, CEO of Infineon’s Automotive and Industrial Group. “The co-operation with Ferrari will further strengthen our automotive expertise and thus increase our innovative capabilities as well as future business opportunities.”

Working with Ferrari, Infineon will develop technologies that set new standards in automotive electronics, and apply the ideas and experience gained from this collaboration in future product developments for its worldwide customer base. Infineon is Europe’s largest and the world’s second largest provider of semiconductor solutions for automotive electronics and is considered a pioneer in key future technologies, such as telematics, safety management, engine control and sensor technology.

Infineon’s Automotive and Industrial group continuously improved its business performance and has achieved record revenue in each of the last four quarters. The company’s automotive excellence is based on the innovative strengths of more than 500 engineers. Partnering with leading automotive system suppliers is the base for the company’s success both in motor sport co-operation and the global automotive business.

Infineon has 25 years of experience in the automotive sector. The company supplies reliable, easily integrated, low-cost chips and chipsets that enable manufacturers of automotive electronics systems to implement innovative applications in a wide range of automobiles such as BMW, Daimler Chrysler, VW and General Motors. Every third automobile worldwide and every second automobile in Europe has an Infineon chip in the engine controller. In every second car made worldwide, Infineon chips control power loads ranging from the bulb in the speedometer through the starter to the rear fog lamp.

Worldwide, around 55 million new vehicles are produced annually. Every automobile contains approx. 1,000 electronic components (including content for in-car radios and navigation panels)

Infineon’s additional motor sport activities

Infineon’s activity in motor sport predominantly focus on technical co-operation agreements that allow Infineon to demonstrate its technology and solution competence in automotive electronics to a broad public audience. Infineon also benefits from the important role motor racing plays in automobile development. Through technical co-operations, Infineon works at the leading edge of the supply sector for the automobile industry and is able to perfect innovative technologies and applications that find their way into mass-produced vehicles.

Infineon has also a very successful motor sport partnership with Audi. The Infineon-Audi R8 is fitted with numerous Infineon components for transmission and further control units. With the triple hat-trick at the Le Mans 24 hour race in 2002 and three consecutive American Le Mans Series championships, the Audi motor racing team embodies world-class status in terms of speed, endurance, and reliability. Infineon partnered on the Audi R8 racing car project from the start and has been the main sponsor since the 2001 season.

Motor sport sponsorship in Europe in 2003 also includes the Porsche Michelin Supercup, where Infineon acts as main sponsor of the “Infineon Team Farnbacher/PZM”. Here, too, Infineon engineers collaborate closely with the racing team on data logging and interpretation to optimize chassis tuning. The co-sponsorship of a team at the FIA GT Championship complements the technical co-operation with Ferrari.

In the USA, Infineon is the main sponsor of the “Infineon Team Joest” that will be taking part in the American Le Mans Series 2003 with the Infineon-Audi R8 and competing in races in North America. Besides, Infineon is co-sponsoring the “Visteon/Patrick Racing” team in the 2003 Champ Car World Series and will use this chiefly as a platform for branding and customer events across North America.

Infineon Technologies is also co-sponsoring one of the participating cars at the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2003. This commitment serves mainly to publicize the company’s name and raise brand awareness across Asia.