Toyota links with Karcher.

Toyota Motorsport GmbH has revealed that its Formula One team has signed a sponsorship agreement with Karcher, the well-known cleaning systems manufacturer.

Karcher's corporate logo will appear on the sides of the cockpit of Panasonic Toyota Racing's two F1 cars from next weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, as well being included on team clothing, driver overalls, pit walls, motorhomes and technical trucks.

"We are delighted that Karcher has joined Panasonic Toyota Racing as one of our sponsor partners," commented Toyota Motorsport GmbH president John Howett, "We warmly welcome them to the worldwide Toyota family. Karcher products are well known with a strong international reputation. Both Toyota and Karcher are focused on and dedicated to customer service and engineering excellence, and together, we look forward to a fruitful and mutually beneficial partnership, further strengthening our marketing programmes."

"I am pleased that we have signed such an attractive sponsorship contract with Panasonic Toyota Racing," agreed Georg Metz, Karcher's managing director of sales and marketing, "We are confident that working with Toyota in F1 will help us not only to increase our brand awareness worldwide, but also to develop a close partnership with Toyota and their dealer network.

"Through our multi-year deal, we seek to bring together two such well-known names as Karcher and Toyota and to work jointly together to develop marketing and business activities. The Toyota F1 team has displayed its strong F1 potential this season, well highlighted at the last race in Spain where the team picked up three championship points."

Panasonic Toyota Racing has signed four new sponsorship agreements in the past five months, with Ebbon-Dacs, KDDI, Puma preceding Karcher.