BAR announce sponsorship deal with Ray-Ban.

Ray-Ban, the world's leading sunglasses and optical eyewear brand, has chosen to enter Formula One with Lucky Strike BAR Honda.

Ray-Ban's team partner status with BAR will be one of the key elements of its global communications campaign and was born out of the synergy between Ray-Ban's iconic brand and the young and successful BAR team.

Ray-Ban operates in more than 100 countries and is today the top-selling eyewear brand in the world. Formula One with BAR, which relaunched its own brand in 2003 under the pure racing theme, will be a powerful global promotional vehicle for Ray-Ban.

Ray-Ban has always been synonymous with style, design, quality and coolness.

The partnership kicks off this weekend at the US Grand Prix with the unmistakable Ray-Ban signature appearing for the first time on the cockpit sides of the BAR Honda 006 race cars as they roll out of the garage for the start of Friday's Free Practice.

The brand will also feature on the helmets of race drivers Jenson Button and Takuma Sato and third driver Anthony Davidson.

Antonio Miyakawa, executive vice president Wholesale and Marketing of the Luxottica Group, said: "We are enthusiastic to share BAR's passion and energy in Formula One, and we are especially delighted to start this partnership at the U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis, one of the greatest temples of speed, and in the single-most important Ray-Ban market."

"Today's announcement marks the start of a very exciting new partnership between BAR and Ray-Ban," added BAR's Group marketing director, Hugh Chambers. "These are tremendously rewarding times for the team, as we see all the hard work over the last few years start to pay dividends both on and off the race track. BAR is proud to have such a new team partner which is globally recognised as a legendary brand and a timeless icon of style. We look forward to working together at this exciting challenge."