May 9, 2006 There’s a rule of thumb for sponsorship that for every dollar of sponsorship, a company should spend another dollar promoting that sponsorship. With BMW returning to Formula One, it has backed its ability by creating an incredibly clever marketing device – a fully transportable theme park developed in conjunction with Disney World to explain and demonstrate all the excitement of pit stops, race strategies and team tactics in an entertaining, interactive attraction. Launched at the European F1 Grand Prix at Nurburgring last weekend, the BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park spans 5,400 square metres, can accommodate up to 16,000 visitors per day, and features a 90-metre-long stretch of track, leading to a 25-metre-diameter turning area flanked by grandstands. Yet another example of BMW efficiency is evident in that the park operated until Sunday night in Germany, and will open for business again on Friday in Barcelona to support the Spanish F1 GP next weekend. After Spain, it will have a more leisurely pull down prior to opening at Silverstone (UK) for the British F1 GP opening Thursday, 8 June. The park will visit Montreal (Canada), Monza (Italy) and Shanghai (China) later this year to coincide with those Grands Prix.