Castrol, alongside BP Ultimate, will continue to support the Ford World Rally Team for a 4th consecutive year as the Team compete in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2006.

Ford of Europe unveiled the all-new Ford Focus RS World Rally Car 06 at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy last month.  The car displays an eye-catching livery featuring strong Castrol and BP Ultimate branding in which it will make its full competitive debut in January's Monte Carlo Rally.

Castrol will supply high performance lubricants and transmission oils which will allow the Team to focus on pushing the new car to its limits in a variety of extreme conditions and terrains. 

“Castrol is very important to us,” says Christian Loriaux, technical director at British-based company M-Sport which operates the Blue Oval's WRC programme. “They’ve got the facilities to develop special oils for us and to study our oil. So we’ve been working a lot with them and they have made some special products for us to help with our hydraulic control systems and engine lubrication.”

Castrol believe the World Rally Championship is an excellent proving ground to develop and test the latest generation of lubricants, not only providing immediate benefits to the performance of the Ford World Rally Team but also more long-term benefits to consumers for their own vehicles.

The all-new rally car will be driven in the 2006 championship by double world champions Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen and fellow Finns Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen.

“I believe the combination of Marcus, Mikko and the all-new Ford Focus RS WRC will be an ideal package for us,” says the Blue Oval’s motorsport director Jost Capito. “By signing drivers of that calibre we are making a clear statement of our intentions. We will use 2006 to further develop the new car in their hands, before a full-out bid for championship success in 2007 and 2008.”