After the Wednesday's meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris, the racing organization's representatives have issued a public statement announcing that Microsoft alongside Bridgestone have been granted exclusive contracts.

Both companies will be exclusive suppliers starting in 2008 but each one in its own field. Microsoft's role will be to supply the teams competing in the world most important racing events with ECUs. An electronic control unit (ECU) is an embedded system that manages all the electronic subsystems on board of the vehicle. And as F1 cars are clusters of technology, Microsoft will have one of the most important roles in controlling their behavior on the track.

And while behind the race for the title lies a race in technology innovation and implementation that translates in the end to an increase in performance and therefore speed, the WMSC is looking into decreasing cornering speeds in the following seasons. The Technical Working Group will have a say in the matter and Microsoft too may offer leverage via the ECUs to enforce measures that will ultimately slow the car down.

Microsoft's new initiative in the field of professional racing is aside an obvious image plus, a commitment to the development of its automotive-grade solutions.