Formula BMW Asia - Round 1 - Bahrain - Race

Formula BMW Asia Thrills the Crowds in Bahrain as Al Khalifa Takes Victory.

Sakhir, Bahrain - The Formula BMW Asia field gave Bahraini motor racing fans a
taste of what is to come this season with an extraordinary 10-lap opening round
which saw local hero Salman Rashid Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain), 23, take
victory after a brilliant drive. Series newcomer Charlie-Ro Charlez (MAS/Team
Meritus), 19, impressed in his very first outing coming in second, while BMW
Junior, Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus), 20, took the final podium spot,
both of whom are Rookie Cup entrants.

A jubilant Al Khalifa was thrilled with his well-deserved win: "To win a race
you have to keep your concentration and stay away from mistakes. I hadn't
realised that I was able to concentrate that hard for that long, and now I
understand how crucial this element of racing is."

Charlez, who sat in the Formula BMW for the first time only yesterday, was
pleased to be on the podium and will definitely be one to watch this season,
while Patrizi downplayed his disappointment at finishing third having led the
race several times.

Al Khalifa didn't have the best start from pole, and Patrizi was alongside him
almost immediately. The Australian youngster took Al Khalifa on the inside of
turn one, and the battle commenced, with the Bahraini piling on the pressure as
Patrizi tried to build up a margin. Lap four saw Al Khalifa regain the lead
after a skilled and superbly-executed overtaking manoeuvre, but the situation
was dramatically reversed when he was pressured into a mistake and Patrizi
reclaimed the lead, opening up a two second gap.

Patrizi looked comfortable to take the win, but Al Khalifa held on and, when
the Team Meritus driver made an error on lap seven, victory in Round 1 was his.

It was a successful day for local drivers and Hamed Al Fardan (Team Meritus)
took fourth place after an eventful drive, which saw him almost airborne after
taking an excursion over a kerb. He also set the fastest lap of the race,
adding to the pride of local supporters.

In the Rookie Cup, 15-year-old Armaan Ebrahim (IND/Team E-Rain) put in an
impressive performance to finish third behind Charlez and Patrizi.

Round 2 of Formula BMW Asia will be held tomorrow morning (Sunday, April 3) at
the 5.4km Bahrain International Circuit.

Background:

Formula BMW is the world's leading entry-level class in Formula racing. In 2005
the series will be held in Germany, Britain, Asia and the USA. Up-and-coming
drivers as young as 15-years-old are given the opportunity of entering motor
racing with the high-tech, standard FB2 race car.

This racing car has been seen on the grid since 2002 and has set standards
particularly on the safety technology front. A single-seater propelled by a 140
bhp BMW motorcycle engine up to 230km/h, it exceeds by far the safety
requirements for its class. BMW Motorsport has developed the FORS Formula
Rescue Race Seat especially for Formula BMW and the HANS safety system is also
mandatory.

In 2005, Formula BMW will be staged five times as part of the Formula One
Support programme. All the series offer a multifaceted Education and Coaching
Programme as well as sponsorship for promising racing talents. The best-known
alumni of this talent hothouse are Formula One drivers Ralf Schumacher,
Christian Klien and Timo Glock.

BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen: "Formula BMW offers talented young
drivers more than just a car. In the Education and Coaching Programme we have
designed specially for them, they learn everything they need to know to hold
their own in the big wide world of motor racing. Formula BMW has shot out of
the blocks to become the top entry-level class for Formula racing worldwide."

Round 1 Results

POS NO Driver/Nat Entrant Time
1 7 Salman Rashid AL KHALIFA (BAH) Team E-Rain 21:54.233
2 88 ÿCharlie-Ro CHARLES (MAS) Team Meritus +3.141
3 29 ÿ*Michael Tony PATRIZI (AUS) Team Meritus +5.583
4 38 Hamed AL FARDAN (BAH) Team Meritus +6.619
5 17 ÿ*Armaan EBRAHIM (IND) E-Rain +8.200
6 68 *Robert BOUGHEY (THA) Team Meritus +9.029
7 61 ÿ*AN Suk-Won (KOR) Team E-Rain +17.410
8 9 ÿ*WANG Jian-Wei (CHN) Ao's Racing Team +24.281
9 58 Mitsunobu ENDO (JPN) Team Meritus +32.050
10 4 ÿDejan de ZOYSA (SRI) Minardi Team Asia +32.176
11 22 Jonathan CHAN (HKG) Minardi Team Asia +34.837
12 99 #SONG Ge (CHN) Ao's Racing Team +1:03.276
13 3 # Abdulla Ebrahim MATTAR (BAH) Minardi Team Asia +1:20.033
14 20 #CHIA On (HKG) Ao's Racing Team +1:39.855
DNF 5 # Mohammed AL BAHARNA (BAH) Minardi Team Asia

*Scholarship driver
ÿRookie Cup
# Non-Series Registered

Fastest Lap: Hamed Al Fardan (BAH/Team Meritus) 2:09.837/150.058kph
Pole Position: Salman Rashid Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 2:10.833/148.916kph

Formula BMW Asia Points Standings after Round 1
1.Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 20 points, 2. Charlie-Ro Charlez
(MAS/Team Meritus) 15 points, 3. Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus) 12 points,
4. Hamed Al Fardan (BAH/Team Meritus) 10 points, 5.Armaan Ebrahim (IND/Team
E-Rain) 8 points, 6. Robert Boughey (THA/Team Meritus) 6 points, 7. An Suk-Won
(KOR/Team E-Rain) 4 points, 8.Wang Jian-Wei (CHN/Ao's Racing Team) 3 points, 9.
Mitsunobu Endo (JPN/Team Meritus) 2 points, 10. Dejan de Zoysa (SRI/Minardi
Team Asia) 1 point

Rookie Cup Standings after Round 1
1.Charlie-Ro Charlez 20 points, 2. Michael Patrizi 15 points, 3. Armaan Ebrahim
12 points, 4. An Suk-Won 10 points, 5. Wang Jian-Wei 8 points, Dejan de Zoysa 6
points.

Statistics

Winners 2005: Al Khalifa (1)

Pole Positions: Al Khalifa (1)

Podiums: Al Khalifa (1), Charlez (1), Patrizi (1)

Championship Points: 1.Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 20 points, 2.
Charlie-Ro Charlez (MAS/Team Meritus) 15 points, 3. Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team
Meritus) 12 points, 4. Hamed Al Fardan (BAH/Team Meritus) 10 points, 5.Armaan
Ebrahim (IND/Team E-Rain) 8 points

Rookie Cup Winners: Charlez (1)

Rookie Cup Points: 1.Charlie-Ro Charlez 20 points, 2. Michael Patrizi 15
points, 3. Armaan Ebrahim 12 points