Formula BMW Germany - Round 9 and 10 - Oschersleben - Preview

Formula BMW: safety comes first.

Oschersleben. "Could you just roll up your trouser legs," requests DMSB
technical scrutineer Wolfgang Neusius. Championship leader Christian Vietoris
(Lissendorf/Josef Kaufmann Racing) obligingly pulls up the legs of his racing
overalls, revealing a pair of fire-resistant long johns - in an outdoor
temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. "Very good," says Neusius approvingly to the
Formula BMW Germany driver. Safety is a high priority in this attractive
entry-level race series, which this coming weekend will see 21 drivers aged 15
and over taking to the track at Oschersleben.

Before each race, spot checks are carried out to see whether drivers are
wearing the correct gear. Long underpants and long-sleeved T-shirts,
flame-retardant socks and shoes, a balaclava under the helmet and overalls made
of special Aramid fibres provide protection in the event of a fire. Special
Nomex racing suits form a kind of second skin to protect drivers from flames
and temperatures up to 840 degrees Celsius. Wearing this protective gear, they
are ensured a survival time of more than 30 seconds in extreme heat.

To prevent damage to the neck vertebrae, all Formula BMW drivers wear a
so-called HANS (Head and Neck Support). HANS is essentially a rigid,
collar-like carbon-fibre structure that is attached to the car's safety harness
via the shoulder belts and connected to the helmet by tethers. Thanks to its
stabilising effect, extreme whiplash movements to the head are avoided in an
accident and dangerous forces on the neck and head are reduced. Formula BMW was
the first entry-level racing series to make the HANS device mandatory for all
drivers.

"The Formula BMW is an extremely safe car," says Sergio Perez Mendoza (MEX/ADAC
Berlin-Brandenburg). The 16-year-old Mexican should know: his car overturned
three times during testing at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, yet he emerged from the
cockpit totally unscathed. A steel roll hoop provides comprehensive protection
for the drivers, as does a crashbox at the front and rear, a
carbon-fibre/aramid-fibre composite monocoque and a seat shell featuring the
Formula Rescue Seat System (FORS) developed by BMW Motorsport. This allows
drivers to be swiftly extricated from the car together with the seat in the
event of an accident, thus minimising the strain on the spine.

"Formula BMW exceeds the safety standards stipulated for its class by motor
sport's international governing body, the FIA, and even meets some Formula One
requirements," explains BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen.

Championship rankings after 8 of 18 races (top 10): 1. Christian Vietoris
(Lissendorf/Josef Kaufmann Racing, 134), 2. Marco Holzer (Bobingen/AM-Holzer
Rennsport GmbH, 79), 3. Mika Mäki (FIN/Eifelland Racing, 74), 4. Stefano
Coletti (MCO/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg, 56), 5. Sergio Perez Mendoza (MEX/ADAC
Berlin-Brandenburg, 56), 6. Jens Klingmann (Leimen/Eifelland Racing, 50), 7.
Nick de Bruijn (NLD/Josef Kaufmann Racing, 45), 8. Philipp Eng (AUT/ADAC
Berlin-Brandenburg, 39), 9. Dominik Wasem (Seiboldsdorf/AM-Holzer Rennsport
GmbH, 32), 10. Martin Ragginger (AUT/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg, 21).

Rookie standings: 1. Philipp Eng (137), 2. Jens Klingmann (112), 3. Patrick
Kronenberger (86), 4. Maximilian Wissel (68), 5. Christian Zacherl (67), 6.
Fabio Leimer (58), 7. Oskar Paegle (46), 8. Andrei Harnagea (27).

Team standings (based on the two best finishers in each team): 1. Josef
Kaufmann Racing (182), 2. ASL-Mücke Motorsport (141), 3. Eifelland Racing
(124), 4. AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH (111), 5. Micanek Motorsport (15), 6.
GU-Racing Motorsport (14), 7. Devis Schwägli (9), 8. Team Rosberg (3).

Please find further information on Formula BMW Germany on
www.press.bmw.com, www.adac.de/motorsport