Formula BMW Asia - Round 11 - Shanghai - Race

Emotional win in Shanghai for Formula BMW Asia champion Lee.

Shanghai, China - It was a proud moment today for newly-crowned Formula BMW
Asia champion, Hong Kong's Marchy Lee (Monarch Lubricants Redbull Meritus), as
he stood on top of the podium at the Shanghai International Circuit and heard
the Chinese National Anthem play in celebration of his race victory.

Alongside Lee was 23-year-old Hamed Al Fardan (BRN/Belgravia Motorsport) who
drove a brilliant race to finish second, holding off the determined youngster
Tyson Sy (PHI/Minardi Team Asia), who crossed the line right on his tail.
Although Sy was unable to challenge Lee as he had planned, he made his mark by
setting the fastest lap of the race.

The 10-lap race produced more than its share of racing heroes and the Formula
BMW Asia action had the thousands of fans roaring their approval.

Local hero and BMW Junior driver, Han Han (CHN/Team E-Rain) was happy with his
7th place finish in his home event. "I would rather have achieved my position
through my own efforts than through attrition!" said the 22-year-old Shanghai
resident.

Off the grid, Lee, Hanss Lin Po-Heng (TPE/Belgravia Motosport) and Salman Al
Khalifa (BRN/Belgravia Motorsport) were three abreast into the first turn, with
Lin winning the first battle for the lead. However, Lee was determined to
recapture his position and, during an overtaking move, disaster almost struck
when he collided with Lin and his car was momentarily flipped into the air. Lee
landed with little damage (except to his hand), and continued on. Remarkably,
so did Lin although he was not able to challenge for the lead again. It was a
disappointing race for Salman Al Khalifa (BRN/Belgravia Motorsport), who went
off in the opening stages of the race after a brilliant performance in
qualifying, and for Rookie Cup winner Mehdi Bennani (MOR/Team Meritus) who also
failed to finish.

BMW Junior, Nik Iruwan Nik Izani (MAL/Team Meritus) also fell foul of the
Lee/Lin incident, when Lin hit him on the rebound, wiping out his front wheel.
It was a disaster for the 18-year-old who was running third at the time.

A real favourite with the crowned was You Kyong-Ouk (BMW Korea E-Rain) who had
not had a good qualifying session for the race, starting from 11th on the grid.
You had a lightning start and was up to 5th by the end of the opening lap.
However, on the final lap he was desperately trying to get past Moreno
Soeprapto (INA/Minardi Team Asia) when he caught the back of the Indonesian's
car and spun into the gravel trap. However, that was not to be the end of the
23-year-old's race and, with a roar of approval from the spectators and a show
of heroic resolve, he drove his way clear of the gravel to take the finish line
in 10th.

Top BMW Junior was Robert Boughey (THA/Minardi Team Asia), in sixth position, a
career best for him.

Following the race, Lee and the BMW Junior drivers Han, Boughey, You and Iruwan
were given a tour of the BMW WilliamsF1 pit by last year's series champion Tung
Ho Pin. It was their first chance to see a Formula 1 car up close, and will no
doubt spur them on in their fledgling racing careers.

Round 12 of Formula BMW Asia will be run tomorrow over 10 laps of the Shanghai
International Circuit as part of China's first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix
weekend.

Round 11
POS No Driver/Nat Entrant Time
1 38 Marchy LEE Ying-Kin (HKG) Monarch Lubricants Meritus 22:32.614
2 23 ?Hamed AL FARDAN (BRN) Belgravia Motorsport + 0:05.761
3 3 Tyson SY (PHI) Minardi Team Asia + 0:06.032
4 5 #Moreno SOEPRAPTO (INA) Minardi Team Asia + 0:14.853
5 2 Dado PENA (PHI) Minardi Team Asia + 0:15.559
6 4 ?*Robert T BOUGHEY (THA) Minardi Team Asia + 0:20.484
7 6 ?*Han HAN (CHN) Team E-Rain + 0:26.534
8 22 Mohammed AL BAHRANA (BRN) Belgravia Motorsport + 0:28.423
9 88 Hanss LIN Po-Heng (TPE) Belgravia Motorsport + 0:35.384
10 61 *YOU Kyoung-Ouk (KOR) BMW Korea E-Rain + 0:44.644
11 52 #Mark Patterson (USA) Team Meritus + 0:49.806
12 15 #Tobia KIPPER (HKG) Team Meritus + 1:14.804
13 33 #AO Chi Hong (MAC) Team E-Rain +1:33.643
DNF 86 #Michael TING Chi-Hwa (HKG) Team E-Rain
DNF 11 ?*Nik Iruwan NIK IZANI (MAS) Team Meritus
DNF 21 Salman AL KHALIFA (BRN) Belgravia Motorsport
DNF 24 ?Mehdi BENNANI (MAR) Team Meritus
*Scholarship driver
? Rookie Cup
# Non-Series Registered

Fastest Lap: Tyson Sy (PHI/Minardi Team Asia): 2:13.380

Championship Standings:
Drivers: 1.Marchy Lee (HKG/Team Meritus) 210 points, 2. You Kyong-Ouk (KOR/BMW
Korea E-Rain) 105 points, 3. Mehdi Bennani (MAR/Team Meritus) 100 points, 4.
Hanss Lin Po Heng (TPE/Belgravia Motorsport) 93 points, 5. Tyson Sy
(PHI/Minardi Team Asia) 88 points, 6. Dado Pena (PHI/Minardi Team Asia) 69
points, 7. Salman Al Khalifa (BRN/Belgravia Motorsport) 58 points, 8. Hamel Al
Fardan (BAR/Belgravia Motorsport) 49 points, 9. Robert T. Boughey (THA/Minardi
Team Asia) 34 points, 10. Han Han (CHN/Team E-Rain) 27 points 11. Mohammed Al
Baharna (BRN/Belgravia Motorsport) 24 points, 12. Nik Iruwan Nik Izani
(MAL/Team Meritus) 16 points, 13. Maekkasit Weraporasu (THA/Autosport with
Arto) 9 points, 14. Tohru Jitsukawa (JPN/Autosport with Arto) 4 points, 15.
Gaby Dela Merced (PHI/Team E Rain) 1 point.

Rookie Cup Standings:
1. Mehdi Bennani 180 points, 2. Robert T. Boughey 135 points, 3. Han Han 114
points, 4. Hamed Al Fardan 110 points, 5. Nik Iruwan Nik Izani 108 points, 6.
Gaby Dela Merced 60 points.

Background
The ultra-modern Formula BMW which allows 15-year-olds to enter the world of
motor racing has been lining up on the grid since the 2002 season. It sets
standards above all on the safety technology front. The single-seater, driven
by a 140 bhp BMW motorcycle engine that takes it up to 230 km/h, features a
carbon-fibre chassis, fulfils the safety requirements of the much
higher-performance Formula 3 cars, and even matches certain Formula One
standards.

Formula BMW Asia, now in its second season, runs as part of the Asian Festival
of Speed (AFOS) organised by Motorsport Asia Limited. This year the series is
run over 14 rounds at seven venues, including Bahrain, where it was a support
race to the Formula One Grand Prix, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Japan and Korea,
with the second Formula One Grand Prix support race in Shanghai this weekend.

In 2004, four different Formula BMW series are being staged in Germany, the UK,
Asia and the USA. Formula BMW events will be part of the Formula One support
programme on five occasions around the world. All the series go hand-in-hand
with a comprehensive education and coaching programme, as well as substantial
financial backing for promising young talent. The most distinguished graduate
of this "talent hothouse" is Ralf Schumacher. The star of the BMW WilliamsF1
Team made his racing debut in the junior class in 1992.