Formula BMW Asia - Round 5 - Bira - Race

Al Fardan takes well-deserved victory.

Pattaya, Thailand - Hamed Al Fardan (BAH/Team Meritus) took a well-deserved
maiden win today in Round 5 of Formula BMW Asia. Second was pole-man and BMW
Junior Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus) who led for most of the race, with
fellow Rookie Charlie-Ro Charlez, 3rd.

Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) still leads the championship, but Charlez
now takes second position, just 11 points behind. Thailand's Robert Boughey
(Team Meritus), who finished the race in 4th, is now 3rd on the leaderboard,
with fellow BMW Junior Armaan Ebrahim (IND/Team E-Rain) now 4th.

It was victory to savour for the 17-year-old Al Fardan who had come so close to
a win in Round 3: "It was a tough race. I got a good start and was following
Michael until he made a mistake. It's my first win of the championship, so I'm
very happy."

Said Patrizi: "I made a mistake. I went over the grass which is thankfully
very soft at this track, and go airborne. Hamed caught me, and all credit to
him. We had a good and fair race." Patrizi's rear skid pan came loose on lap
four, and the driver did well to keep his pace, actually setting the fastest
lap of the race.

Patrizi made a good start off the line, but Al Fardan was challenging into the
first turn, with 15-year-old Ebrahim and championship leader Al Khalifa in hot
pursuit. However, disaster struck for Ebrahim, who had qualified third, early
on when he spun and went off. Al Khalifa was running in third and looking good
for a podium finish until a dramatic spin put him out of the running, the first
time the 23-year-old has failed to make the podium this season.

Meanwhile, having stayed right on Patrizi for much of the race, Al Fardan was
quick to pounce when the Australian made an error, grabbing the lead and
holding it to the chequered flag.
It was disappointing for the only Thai driver, Boughey, to miss out on a podium
at his home event, but he acquitted himself well and dealt expertly with added
pressure of the intense local interest. The 3rd quickest Rookie was Aaron Lim
(MAS/Minardi Team Asia).

Ebrahim now loses lead in the Rookie Cup Championship, with Charlez taking the
top spot with 82 points, while Patrizi is now 3rd.

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 FB02 race car.

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

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."

In December 2005 the Bahrain International Circuit will host the first Formula
BMW World Final. Young racing drivers from the four regional Formula BMW series
will compete against each other. The winner will get a Formula One test drive.

Round 6 of Formula BMW Asia will be held over 20-laps of the 2.4km Bira Race
Circuit this afternoon.

Round 5 Results.

POS -NO -Driver/Nat
-Entrant -Time
1 -38 -Hamed AL FARDAN (BAH) -Team Meritus: 20:56.860
2 -29 -?*Michael Tony PATRIZI (AUS) -Team Meritus: +0.157
3 -88 -?Charlie-Ro CHARLEZ (MAS) -Team Meritus: +23.379
4 -68 -*Robert BOUGHEY (THA) -Team Meritus: +24.105
5 -2 -?Aaron LIM Say Joon (MAS) -Minardi Team Asia: +26.105
6 -61 -?*AN Suk-Won (KOR) -Team E-Rain: +27.032
7 -58 -Mitsunobu ENDO (JPN) -Team Meritus: +1:08.298
8 -22 -Jonathan CHAN (HKG) -Minardi Team Asia: 1 lap
9 -9 -?*WANG Jian-Wei (CHN) -Ao's Racing Team: +5.687
10 -7 -Salman Rashid AL KHALIFA (BAH) -Team E-Rain: 3 laps
DNF -4 -?Dejan de ZOYSA (SRI) -Minardi Team Asia: -
DNF -17 -?*Armaan EBRAHIM (IND) -Team E-Rain: -
*Scholarship driver
?Rookie Cup
# Non-Series Registered

Fastest Lap: Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Mertius) 1:01.569/140.330kph

Formula BMW Asia Points Standings after Round 5:

1.Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 68 points, 2. Charlie-Ro Charlez
(MAS/Team Meritus) 57 points, 3. Robert Boughey (THA/Team Meritus) 52 points,
4. Armaan Ebrahim (IND/Team E-Rain) 50 points, 5. Hamed Al Fardan (BAH/Team
Meritus) 46 points, 6. Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus) 37 points, 7. An
Suk-Won (KOR/Team E-Rain) 28 points, 8. Aaron Lim (MAS/Minardi Team Asia) 26
points, 9. Wang Jian-Wei (CHN/Ao's Racing Team) 13 points, 10. Mitsunobu Endo
(JPN/Team Meritus) 12 points, 11. Dejan de Zoysa (SRI/Minardi Team Asia) 8
points, 12. Jonathan Chan (HKG/Minardi Team Asia) 8 points.

Rookie Cup Standings after Round 5:
1. Charlie-Ro Charlez 82 points, 2. Armaan Ebrahim 67 points, 3. Michael
Patrizi 53 points, 4. An Suk Won 50 points, 5. Aaron Lim 39 points, 6. Wang
Jian-Wei 36 points, 7. Dejan de Zoysa 20 points.

Statistics
Winners 2005: Al Khalifa (2), Boughey (1), Ebrahim (1), Al Fardan (1)
Pole Positions: Al Khalifa (5), Michael Patrizi (1)
Podiums: Al Khalifa (4), Charlez (3), Boughey (2), Al Baharna (1), Patrizi (2),
Al Fardan (2), Ebrahim (1)
Championship Points: 1.Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 68 points, 2.
Charlie-Ro Charlez (MAS/Team Meritus) 57 points, 3. Robert Boughey (THA/Team
Meritus) 52 points, 4. Armaan Ebrahim (IND/Team E-Rain) 50 points, 5. Hamed Al
Fardan (BAH/Team Meritus) 46 points
Rookie Cup Winners: Charlez (2), Ebrahim (2) Patrizi (1)
Rookie Cup Points: 1. Charlie-Ro Charlez 82 points, 2. Armaan Ebrahim 67
points, 3. Michael Patrizi 53 points