Formula BMW Asia - Round 11 - Oita - Race

Al Khalifa back on winning form.

Oita, Japan - Bahrain's Salman Al Khalifa (Team E-Rain) was back on winning
form today taking victory in Round 11 of Formula BMW Asia as Typhoon Nabi
closed in on Japan's Autopolis Circuit. Second was pole sitter and BMW Junior
Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus), who lost out to a win after just one
mistake in difficult track conditions. Third across the line was Rookie Cup
leader, Charlie-Ro Charlez (MAS/Team Meritus) after a memorable duel with BMW
Junior Robert Boughey (THA/Team Meritus).

In the Driver Classification, Al Khalifa's win puts him 17 points clear of new
second-placed man Charlez, who overtakes Al Fardan in the standings with a
three point lead. Patrizi remains fourth on the leaderboard in front of Armaan
Ebrahim (IND/Team E-Rain) and Robert Boughey (THA/Team Meritus). However, any
one of the top six can still take the 2005 Formula BMW Asia title as the
competition reaches boiling point.

In the Rookie Cup, Charlez' lead over Patrizi is reduced to just 11 points,
with Ebrahim in third.

Said Khalifa, who led for the majority of the 10-lap race although Patrizi's
pace was arguably quicker: "It's nice to be back (on top of the podium). My
inexperience in the rain showed today. Michael got by me and it was good,
clean racing. It was his race really, but he made a mistake on the last corner
which gave it back to me."

Although Patrizi, 21, held his position off the grid from the hard-charging
Bahraini, Al Khalifa had grabbed the lead by the end of lap one. Ebrahim got
a bad start, and Al Fardan and Charlez had an early coming together which put
the latter back down the field with a damaged car.

Although Al Fardan was able to continue, he was later involved in an incident
with Ebrahim which ended both their races.

Meanwhile at the front of the pack, Patrizi was closing the gap to Al Khalifa
and began seriously pressuring him into making an error. The Rookie studied
his opponent's racing line for several laps, watching to see where his chance
might come, and was ready to grab the opportunity with both hands as soon as Al
Khalifa did make a mistake. However, his lead was short-lived as Al Khalifa
was just as quick on the uptake when Patrizi also put a wheel wrong on the
final lap. Dramatically though, the Australian made a final bid for victory in
the closing metres of the race, and the gap between the pair at the chequered
flag was just 0.224 of a second.

Boughey had Charlez right in his sights for much of the race and tried just
about everything to win the final podium place. For Boughey, 22, a good
showing in Japan is all the more important as his mother hails from the
country, making this weekend his second "home race" of the season after
Thailand. Although thwarted this time around, he'll be back on the charge for
the second race of the afternoon, typhoon willing.

Background:

Formula BMW is the world's leading entry-level class in Formula racing. In 2005
the series will be held in Germany, the UK, 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 11 Results.

POS NO Driver/Nat Entrant Time

1 7 Salman Rashid AL KHALIFA (BAH)Team E-Rain 21:21.913
2 29 •*Michael Tony PATRIZI (AUS) Team Meritus +0.224
3 88 •Charlie-Ro CHARLEZ (MAS) Team Meritus +7.204
4 68 *Robert BOUGHEY (THA) Team Meritus +7.399
5 61 •*AN Suk-Won (KOR) Team E-Rain +28.812
6 58 Mitsunobu ENDO (JPN) Team Meritus +44.745
7 99 #Hamza DIRANI (JOR) Team Meritus +1:01.715
8 23 #AO Chi Hong (MAC) Ao's Racing Team +1:07.033
9 22 Jonathan CHAN (HKG) Minardi Team Asia +1:07.577
DNF 9 •*WANG Jian-Wei (CHN) Ao's Racing Team -
DNF 38 Hamed AL FARDAN (BAH) Team Meritus -
DNF 17 •*Armaan EBRAHIM (IND) Team E-Rain -
DNF 2 •Aaron LIM Say Joon (MAS) Minardi Team Asia -

*Scholarship driver
•Rookie Cup
# Non-Series Registered

Pole Position: Michael Patrizi/AUS/Team Meritus/1:54.351

Fastest Lap: Michael Patrizi/AUS/Team Meritus/2:04.951/134.664km/h

Formula BMW Asia Points Standings after Round 11:
1.Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 136 points, 2. Charlie-Ro Charlez
(MAS/Team Meritus) 119 points, 3. Hamed Al Fardan (BAH/Team Meritus) 116,
4.Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus) 112 points, 5.Armaan Ebrahim (IND/Team
E-Rain) 90 points, 6.Robert Boughey (THA/Team Meritus) 84 points, 7.An Suk-Won
(KOR/Team E-Rain) 72 points, 8.Aaron Lim (MAS/Minardi Team Asia) 64 points,
9.Jonathan Chan (HKG/Minardi Team Asia) 27 points,10. Mitsunobu Endo (JPN/Team
Meritus) 22 points, 11. Dejan de Zoysa (SRI/Minardi Team Asia) 17 points,
12.Wang Jian-Wei (CHN/Ao's Racing Team) 15 points.

Rookie Cup Standings after Round 11:
1. Charlie-Ro Charlez 164 points, 2.Michael Patrizi 153 points, 3.Armaan
Ebrahim 119 points, 4.An Suk Won 112 points, 5.Aaron Lim 91 points, 6.Wang
Jian-Wei 52 points, 7.Dejan de Zoysa 40 points.

Statistics:

Winners 2005: Al Khalifa (5), Boughey (1), Ebrahim (1), Al Fardan (3), Patrizi
(1)

Pole Positions: Al Khalifa (8), Michael Patrizi (3), Charlie-Ro Charlez (3),
Hamed Al Fardan (1).

Podiums: Al Khalifa (7), Charlez (7), Boughey (2), Al Baharna (1), Patrizi (6),
Al Fardan (6), Ebrahim (1), An Suk Won (2), Lim (1).

Championship Points: 1.Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 136 points, 2.
Charlie-Ro Charlez (MAS/Team Meritus) 119 points, 3. Hamed Al Fardan (BAH/Team
Meritus) 116, 4.Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus) 112 points, 5.Armaan Ebrahim
(IND/Team E-Rain) 90 points.

Rookie Cup Winners: Charlez (4), Ebrahim (2) Patrizi (5).

Rookie Cup Points: 1. Charlie-Ro Charlez 164 points, 2.Michael Patrizi 153
points, 3.Armaan Ebrahim 119 points.