Formula BMW Asia - Rounds 11 and 12 - Oita - Preview

Battle for 2005 Formula BMW Asia Title Heats Up.

Oita, Japan - As Formula BMW Asia gears up for the penultimate meeting of the
2005 season, the fight for the Driver Classification title could not be more
intense, with eight of Asia's most talented single seater drivers all still in
contention.

The battleground this time will be Japan's 4.6km Autopolis Circuit. Always
popular with the drivers, the picturesque circuit, high up in the volcanic
mountains near Fukuoka, is markedly different from the tight and short tracks
of Thailand, Beijing and South Korea.

Topping the leaderboard going in to Round 11 is the talented Bahraini duo of
Salman Al Khalifa (Team E-Rain) 24, and Hamed Al Fardan (Team Meritus) 18, tied
on 116 points. Both drivers have notched up six podium finishes so far this
season, although Al Khalifa has four wins to his credit, one more than his
fellow countryman.

Both drivers are contesting their second season in Formula BMW Asia, and will
be acutely aware of Rookie Cup leader, Charlie-Ro Charlez (MAS/Team Meritus),
who is snapping at their heals just nine points behind. Charlez, who turned 20
earlier this month, joined the series with virtually no karting or race
experience, and has impressed all season, also notching up six podium finishes
and taking pole for both Rounds 9 and 10 in Korea recently.

Impressively, the next four drivers on the leaderboard are all BMW Juniors and
all in contention to take the title. Australia's Michael Patrizi (Team
Meritus) 21, took his first and, many believe, overdue win in Korea earlier
this month, while 16-year-old Indian sensation Armaan Ebrahim (Team E-Rain)
showed his huge potential with a win in only his fourth Formula BMW Asia race
in Malaysia in May.

Thailand's Robert Boughey (Team Meritus) has struggled with form recently,
having begun the season with an emphatic win in Round 2, while South Korea's An
Suk Won did much to put motor racing on the map in his home country, scoring
his second podium so far this season at the Taebaek Circuit in Round 9.

Minardi Team Asia's karting star Aaron Lim (MAS) 20, is currently tied with An
on 64 points. Lim only joined the series from Round 3, and recorded his first
podium finish in Korea.

Formula BMW Asia's only Japanese driver this season, Mitsunobu Endo (Team
Meritus), is looking forward to racing on the Autopolis track for the first
time in his career.
Joining Endo and his fellow drivers at Team Meritus for Rounds 11 and 12 will
be the series' first ever Jordanian driver, Hamza Dirani. The 21-year-old has
secured funding from Jordanian company KADDB and the Jordanian Motorsport
Federation. At the request of the Federation, Dirani will use competition
number 99 which was previously used by the late Monarch, King Hussein of Jordan.

Dirani has considerable experience in both karting and rallying in the Middle
East, but Formula BMW Asia will this weekend provide his first taste of single
seater racing - and make him the first ever Jordanian national to compete in
the category.

The final - and deciding - rounds of Formula BMW Asia will be fought on the
Shanghai International Circuit as part of the Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix on
October 14 and 15.

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.

Formula BMW Asia Points Standings after Round 10:

1.Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 116 points, 2.Hamed Al Fardan (BAH/Team
Meritus) 116, 2.Charlie-Ro Charlez (MAS/Team Meritus) 107 points, 4.Michael
Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus) 97 points, 5.Armaan Ebrahim (IND/Team E-Rain) 90
points, 6.Robert Boughey (THA/Team Meritus) 74 points, 7.An Suk-Won (KOR/Team
E-Rain) 64 points, 8.Aaron Lim (MAS/Minardi Team Asia) 64 points, 9.Jonathan
Chan (HKG/Minardi Team Asia) 23 points,10.Dejan de Zoysa (SRI/Minardi Team
Asia) 17 points, 11.Mitsunobu Endo (JPN/Team Meritus) 16 points, 11.Wang
Jian-Wei (CHN/Ao's Racing Team) 15 points,

Rookie Cup Standings after Round 10:

1. Charlie-Ro Charlez 149 points, 2.Michael Patrizi 133 points, 3.Armaan
Ebrahim 119 points, 4.An Suk Won 100 points, 5.Aaron Lim 91 points, 6.Wang
Jian-Wei 52 points, 7.Dejan de Zoysa 40 points.

Statistics:

Winners 2005: Al Khalifa (4), Boughey (1), Ebrahim (1), Al Fardan (3), Patrizi
(1)

Pole Positions: Al Khalifa (7), Michael Patrizi (1), Charlie-Ro Charlez (2)

Podiums: Al Khalifa (6), Charlez (6), Boughey (2), Al Baharna (1), Patrizi (5),
Al Fardan (6), Ebrahim (1), An Suk Won (2), Lim (1)

Championship Points: 1.Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 116 points, 2.Hamed
Al Fardan (BAH/Team Meritus) 116, 2. Charlie-Ro Charlez (MAS/Team Meritus) 107
points, 4. Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus) 97 points, 5. Armaan Ebrahim
(IND/Team E-Rain) 90 points

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

Rookie Cup Points: 1. Charlie-Ro Charlez 149 points, 2. Michael Patrizi 133
points, 3. Armaan Ebrahim 119 points