Special season preparations for BMW drivers.

Munich, 6th February 2008. Four drivers of the BMW national teams had no time to catch their breath after their successful test sessions in Spain. As soon as Andy Priaulx (GB), Jörg Müller (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR) and Félix Porteiro (ES) had completed their test laps at Valencia’s “Circuit de la Comunitat”, they headed straight to Germany. There they will continue preparations for the coming FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) season, with a fitness programme and Media Day.

First up for the quartet of drivers is an extensive and varied fitness regime in Southern Bavaria from 7th to 11th February. Following a performance and health test, the BMW national team drivers will take part in a number of sporting activities. As well as cross country skiing and skike training, a trip to an Alpine hut in Lenggries is planned, where the drivers will take part in a “Zipflbob” session on Saturday. The following day is all about strength and aptitude on a climbing wall in Munich. Finally, the BMW drivers will use Zen meditation to improve their powers of concentration.

On 11th February, one of the highlights of the preparations awaits Priaulx, Müller, Farfus and Porteiro in Munich: the Media Day. In the magnificent double cone of the BMW Welt, the drivers from the BMW national teams will meet a group of 20 readers of a Munich daily newspaper and listeners to a Munich radio station. Together with the guests at the Media Day, the drivers will demonstrate their driving skills in a series of exciting races on five WTCC simulators.

In the “Challenge the Champions” competition, the touring car drivers will first complete demonstration laps on the simulators to show the readers and listeners the ideal racing line. Then it gets serious: In the first rounds, the 20 participants will compete in eight “qualification races” to determine the drivers for the final. The final will see four teams, each consisting of a BMW driver, a “tz” reader and a “Gong 96.3” listener, competing against each other over six laps. A special prize awaits the two winners: They will be invited by BMW to the first European leg of the World Touring Car Championship in Valencia - where they will experience the dynamics of a BMW race car on their own at a BMW race taxi ride with one of the BMW drivers.

However, the Media Day is not over for the BMW national team drivers. The four touring car pilots will be given a tour of the BMW plant in Munich - together with BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. Priaulx, Müller, Farfus and Porteiro will then complete these special season preparations with a comprehensive, two hour-long autograph session at the plant.

Press Contact: Ingo Lehbrink, BMW Corporate Affairs, Sport Communications,
Office: +49 (0)89 382 76003, Mobile: +49 (0) 176 20340224, ingo.lehbrink@bmw.de