BMW Motorsport - FIA WTCC Season Review.

The BMW national teams in the FIA World Touring Car Championship showed fighting spirit to keep the battle for the World Championship open right up to the season finale in Macau (CN). However, despite scoring a one-two in the final race, the BMW drivers failed to achieve their goal of passing the opposition on the season’s final home straight. With 311 points, BMW finished runner-up in the Manufacturers’ Championship, just three points behind SEAT. Augusto Farfus (BR) from BMW Team Germany was the highest placed BMW driver in third with 113 points. At the wheel of their BMW 320si WTCCs, the five BMW national team drivers claimed ten victories, three pole positions and clocked 12 fastest race laps for the brand over the course of the season. Between 2005 and 2007 BMW had won all Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships. In 1987 Roberto Ravaglia (IT), now the boss at BMW Team Italy-Spain, was triumphant in the first World Touring Car Championship.

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen said: “Congratulations to SEAT and Gabriele Tarquini on winning both championships. As expected the finale was dramatic, and this was somewhat symbolic of how the season had been for us. The first part of the year was especially difficult for us before we were able to close the gap. The outcome of the first race here in Macau was decided shortly after the start, when our rivals managed to get passed us. This lost Augusto Farfus his chance of winning the drivers’ title. In the final race it was impossible to turn things around in the manufacturers’ standing despite the BMW Team Germany one-two.”

Please find the complete 2009 season review in the file which is available for downloading.