FIA World Touring Car Championship - Review 2007

FIA World Touring Car Championship. BMW and Andy Priaulx achieve
hat-trick. In a thrilling finale to the FIA World Touring Car
Championship season, Andy Priaulx (GB) of BMW Team UK claimed his
third drivers' world title in a row in the highest touring car
category. He ended the season on 92 World Championship points,
relegating Yvan Muller (FR/SEAT) and James Thompson (GB/Alfa Romeo) to
second and third place respectively. BMW also celebrated the successful
defence of the manufacturers' title. In total, BMW with the BMW 320si
WTCC claimed 255 points and won the championship by six points over
SEAT. This added to what was already a very impressive success story
for BMW throughout the history of the World Championship. Whether in
1987 when Roberto Ravaglia (IT) claimed the first world title in a BMW
M3, or since 2005 with the creation of the new FIA WTCC, all the titles
have gone to Munich, the home of BMW. "Congratulations to Andy
Priaulx on another World Touring Car Championship title", said BMW
Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. "To win such a close
championship three times in a row is an outstanding performance. If you
include the European Championship title from 2004, Andy has now won the
highest FIA Touring Car Championship four times in succession. This
underlines his position as the most successful touring car driver of
all time. As well as this, the title defence in the Manufacturers'
Championship is high priority for BMW. We are delighted that once again
we had the strongest car in the field, in the BMW 320si." Tension
right to the end; strong team performance As in the previous two years,
it all came down to a showdown at the "Guia Circuit" in
Macau. Priaulx travelled to the former Portuguese colony tied for the
lead of the World Championship with Muller. He secured the overall
victory by finishing eighth in race one and winning the second one.
Once again the RBM team, and its Team Principal Bart Mampaey (BE), put
on an impressive performance over the course of the season. The BMW
drivers in Macau also picked up 18 points for the Manufacturers'
Championship, securing victory for BMW in this class. Both BMW Team
Germany drivers still had title aspirations going into the finale.
Augusto Farfus (BR) finished his maiden season driving for BMW and
Schnitzer Motorsport with 71 points in fourth place, and climbed to the
top of the podium on three occasions. His team-mate, Jörg
Müller (DE) claimed two victories, picked up 66 points, and
finished the season in seventh place overall. The drivers from BMW Team
Italy-Spain - ROAL Motorsport contributed significantly to BMW's
defence of the Manufacturers' Championship: Newcomer Félix
Porteiro (ES) won in Brno (CZ) and collected a total 32 World
Championship points. This put the 24-year-old in 12th place in the
Drivers' Championship at the end of his debut season. Alessandro
Zanardi (IT) finished third in the Czech Republic and ended the season
in 15th place with 14 points. In total, BMW celebrated nine victories
and 27 podium finishes in the 2007 season. Still setting the standard:
the BMW 320si WTCC In the 2007 World Touring Car Championship, the BMW
national teams once again hit the road in the BMW 320si WTCC, which was
developed by BMW Motorsport in Munich and was based on the production
model of the same name. The vehicle was competitive from the word go.
In its debut at the start of the 2006 WTCC season in Monza, Priaulx
secured pole position and victory in the first race - and won the
championship. The BMW 320si WTCC also helped the drivers to triumph
after triumph in 2007. To date, this successful car has already clocked
up 20 wins in the World Championship. By winning the title in 2007,
this vehicle has once again proved itself to be the worthy touring car
representative of the traditional BMW 3 Series. Twenty four European
Championship titles, every World Championship to date, and countless
triumphs in other championships around the world - this is BMW's
impressive success rate. With the 320si, BMW carried its philosophy of
customer racing on into this season. Private teams can purchase a
racing kit of the BMW 320si WTCC, and can then compete in numerous
championships around the world, in accordance with Super2000 and Super
Production regulations. Demand is great. By November 2007, 50 racing
sport kits had been sold to customer teams throughout the entire world.
An overview of the races in the FIA World Touring Car Championship:
Curitiba. The BMW national teams made an ideal start to the season in
Curitiba. Jörg Müller of BMW Team Germany took advantage of
his pole position in the first race of the season, and crossed the line
ahead of Andy Priaulx and his team-mate Augusto Farfus. The second race
provided another lock out on the podium for the BMW drivers: this time
Farfus, on his first race weekend for BMW, was triumphant in front of
his home fans. He was joined on the podium by Priaulx and Müller.
This was the first time in World Championship history that BMW had
occupied all the podium places over an entire weekend. Alessandro
Zanardi also made a good start to the season, and took five points from
his weekend in South America. Farfus, Müller and Priaulx finished
the weekend on top of the Drivers' Championship having scored 16 points
each. The hard work put in by the engineers, who spent the winter
improving the BMW 320si WTCC, had paid off. Zandvoort. Zandvoort made
its debut on the WTCC calendar, and the BMW national teams achieved two
podium places. Farfus and Müller finished second and third in the
afternoon race. BMW private driver Luca Rangoni (IT) surprised everyone
in the earlier race by finishing third for Proteam Motorsport.
Félix Porteiro picked up his first World Championship points by
finishing eighth in the second race. Farfus took the sole lead in the
Drivers' Championship with 28 points. Müller followed with 22
points. Priaulx finished eighth and fifth in Zandvoort, picking up five
World Championship points and taking his tally for the season to 21
points. BMW was able to maintain its position at the top of the
Manufacturers' Championship with 60 points. This was a lead of 17 points
over SEAT. Valencia. Müller and Priaulx take to the podium in the
sixth race of the World Touring Car Championship: Jörg Müller
finished second for BMW Team Germany, behind winner James Thompson
(GB/Alfa Romeo), at the "Circuit de la Comunitat" in
Valencia. Priaulx came third at the 4.005km circuit. In the morning
race, the 33-year-old was the best-placed BMW national team driver in
fifth place. In the Drivers' Championship, Müller had regained the
lead from Farfus, who quickly lost the opportunity to take home more
World Championship points in a turbulent first race. Müller now
had 31 points to his name. Priaulx was second, on the same number of
points as his fellow BMW driver. Third place was occupied by Farfus,
with 28 points. Pau. It was Farfus who provided the headlines on the
classic street circuit at the foot of the Pyrenees. After a brilliant
comeback in the second race of the day, the 24-year-old secured his
second victory of the season ahead of Priaulx. This triumph was the
perfect end to a turbulent weekend for Farfus. His spectacular roll in
qualifying gave the Schnitzer Motorsport crew a hard night's work. The
severely damaged BMW 320si WTCC was up and running again just in time
for the warm-up on the Sunday morning. Farfus promptly posted the
fastest time. On top of this, a penalty from Valencia meant that the
BMW driver was relegated from third to 13th position on the grid for
the first race. Against all the odds, Farfus showed his gratitude for
the team's hard work by producing two perfect races. Müller
finished eleventh and tenth, and left Pau without any points. This
allowed Priaulx to move ahead by himself in the World Championship. He
was the only driver in the WTCC to have picked up points in all eight
races of the season so far. Brno. For the second time in the 2007
World Touring Car Championship, all the podium places were reserved for
drivers from the BMW national teams. First, Porteiro celebrated his
maiden victory in the WTCC for BMW Team Italy-Spain, ahead of
Müller and his team-mate Zanardi. In the second race, BMW Team
Germany achieved its first one-two of the season: Müller took the
chequered flag ahead of Farfus, with Porteiro finishing third. BMW
drivers also occupied the top three places in the Drivers'
Championship: Farfus (53 points) led, ahead of Müller (49) and
Priaulx (44). BMW extended its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship,
and left the Czech Republic on 142 points. Porto. On the street circuit
around the Portuguese seaport, Priaulx showed that he had not forgotten
how to win races. The BMW Team UK driver won the twelfth race of the
season, ahead of Müller in second place. "I have too much
respect for the competition to say that I expected to win here, but it
was about time", said Priaulx after the race. This completed the
sixth BMW one-two of the year. The lead changed hands again in the
Drivers' Championship: Müller took over at the top of the
standings with 58 points, just two points ahead of both Farfus and
Priaulx in second and third places respectively. Anderstorp. Farfus
was the only BMW national team driver to finish in the points in Sweden.
Several showers ensured unpredictable conditions at the
"Scandinavian Raceway", and made the tyre selection a lottery
for races 13 and 14 of the season. Even local hero Fredrik Ekblom (SE),
who was driving for BMW Team UK for the first time, could not make it
into the top ten in these conditions. Despite failing to pick up many
points in Scandinavia, there were no drastic changes at the top of the
Drivers' Championship. Müller continued to lead with 58 points.
Just one point behind was Farfus, with one point more to his name than
Priaulx. BMW remained at the top of the Manufacturers' Championship
with 177 points. Even though it was the first appearance of the SEAT
diesel turbo engine, it was soon obvious this was going to be a major
challenger for BMW. Oschersleben. At BMW Team Germany's home race in
the "Motorsport Arena Oschersleben", Farfus enjoyed his third
victory of the season, by wining round 16 of the championship ahead of
Priaulx. The two BMW drivers were locked in a thrilling duel for the
lead throughout the entire race. With 69 points, Farfus resumed his
place at the top of the drivers' standings. The Brazilian was closely
followed by Priaulx (68) and Müller (63). BMW also led the
Manufacturers' Championship with 204 points. Farfus already had a
feeling that the title was going to go right down to the wire:
"The lead in the Drivers' Championship is changing after nearly
every race weekend this year. The next few races are certain to be
contested even harder. The title will be won in Macau." Brands
Hatch. Priaulx regained the lead in the Drivers' Championship in front
of his home fans with his second victory of the season. This was also
BMW's eighth one-two. In the afternoon race around the 3.703km
"Brands Hatch Circuit", Priaulx triumphed ahead of fellow BMW
driver Porteiro. The Sunday did not go to plan for the BMW Team Germany
drivers. Farfus, who had travelled to Brands Hatch as the Championship
leader, left without any World Championship points. Müller had to
be satisfied with just three points. Guest driver Colin Turkington (GB),
from the British Touring Car Championship, got a lot of attention by
finishing third and fourth in the BMW 320si. Priaulx moved onto 81
points in the Drivers' Championship, and took over the lead from Farfus
(69). By this point in the season, the lead in the Drivers'
Championship had already changed hands no fewer than seven times. This
was the first time Priaulx had managed to open up a gap ahead of his
rivals. Monza. The final European stop on the WTCC calendar could not
deliver an overall champion. While Priaulx and Müller left the
"Autodromo Nazionale di Monza" empty handed, Farfus picked up
two points. Going into the season finale in Macau, Priaulx was now
level on 81 points with SEAT's Yvan Muller at the top of the Drivers'
Championship. Farfus was in third place with 71 points. Müller
followed in fifth place with 66 points. Theoretically, six drivers still
had a chance of winning the World Championship. In the Manufacturers'
Championship, BMW (237) had a ten-point lead over SEAT. The stage was
set for a thrilling finale. Macau. The finale of the World Touring Car
Championship in Macau turned out to be a thriller. Priaulx had to make
do with 12th place in qualifying, while Farfus secured fourth place on
the grid. In race one, the action hotted up on the final lap: Firstly,
Muller retired from the lead due to a fuel problem, just a little later
Farfus was hit by SEAT's Gabriele Tarquini (IT), crashed into the
barrier and retired. Consequently, Priaulx managed to clinch eighth
place - and was on pole position for the second race of the day. It was
only him and Thompson who were still in with a chance of winning the
title, as Muller's car could not be repaired for the second round. The
defending champion scored a dominant victory from pole, thus claiming
his third consecutive world title. In the end, he had 92 points under
his belt, 11 points more than second-placed Muller. Farfus emerged as
second-best BMW driver in fourth place with 71 points. Müller, who
finished 13th in the first race and in race two was taken out by a
competitor on the final lap while running in fifth, ended the season in
seventh place. BMW also succeeded in defending the Manufacturers'
Championship with a total points' tally of 255. Profile: World Touring
Car Champion Andy Priaulx In winning his third World Championship, Andy
Priaulx goes down in the history books as the most successful touring
car driver of all time. The 33-year-old has now claimed four FIA
touring car titles in succession. Prior to his World Championship
hat-trick, he had also secured victory in the 2004 European
Championship. The BMW driver's success story starts in his homeland of
Guernsey, where he took his first steps in the world of motor sport.
Encouraged by his father Graham, himself a fast hill climber on the
renowned Channel Island courses, Priaulx started his career as a
motocross driver. However, his fascination with speed soon saw him take
to the water, where he made his name as a successful powerboat driver.
Eventually, however, Priaulx followed in his father's footsteps and
took to the road on four wheels for the first time at hill climbs in
1991. From hill climbing to the circuit. Priaulx was quickly noticed in
the world of hill climbing, and claimed the British Formula 1 Hillclimb
Championship title in 1995, with ten victories in ten races. This was
not to be the only season that he ended with a 100% record. Priaulx
turned his back on the hills and tried his hand as a circuit driver in
Formula 3, Formula Renault and Formula Palmer Audi. His greatest success
at this point came in the Renault Spiders series, in which he won all
13 races from pole position in 1999. With this success behind him, he
devoted himself to Formula 3 for the next few years. In 2001 he
finished the British Championship with two victories, three pole
positions, and ten podium finishes. It was during this time that Priaulx
first travelled to the Far East, where he discovered his love for the
street circuit in Macau. Although the "Guia Circuit" became
his favourite circuit, he made people sit up and listen in Korea in
2001 when he finished second and beat no less than six former Formula 3
champions from around the world. Off to new shores. Priaulx made his
first appearance in touring car racing in 2002. In the British Touring
Car Championship (BTCC) he won one race, was on pole three times, and
ended the season in fifth place overall. That year he made another trip
to compete, together with Yvan Muller (FR), in the Queensland 500 and
Bathurst 1000 six hour classics. Priaulx had matured into a true
touring car driver by the time BMW Team Great Britain offered him the
wheel of its car in the 2003 FIA European Touring Car Championship. His
name was top of the list for team boss Bart Mampaey (BE). The
commitment from the Belgian RBM team set the foundation for the unique
successes he enjoyed in the following years. In the first year, Priaulx
was victorious three times, and had eight podium finishes. The title
was not decided until the final race weekend of the season. Priaulx was
in with a chance right up to the finish, but eventually had to settle
for third place, seven points behind the champion. Nerves of steel,
titles galore. The 2004, 2005 and 2006 championships were also decided
in the final race of the season. This time, however, it was Priaulx
celebrating winning the championship. In 2004 he won the European
Championship in the BMW 320i, at the new "Dubai Autodrome",
in a thrilling duel with fellow BMW driver Dirk Müller. Both
drivers ended the season on 111 points. Ultimately, Priaulx was awarded
the title thanks to his five victories that season. In 2005, 2006 and
2007 the World Championship title was decided on the last weekend, in
Macau. Each time, several drivers were still in with a shout right up
to the finish. But it was Priaulx who kept his incredible nerve to come
through and take the titles. Priaulx not only demonstrated his
impressive talent in the BMW 320i and BMW 320si WTCC, but was also
successful for BMW in the legendary 24-hour race at the
Nürburgring. His victory in 2005 also brought the career of the BMW
M3 GTR to a successful close. Priaulx also tested for the BMW
WilliamsF1 Team, and has driven the BMW Sauber F1 Team's Formula 1 car
in the Pit Lane Park and at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Date of
birth / place of birth: 8th August 1974 / Guernsey (Channel Islands)
Residence: Guernsey (Channel Islands) Family status: Married to Joanne,
one son: Sebastian, one daughter: Daniella Website: www.andypriaulx.com
1984 Karting on the Channel Islands 1985-1990 Motocross 1990 1st place
in Motocross 250cc Channel Islands championship 1991-1995 Hillclimbing
1995 1st place RAC/MSA British Hillclimbing Championship 1996 Formula
Renault 1997 British Formula 3 1998 Renault Spider Cup, one pole
position 2nd place in Formula Palmer Audi winter series 1999 1st place
in Renault Spider Cup, 13 victories from pole position BTCC test driver
for Renault Williams, Vauxhall and Ford BARC President's Cup, Guernsey
Ambassador of the Year 2000 British Formula 3 Championship for Renault
UK, three podium finishes, pole position at Silverstone; F3 races in
Macau and Korea for Manor Motorsport 2001 British Formula 3
Championship, two victories, two pole positions and ten podium
finishes 2nd place from pole position at F3 Super Prix in Korea; 6th on
the grid at F3 Grand Prix in Macau 2nd place and pole position at
BTCC invitation race for Vauxhall 2002 5th place in British Touring Car
Championship, one victory, three pole positions Competed in
Australian long-distance races "Bathurst 1000" and
"Queensland 500" (Holden TWR) 2003 3rd place in FIA ETCC (BMW
320i), BMW Team Great Britain, three victories 2004 1st place in FIA
ETCC (BMW 320i), BMW Team Great Britain, five victories, one pole
position 2nd place at Macau Grand Prix - Guia Race 24h race at
Spa Francorchamps (BMW M3 GTR) 2005 1st place in FIA WTCC (BMW 320i),
BMW Team UK, one victory, one pole position 1st place in 24h race
at Nürburgring (BMW M3 GTR) Formula 1 tests with the BMW
WilliamsF1 Team 2006 1st place in FIA WTCC (BMW 320si), BMW Team UK,
five victories, three pole positions 2007 1st place in FIA WTCC (BMW
320si), BMW Team UK, three victories Profile: BMW Team UK - RBM. BMW
Team UK - RBM has accomplished another great achievement: At the
"Guia Circuit" in Macau, Andy Priaulx won the World Touring
Car Championship title for the third time in succession for the team
from Mechelen, in Belgium. Including the European Championship title in
2004, this is the fourth time in a row that Priaulx and RBM have won an
FIA Touring Car Championship. BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen
says: "Although it's the driver who is bringing in the biggest
individual performance, motor racing is a team sport. The extraordinary
success of the last few years just goes to show that Andy Priaulx and
his team gel perfectly together. A driver cannot win the World
Championship by himself. This is why RBM has earned the utmost
respect." "Winning championships needs consistency", says
team boss Bart Mampaey (BE). "Andy has now proved for the fourth
year in a row that he has the ability to plan for a season rather than
for race by race. I am obviously proud at how everyone at RBM coped
with the pressure and made sure that given some luck Andy was able to
complete successfully the job he came to Macau to do." Efficient
work brings regular celebrations. The success has to be earned.
Efficiency is an important factor in daily work for RBM. Mampaey always
tries to use time and resources as efficiently as possible, in order to
improve the performance of the BMW 320si WTCC. The team profits from
the infrastructure needed to run BMW dealerships, which the Mampaey
family manages under the name JUMA. Synergy effects in management or
logistics make it possible for RBM to concentrate on the essentials: the
performance on the track. JUMA stands for Julian Mampaey. Today's RBM
boss inherited his love of motor sport from his father. The JUMA team
made a name for itself in the 70s and 80s. Unlike RBM, which competes
around the world in the WTCC, Julian Mampaey's activities were
concentrated on one race: the 24-hour race at Spa Francorchamps. JUMA's
success rate at this long-distance classic is worth noting: between
1977 and 1984, the team achieved three overall victories and five
second places - always in BMW cars. Like father, like son. Nine years
after the final JUMA race, Bart Mampaey stepped into his father's
footsteps in 1995. At first, RBM was responsible for the cars in the BMW
Compact Cup in Belgium. Soon after that, the Mampaey family celebrated a
successful comeback at Spa Francorchamps: The Group N double one-two in
the 1997 24-hour race was followed by overall victory one year later.
This was also the last overall victory for BMW to date at the
"Ardennes Roller Coaster". Although this triumph definitively
proved that he could lead a team to victory, Mampaey decided to gain
more experience and broaden his horizons. He ventured to the USA, where
he learned about the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and was present at
long-distance classics, such as in Daytona. Searched and found. Upon
his return to Belgium, Mampaey set himself a new challenge: RBM sent a
BMW 320i with Fredrik Ekblom (SE) to the European Touring Car
Championship for BMW Belgium. One year later the team appeared for the
first time in the colours of BMW Great Britain, and Priaulx was signed
up to drive. "Andy and the team simply suit each other", said
Mampaey. After a year gaining experience in 2003, RBM achieved the
sensation in 2004 when Priaulx claimed the ETCC title in Dubai. Three
World Championship titles show categorically that this victory was not
a flash in the pan for Mampaey and his crew. "We still have many
mechanics and technicians in the team, who have been there from the
very beginning", says Mampaey. This reliability is at least as
important to the boss as developing new methods for tuning the car. The
mixture of teamwork, innovation and tireless effort has ensured that
RBM has become the benchmark for other teams in the World Touring Car
Championship. Team Principal: Bart Mampaey Address: E.
Walschaertstraat 2A, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium Team members: 13 Founding
year: 1995 Greatest successes: 1994-1997 BMW Compact
Cup 1997 1st and 2nd place in Group N at Spa 24-hour race (BMW) 1998
1st place at Spa 24-hour race (BMW Fina Bastos Team) 1999 4th place at
Spa 24-hour race (Nissan) 2002 6th place in FIA ETCC (Fredrik Ekblom,
BMW 320i) 2003 3rd place in FIA ETCC
(Andy Priaulx, BMW 320i) 2004 1st place in FIA ETCC (Andy Priaulx,
BMW 320i) 2005 1st place in FIA WTCC (Andy Priaulx, BMW 320i) 2006
1st place in FIA WTCC (Andy Priaulx, BMW 320si) 2007 1st place in FIA
WTCC (Andy Priaulx, BMW 320si) In a class of its own: the BMW 320si
WTCC. Even when the BMW 320si WTCC made its debut in the FIA World
Touring Car Championship on 2nd April 2006, this impressive racing car
demonstrated its capability: Andy Priaulx (GB) not only secured pole
position in Monza, but also guided the car to victory in its first
race. Ten further triumphs followed last season, with BMW national team
drivers winning on nine occasions in 2007. The final result was the
same both years: BMW won the Manufacturers' Championship and the BMW
320si WTCC proved it was the best car in the field. Having travelled
to Macau for the season finale with a ten-point lead over rivals SEAT,
the BMW national team drivers increased the points tally to 255 in the
former Portuguese colony, and completed another triumph for BMW.
"We are delighted to have won the Manufacturers' title in the
World Touring Car Championship", says BMW Motorsport Director
Mario Theissen. "The BMW 320i delivered success on the return of
the World Touring Car Championship in 2005. Its successor, the BMW
320si WTCC, was capable of winning from the word go, and helped us
secure the Manufacturers' and Drivers' Championships in 2006. And now
it has set the standard once again. To have claimed the World
Championship title again is a fantastic performance." Success
outside of the World Championship. The BMW 320si WTCC was developed by
BMW Motorsport, based on the production model of the same name.
Following its successful debut in 2006, the engineers in Munich were
able to make improvements to the car this season. So it was no surprise
that demand for the racing kit of the BMW 320si WTCC, with which
customer teams around the world compete in championships in accordance
with Super2000 regulations, has increased. By the beginning of 2008,
over 50 models will have been delivered by BMW Racing Parts Sales. The
BMW 320si WTCC has already secured titles in numerous national
championships. These include this year's overall victory for Fredrik
Ekblom (SE) in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC). By winning
both World Championship titles in 2007, the BMW 320si WTCC has followed
in the footsteps of its successful predecessors from the BMW 3 Series.
To date, BMW has won 24 European Championship titles in the world of
touring cars. At World Championship level, all titles have so far gone
to Munich. Did you know.... ...that BMW drivers this year claimed
nine victories and occupied all three places on the podium on no less
than four occasions? ...that BMW achieved 27 podium places in 2007?
...that the BMW 320si WTCC has been victorious 20 times in the World
Touring Car Championship? ...that a BMW driver has set the fastest lap
in nine races? ...that no driver in the WTCC has won as many races as
Jörg Müller and Andy Priaulx (nine) to date? Müller has
also set more fastest laps than any other driver (nine). ...that Andy
Priaulx has been on the podium 25 times in his WTCC career so far? This
is more than any other driver. ...that in Andy Priaulx (266), Augusto
Farfus (200) and Jörg Müller (197), three BMW drivers occupy
the top three positions in the WTCC overall points list? ...that
Fredrik Ekblom not only raced for BMW Team UK in Anderstorp, Monza and
Macau, but also won the Swedish Touring Car Championship in a BMW 320si?
...that 50 racing kits of the BMW 320si WTCC have been sold to
international customer teams? ...that Andy Priaulx drove his 100th
European and World Championship touring car race for BMW in Monza?
Jörg Müller has raced 119 times for BMW. ...that Félix
Porteiro is the first former GP2 driver to compete in the World Touring
Car Championship? ...that the Farfus family owns a well-known chain of
restaurants in Brazil? ...that Andy Priaulx and his wife Jo founded the
"Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation" in aid of babies born
prematurely? ...that Andy Priaulx has been honoured with his own series
of stamps in his homeland of Guernsey? ...that the BMW 320si WTCC is
the first racing car to be developed in the BMW Group, which was
completely constructed with the CATIA V5 virtual tool? ...that the
self-supporting bodywork of the BMW 320si WTCC is produced in the BMW
Plant in Regensburg, and uses the same production process as the
bodywork for the BMW 1 and 3 Series cars? ...that a well-rehearsed
team of experienced bodywork specialists need approximately 200 working
hours to form about 38 meters of steel pipe and numerous sheet
profiles, angles and sockets into a safety cell? ...that the BMW P45
engine consists of about 1,200 different individual components?
...that a BMW 320si WTCC driver does not need to de-clutch in order to
change gear, thanks to the quick-shift system, which cuts ignition
during gear changes? ...that Alessandro Zanardi went to Macau with a
special clutch regulator on the steering wheel, to prevent him losing
time in the tight Melco hairpin? ...that BMW has so far won all World
Championships in the history of touring car racing? ...that Roberto
Ravaglia, today's BMW Team Italy-Spain Team Principal, won the very
first World Touring Car Championship in a BMW M3 in 1987? ...that Andy
Priaulx is the first driver to have won four FIA touring car
championships in a row? For the results of the FIA WTCC 2007 Drivers'
Championship please see the attached document.