33 facts about Formula BMW.

Did you know that ...
...there are four regional Formula BMW series - held in Germany, the USA, Great
Britain and Asia?
...this year's four Formula BMW series involve 34 races in 14 countries?
...in 2004 the four Formula BMW series number 79 drivers from 27 countries and
six continents?
...34 of these 79 drivers are rookies (absolute newcomers to Formula racing)?
...the average age of the pilots at the start of the season was just 18.79
years?
...the Formula BMW ADAC Championship and its forerunner series have been held
in Germany since 1991?
...three young women are competing in Formula BMW: Natacha Gachnang
(Switzerland, Formula BMW ADAC Championship), Gaby Dela Merced (Philippines,
Formula BMW Asia) and Alexis Fenton (USA, Formula BMW USA)?
...many relatives of famous racing drivers are competing or have competed in
the four Formula BMW series, including Bruno Senna (Formula BMW UK Championship
2004; nephew of Ayrton Senna, 1988, 1990 and 1991 Formula One World Champion),
Nico Rosberg (Formula BMW ADAC Championship 2002; son of Keke Rosberg, 1982
Formula One World Champion), Federico Montoya (Formula BMW ADAC Championship
2004; brother of BMW WilliamsF1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya) and Graham Rahal
(Formula BMW USA 2004; son of Bobby Rahal, three-times CART Champion and winner
of the 1986 Indianapolis 500)?
...the first circuit race ever to be held in the Middle East was a Formula BMW
event, namely the Formula BMW Asia on 3 April 2004 in Bahrain?
...Formula BMW has produced three current Formula One drivers - Ralf Schumacher
(BMW WilliamsF1 Team), Christian Klien (Jaguar) and Timo Glock (Jordan)?
...Ho Pin Tung, winner of the Formula BMW Asia 2003, tested with the BMW
WilliamsF1 Team on 11 December 2003 to become the first Chinese ever to drive a
Formula One car?
...Nico Rosberg, winner of the Formula BMW ADAC Championship 2002, tested for
the BMW WilliamsF1 Team on 3 December 2002 and was the youngest person ever to
drive a Formula One car at 17 years, five months and six days?
...in 2004, Formula BMW will have been held five times as part of the Formula
One support programme, namely in Bahrain, at the Nürburgring, in Montreal,
Indianapolis and Shanghai?
...the Minardi racing team (known from Formula One) is also fielding a team in
Formula BMW Asia?
...the Formula BMW ADAC Championship has produced six drivers competing in this
year's Formula 3 Euro Series, one of the key springboard series to Formula One,
namely Maximilian Götz, Nico Rosberg, Hannes Neuhauser, Robert Kath, Alexandros
Margaritis and Adrian Sutil?
...in past years Formula BMW has produced a total of more than 50 Formula 3
drivers?
...Formula BMW Asia driver Han Han has already sold more than four million
books?
...a member of the Bahraini royal family is competing in Formula BMW Asia -
Sheikk Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa?
...on 19 June 2004 Formula BMW USA driver Tom Sutherland, aged just 15 years,
two months and 16 days, was the youngest person ever to compete in a race on
the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
...on the same day Formula BMW USA driver Jonathan Summerton, aged 16 years,
one month and 29 days, was the youngest person ever to win a race on the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
...German Formula BMW ADAC driver Sebastian Vettel is the most successful
Formula BMW driver of all with 19 wins in 2003 and 2004?
...the two Portuguese Formula BMW UK Championship drivers João Urbano and
Duarte Felix da Costa are being backed by football star Luis Figo and Formula
BMW Asia driver Mehdi Bennani from Morocco is being backed by his king Mohammed
VI?
...Formula BMW includes a comprehensive education and coaching programme with
courses in driving technique and strategy, vehicle dynamics and chassis set-up,
fitness training and nutrition, media training and public relations, as well as
sponsoring and sports management?
...26 particularly talented Formula BMW drivers around the world are awarded a
scholarship allowing them to take part in the education and coaching programme
free of charge, as well as receiving financial support from BMW totalling more
than 1.2 million euros?
...the prize money awarded in the four Formula BMW series amounts to more than
600,000 euros a year?
...the standard 140 bhp FB02 race car has a top speed of up to 230 km/h at more
than 9,000 rpm and accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in less than 4
seconds?
...the car measures 3.975 metres long, 1.74 metres wide and 0.98 metres high
and has an unladen weight of 455 kilograms?
...like a Formula One car, it also features such technology as a sequential
gearbox and automatic data logging?
...FIA President Max Mosley, BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen and BMW's
head of development Professor Burkhard Göschel have all personally tested the
FB02?
...the car has even been driven on ice - in Seefeld, Austria - by BMW
WilliamsF1 drivers Ralf Schumacher, Juan Pablo Montoya and Marc Gené, as well
as ETCC drivers Jörg and Dirk Müller?
...safety is the top priority in Formula BMW? The cars meet the FIA safety
requirements for the far more powerful Formula 3 cars and even incorporate some
Formula One safety features such as wheel holder cables.
...Formula BMW is the world's first junior class to employ HANS? HANS (Head and
Neck Support) is a safety system which prevents excessive whiplash to the head
in an accident.
...all Formula BMW cars have a particularly safe seat? The FORS (Formula Rescue
Seat) can be easily removed from the cockpit after an accident, allowing for
rapid rescue of a driver while still strapped into the seat without subjecting
the spinal column to any strain. And thanks to the seat shell being made of a
special material, X-rays and CT scans can be taken without having to remove the
driver from the seat.

Right-free images at www.press.bmw.com.

Press contacts of the Formula BMW Series:

Formula BMW Asia
Mrs Nikki Kemp
PR Plus Limited, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2575 6995
E-mail: mtprplus@pacific.net.hk

Formula BMW ADAC Championship (Germany)
Mrs Anne Schildmacher
9-pm media, Germany
Tel: +49 2202 294050
E-mail: as@9pm-media.com

Formula BMW UK Championship
Mrs Ann Bradshaw
UK
Tel: +44 7713 317006
E-mail: annbradshaw@tiscali.co.uk

Formula BMW USA
Mr Bill Cobb
USA
Tel: +1 215 295 3115
E-mail: wrcobb@attglobal.net

All Series
Mr Claus Hecking
BMW Corporate Communications, Germany
Tel: +49 89 382 22998
E-mail: Claus.Hecking@bmw.de