WTCC - ROUNDS 17 and 18 - VALENCIA - QUALIFYING

Dirk Müller sets the pace in fight for the World Touring Car Championship.

Valencia (Spain), 1st October 2005. Dirk Müller secured third place in
qualifying for the 17th race of the FIA WTCC in Valencia. The BMW Team
Deutschland driver clocked a personal best of 1:43.277 minutes shortly before
the end of the 30-minute timed session. It puts the 29-year-old in the second
row of the grid behind the two SEAT drivers Jordi Gené (ESP) and Peter Terting
(GER). In Istanbul almost a fortnight ago, Dirk Müller had ceded the
championship lead to his fellow BMW driver Andy Priaulx (GBR) of BMW Team UK.
However, for the two races in Spain he now has an excellent starting position
to ensure an exciting continuation of the battle for the title.

"I wouldn't have expected to be so far up the grid," said Dirk Müller, who is
racing in Valencia with an extra 55 kilos on board. "A place in the second row
is a fantastic result. My immediate rivals in the Drivers' World Championship
are in the middle of the field and I want to make the most of this opportunity.
In the end every point can be decisive. My car's handling was very good and I
still have a few changes in mind for tomorrow. I think we will see two exciting
races involving some hard-fought battles."

Priaulx, carrying the maximum handicap load of 60 kilograms, complained after
qualifying about strong understeer on his BMW 320i. It meant the reigning
European Touring Car Champion failed to get beyond 15th place. But Priaulx will
be moving up one slot on the grid for Sunday's first race as Tom Coronel (NLD)
is being relegated ten places back after an engine change in his SEAT. The
closest rival to the BMW drivers Dirk Müller and Priaulx for the title contest
is third-ranking Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), starting for Alfa Romeo from
twelfth on the grid.

Both Jörg Müller (GER) of BMW Team Deutschland and local hero Antonio Garcia
(ESP), racing for BMW Team Italy-Spain, are also nurturing hopes of a good
result on the 4.005-kilometre circuit. Jörg Müller came seventh in qualifying.
On his sixth lap, the 35-year-old briefly came off the track and had to make an
unscheduled pit stop. However, just before the close of qualifying he managed
to better his time. Garcia will be entering the 17th World Championship race of
the year from ninth position. His team-mate Alessandro Zanardi (ITA),
meanwhile, has some major catching up to do if he wants to pick up points for
the fifth time in succession. Currently tenth in the drivers' rankings, he will
be starting the race from 20th place on the grid.

The best private BMW driver was Carl Rosenblad (SWE), who secured 17th place in
his BMW 320i. The leader in the Independents Trophy, Marc Hennerici (GER), also
driving BMW, qualified for 25th place on the grid. The first race starts on
Sunday at 15.15 hrs. Race two on the Spanish Mediterranean coast follows at
16.20 hrs.

Results

BMW Team Deutschland - Schnitzer Motorsport
No. 42 - Jörg Müller (GER) 7th - 1:43.487 minutes
No. 43 - Dirk Müller (GER) 3rd - 1:43.277 minutes

BMW Team UK - RBM
No. 1 - Andy Priaulx (GBR) 15th - 1:43.880 minutes

BMW Team Italy-Spain - ROAL Motorsport
No. 4 - Alex Zanardi (ITA) 21st - 1:44.394 minutes
No. 5 - Antonio Garcia (ESP) 9th - 1:43.599 minutes

BMW private teams
Crawford Racing
- No. 28 - Carl Rosenblad (SWE) 17th - 1:44.145 minutes

Proteam Motorsport
- No. 30 - Stefano d'Aste (ITA) 24th - 1:44.946 minutes
- No. 31 - Giuseppe Ciro (ITA) 26th - 1:45.072 minutes

Wiechers-Sport
- No. 32 - Marc Hennerici (GER) 25th - 1:45.007 minutes

Results: 1st Jordi Gene (ESP/SEAT) 1:42.778 minutes, 2nd Peter Terting
(GER/SEAT) +0.315 seconds, 3rd Dirk Müller (GER, BMW 320i) +0.499, 4th Robert
Huff (GBR/Chevrolet) +0.517, 5th Rickard Rydell (SWE/SEAT) +0.548, 6th Augusto
Farfus jr. (BRA/Alfa Romeo) +0.583, 7th Jörg Müller (GER/BMW 320i) +0.709, 8th
Gabriele Tarquini (ITA/Alfa Romeo) +0.820, 9th Antonio Garcia (ESP/BMW 320i)
+0.821, 10th Nicola Larini (ITA/Chevrolet) +0.917, ...15th Andy Priaulx (GBR/BMW
320i) +1.102, ...21th Alessandro Zanardi (ITA/BMW 320i) +1.616 - Priaulx and
Zanardi will gain one position on the grid due to a penalty for SEAT's Tom
Coronel.