BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM - NURBURGRING NORDSCHLEIFE

"I'll never forget today as long as I live"

Munich/Nürburgring, 28 April 2007. BMW has written another chapter in motor
sport history on the legendary Nordschleife at the Nürburgring. Today,
Saturday, a modern Formula 1 vehicle was driven round the 20.8 kilometre race
track for the first time in 31 years in front of a crowd numbering 45,000 BMW
Sauber F1 Team driver Nick Heidfeld was extremely enthusiastic after three laps
in the F1.06: "This drive was simply incredible. I thought it would be great to
drive on the Nordschleife before I started out. But it was even better than I
had expected. This racing track is the best in the world. I'd really like to
have emptied the tank. It was a very special moment when I left the grand prix
circuit in the direction of the Nordschleife. I was really shaken up at the
Bergwerk section and on the Döttinger Höhe. I'll never forget today as long as
I live. Another particularly special experience has now joined the many
fantastic childhood memories and racing successes."

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen said: "We wanted to give fans a special
treat. And I believe we have done this with the entire BMW motor sport
programme. The BMW M3 GTR that Olaf Manthey presented today was welcomed like
an old friend. The car is actually much too athletic for the museum. Naturally,
the high point was Nick's drive with the F1.06. We had implored him to be
careful. The day was a homage to the fans and to this unique circuit in the
world of racing. For once, the lap times were a secondary consideration."

Despite unusually hard demonstration tyres and short transmission ratio,
Heidfeld notched up a top speed of 275 km/h on the long straight called the
"Döttinger Höhe". The second lap was his fastest lap and took 8:34 minutes. A
camera car took shots of the 29-year-old on some sections of all three laps and
Heidfeld slowed down for the photo calls.

The F1.06 was adjusted for maximum ground clearance to drive on this uneven
traditional circuit - four centimetres at the front axle, eight centimetres at
the rear axle. No other modifications were carried out on the vehicle. One
special measure was necessary for wireless communication. Team Manager Beat
Zehnder travelled with the camera helicopter in order to secure the radio link
over the entire distance instead of sitting on the pit wall as usual.

As far as BMW is concerned, the Nürburgring is rather like a second home, not
simply because of numerous past successes - including 18 overall victories at
24 hour races and a one-two Formula 1 win. BMW Motorsport is also the partner
for the VLN endurance championship at the Nürburgring, with one of the races
being held today (Saturday). BMW Driver Training, BMW Ring Taxis, the BMW
Performance Centre and a permanent racing-car exhibition in the "Erlebniswelt"
leisure park are fixed institutions at the Eifel circuit.

In addition to the BMW Sauber F1 Team with Heidfeld and test driver Sebastian
Vettel and the BMW M3 GTR, the BMW works drivers from the World Touring Car
Championship (FIA WTCC) guaranteed lots of exciting action , as well as talking
to fans and signing autograph books. Two-times world champion Andy Priaulx
(GBR) and Jörg Müller (DEU) also played taxi driver on the Nordschleife, as did
Augusto Farfus (BRA). The BMW motor-sport fleet was out in force on the
legendary circuit. There was Formula 1 and the BMW M3 GTR, the BMW 320si WTCC
to the BMW Z4 M Coupé. Even the smallest of all BMW racing cars put in an
appearance: In the morning, Heidfeld took the inspection lap in the Formula BMW
packing 140 hp.