WTCC - ZANDEVOORT - ROUNDS 3 & 4 - PREVIEW

FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) 2007
Races 3 & 4 - 05th/06th May 2007 - Preview

BMW Drivers well prepared for WTCC's European Start.

Munich, 30th April 2007. The next round of the FIA World Touring Car
Championship (WTCC) is taking place on 6th May. After a break of almost two
months, the drivers of the BMW national teams will be fighting for world
championship points at the Circuit Park Zandvoort. The testing sessions in Brno
(CZE), Oschersleben (GER) and Monza (ITA) during the race-free period saw
intensive work done on the BMW 320si WTCC. BMW made a simply fantastic start to
the season in Curitiba (BRA). Over both races the two BMW Team Germany drivers
Jörg Müller (DEU) and Augusto Farfus (BRA) together with defending champion
Andy Priaulx (GBR) from BMW Team UK shared the three podium places amongst
themselves.

However, because of the positive result from Brazil the three BMW drivers must
now each cope with 35 kilograms of handicap weight in rounds three and four.
Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) from BMW Team Italy-Spain too will be driving with 15
kilograms of ballast onboard. Only his team colleague Félix Porteiro (ESP) will
not be saddled with any additional weight for the race. Nevertheless, in
comparison to his competitors in the SEAT, Chevrolet and Alfa Romeo teams, the
23-year old will be running significantly heavier than in Curitiba - following
a decision by the FIA Touring Car Bureau these three manufacturers will benefit
from a 25 kilogram reduction in weight in Zandvoort.

Jörg Müller (BMW Team Germany):
"I am of course delighted that we are racing again after the long break. And we
haven't been resting on our laurels during that time. The test sessions went
very well and BMW was always up at the front. But I am predicting a different
situation in Zandvoort than what we saw in Curitiba. Augusto, Andy and myself
have a lot of weight onboard. Added to that is the reduction in weight for our
competitors. So my only aim is to still take as many points as possible.
Because I was born in Kerkrade these two races are something of a home event
for me."

Augusto Farfus (BMW Team Germany):
"It's good that the season is finally getting underway again. I was able to get
to know the Zandvoort track a few weeks ago during testing. I like it a lot. It
rises and drops constantly and there is a great variety of corners to master.
We will have to wait and see how the changes in weight will affect us. We have
to get points to stay up there with the leaders."

Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK):
"Our recent schedule has been pretty rigorous. During testing in Brno our BMW
Team UK was the quickest there. Then we went to Oschersleben and Monza. So all
said our preparations for the start of racing in Europe have been very good.
But we need that because the challenges ahead of us are anything but easy. In
Zandvoort we will have to get used to the changing conditions. The winds are
sometimes very gusty and the track grip can change from one second to the next."

History and background:
The first race car event at Circuit Park Zandvoort took place on 7th August
1948. Since that time this track, now 4.3 kilometres long, has been the place
where motor sport fans in the Netherlands gather to indulge in their passion.

Formula 1 visited Zandvoort a total of 30 times between 1952 and 1985. The
first Dutch Grand Prix saw Alberto Ascari (ITA) drive to an impressive victory
- he secured pole position in qualifying, achieved the fastest lap time and won
the world championship round ahead of his compatriots Nino Farina and Luigi
Villoresi. The last time that the Netherlands hosted Formula 1 was in 1985, the
race resulted in Niki Lauda standing on the top of the podium (AUT).
History was made at the Dutch Grand Prix of 1961 at Circuit Park Zandvoort -
all 15 race cars completed the 75 laps without a single pit stop.

2007 sees Circuit Park Zandvoort host an event in the World Touring Car
Championship race calendar for the very first time. Apart from the WTCC the
track is hosting numerous other international race series this season.

On 28 - 29th July 2007, the young drivers in Formula BMW Germany will be
battling for championship points. Following races at Oschersleben, the
EuroSpeedway in Lausitz, the Norisring and the Nürburgring, Circuit Park
Zandvoort is the first international venue for this successful grade for
aspiring Formula 1 drivers. Formula BMW Germany begins its new season next
weekend with a total of 24 up-and-coming young drivers.

There is one point of similarity between the Circuit Park Zandvoort and the new
Bahrain International Circuit, where the BMW Sauber F1 Team collected eight
world championship points in the third Formula 1 race of the year: due to the
direct proximity of the Zandvoort circuit's to the North Sea beach coastline,
it is possible that sand can blow onto the track and impact on the racing
conditions.

Prior to appearing at Zandvoort, BMW drivers Andy Priaulx and Jörg Müller will
be attending a special event. This coming Saturday BMW will, for the first time
in 31 years, be bringing a modern Formula 1 car back to the legendary Northern
Circuit of the Nürburgring. Nick Heidfeld (GER) will be driving the BMW Sauber
F1 Team's car.

Zandvoort lies in the North-Holland province of the Netherlands and has some
16000 inhabitants who live mainly from tourism. Another attraction of the area
is the Circuit Zandvoort Amusement Park.

Both of these WTCC races will be 12 laps. The first race will start on Sunday
at 12.05 hrs. Race two will begin at 15.35 hrs. Eurosport will be providing
live television coverage of both races as well as qualifying (Saturday from
15.00 hrs).

Facts and figures:
Circuit / Date Circuit Park Zandvoort / 6th May 2007
Lap / total distance 4.300 km/51.60 km (12 laps)
Winner 2006 Race 1: not featured on the calendar
Race 2: not featured on the calendar
Pole position 2006 not featured on the calendar
Fastest laps 2006 Race 1: not featured on the calendar
Race 2: not featured on the calendar

Date Race TV coverage (CET)
11th March Curitiba, Brazil 16:00 hrs 19:00 hrs
06th May Zandvoort, Netherlands 11:45 hrs 15:15 hrs
20th May Valencia, Spain 11:45 hrs 15:30 hrs
03rd June Pau, France 11:45 hrs 15:30 hrs
17th June Brno, Czech Republic 11:45 hrs 15:30 hrs
08th July Porto, Portugal 11:45 hrs 15:15 hrs
29th July Anderstorp, Sweden 11:45 hrs 15:15 hrs
26th August Oschersleben, Germany 11:45 hrs 15:30 hrs
23rd September Brands Hatch, Great Britain 11:45 hrs 15:30 hrs
07th October Monza, Italy 11:45 hrs 15:30 hrs
18th November Macau, China 04:00 hrs 05:00 hrs