Munich, 31st March 2008. This weekend the BMW national teams will
contest rounds three and four of the FIA World Touring Car Championship
in Puebla (MX). At the season opener in Brazil four weeks ago, the
quintet of drivers amassed a total of 36 points with their BMW 320si
WTCC cars. The goal of the drivers is to increase their tallies at the
“Autódromo Miguel E. Abed”. However, it’s not an easy mission that will
greet them in Mexico.
On the one hand, Puebla is located about 2,200 metres above sea level.
This causes a loss of engine power which must not be underestimated.
This loss, however, is considerably less for competitors running diesel
engines due to the different configuration of the engine. On the other
hand, four of the five BMW national drivers will carry “success weight”
for the first time this year. Andy Priaulx (GB) of BMW Team UK, who is
ranked third in the Drivers’ Championship, carries 33 kilograms of
ballast, while BMW Team Germany’s Jörg Müller (DE) will have an
additional load of 26 kilograms on his car. Félix Porteiro (ES) of BMW
Team Italy-Spain and Müller’s team-mate, Augusto Farfus (BR), will
carry an additional 14 and three kilos respectively. Alessandro Zanardi
(IT) is the sole BMW national team representative who will tackle the
Puebla challenge without additional weight.
Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK):
“I wish I could say that I was looking forward to the Puebla race
as my last visit there in 2006 was slightly coloured by the track
itself, but we all had to cope with difficult conditions due to it
breaking up. However, I did prove you must never give up as I battled
through to seventh position in race two from 18th on the grid, despite
being hampered by a full 80 kilos of ballast. The fun of being in a
world championship is the different places we visit. I am confident the
organizers will have done their best to improve all the facilities.”
Jörg Müller (BMW Team Germany):
“To date, the Puebla races haven’t gone too well for me. I haven’t
scored a single point there so far. Following a heavy accident in
practice, I even couldn’t even race in the 2005 event. Therefore, it’s
quite obvious there are many tracks that I prefer compared to Puebla.
However, hopefully I will manage to pick up some points this time.”
Augusto Farfus (BMW Team Germany):
“Puebla is in many respects a very challenging race track. In the
past we had problems with the quality of the track surface. I really
hope that the circuit is in a good condition this year. Should that be
the case, then the fans can look forward to a thrilling weekend. It is
a very tight course, which suits the WTCC cars very well. The banked
corner is a particular highlight.”
Félix Porteiro (BMW Team Italy-Spain):
“In Puebla I’d like to carry on where I left off in Curitiba. I was
very happy with sixth and third on the first weekend of the season. I
have never been to Puebla, and it has not necessarily been a successful
circuit for BMW in the past. However, let’s wait and see how the new
track surface will affect the balance of power. I am looking forward to
it and will do my best.”
Alessandro Zanardi (BMW Team Italy-Spain):
“After some bad experiences in Mexico, the odds should be in my
favour. The short history of our championship shows that Puebla is not
suitable ground for our rear-wheel drive BMWs. However, a recent good
test in Vallelunga, in which I think we made some progress, makes me
feel quite confident. I’m not aiming for a win, but to leave the track
on Sunday night with some championship points would definitely please
me.”
History and Background:
Augusto Farfus is the only current BMW driver who has tasted
victory in Puebla. As an Alfa Romeo driver he was second in race one
and won race two back in 2006. To date, Andy Priaulx has scored three
points in Mexico. For Félix Porteiro it will be his maiden visit to the
3.240-kilometre track.
Puebla, the capital city of the state with the same name, has a
population of approximately 1.5 million. The defining event in the
town's history was the "Battle of Puebla“, during which a French
expedition corps attempted to invade the town on 5th May 1862. After
local farmers were able to drive back the French army, 5th May became a
Mexican national holiday. Because of its impressive colonial
architecture, Puebla was named an official UNESCO World Heritage site
in 1987.
From the city of Puebla it is possible to see the two Central
American twin volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. With a height
of 5,462 meters, Popocatépetl, which is also called "El Popo“, towers
over its majestic neighbour by 176 metres. Located 15 kilometres
outside Puebla are the city of Cholula and the Tepanapa pyramid. Based
on its volume, it is the largest building of its kind in the world.
As part of its international cultural commitment, BMW is again
supporting the “Festival de México”, which will be staged from 10th to
24th April in the country’s capital, Mexico City. This important
cultural event, which was first held in 1985, annually attracts over
one million visitors, while 1,300 artists from around the globe take
part. BMW has partnered the festival since 1996. Musicians, dancers and
actors turn the capital city into a gigantic stage.
Both WTCC races will be run over 16 laps, which is an overall
distance of 51.84 kilometres. The first race will begin on Sunday at
12:20hrs local time (19:20hrs BST), race two starts at 15:20hrs
(22:20hrs BST). The drivers will have the opportunity to become
acquainted with the track during a 30-minute Friday test session. Both
races will be broadcast live on Eurosport International and on the
official BMW Motorsport website at www.bmw-motorsport.com .
|
