M�ller fastest BMW driver in first WTCC qualifying of the season

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   M�ller fastest BMW driver in first WTCC qualifying of the season
		      03-07-2009 Press Release
		      Curitiba,
7th March 2009. BMW Team Germany�s J�rg M�ller (DE) claimed sixth place
on the grid for the season opener of the 2009 FIA World Touring Car
Championship (WTCC) with a lap time of 1:24.637 minutes. The
39-year-old was the best-placed BMW national team driver in qualifying
at the �Aut�dromo Internacional de Curitiba�, finishing 0.441 seconds
behind pole-sitter Yvan Muller (FR, SEAT). His team-mate, Augusto
Farfus (BR), was seventh, while BMW Team UK�s Andy Priaulx (GB) claimed
tenth on the grid for the first race on Sunday. Both BMW Team
Italy-Spain drivers, Sergio Hern�ndez (ES) and Alessandro Zanardi (IT),
failed to get into the decisive top-ten shootout. 

�Obviously we had hoped for a better start to the new season,� said
Friedhelm Nohl, General Manager Engineering, Sports and Touring Cars.
�By finishing sixth J�rg was our best-placed driver, less than half a
second behind the man on pole. With Augusto and Andy we have two more
drivers in the top-ten. Sergio narrowly missed the second session.
However, we still hope to be involved in the fight for podium positions
in Sunday�s races.�

As early as in the first part of qualifying, which was run to a new
format with two separate sessions, M�ller was the quickest BMW driver
after finishing fifth. While the German booked his ticket for the
second part along with Priaulx and Farfus, Hern�ndez and Zanardi were
eliminated thanks to being 11th and 14th. The 20-minute session was
red-flagged for five minutes after an accident involving BMW privateer
driver, Kristian Poulsen (DK), but ran without any further
interruptions. 

M�ller said: �My car was good today, and I managed to be the
fastest of all the drivers powered by a petrol engine. I am not really
convinced by the new qualifying format. We saw even fewer cars running
on the track than before, and there were a lot of tactics in play.
Tomorrow I will try to gain as many positions as possible.�

Unlike M�ller, who set his lap time after six of the ten minutes in
�Q2�, Farfus and Priaulx waited until two minutes before the end of the
session before going out. �During the second session the track
conditions changed,� commented Farfus. �Therefore, the set-up of my car
was no longer at 100 percent. Now I will fight hard tomorrow to gain as
much ground as possible and to put on a good show for my home fans.� 

Priaulx explained: �Our strategy didn�t quite pay off today. That�s
disappointing, as it had looked positive after my early runs. Due to s
problem with a brake calliper in the morning I lost one set of tyres.
Nevertheless, I will push hard to score two good results on Sunday.�

The first race of the World Touring Car Championship will start on
13:05hrs local time (16:05hrs GMT) tomorrow, race two will get underway
at 16:05hrs (19:05hrs GMT).

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
kbannon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Admin Group E39 525i Sport Individual Joined: 09-October-2002 Location: 64 Zoo Lane Status: Offline Points: 15508	Post Options Post Reply Quote kbannon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: M�ller fastest BMW driver in first WTCC qualifying of the season Posted: 10-March-2009 at 21:01
	M�ller fastest BMW driver in first WTCC qualifying of the season 03-07-2009 Press Release Curitiba, 7th March 2009. BMW Team Germany�s J�rg M�ller (DE) claimed sixth place on the grid for the season opener of the 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) with a lap time of 1:24.637 minutes. The 39-year-old was the best-placed BMW national team driver in qualifying at the �Aut�dromo Internacional de Curitiba�, finishing 0.441 seconds behind pole-sitter Yvan Muller (FR, SEAT). His team-mate, Augusto Farfus (BR), was seventh, while BMW Team UK�s Andy Priaulx (GB) claimed tenth on the grid for the first race on Sunday. Both BMW Team Italy-Spain drivers, Sergio Hern�ndez (ES) and Alessandro Zanardi (IT), failed to get into the decisive top-ten shootout. �Obviously we had hoped for a better start to the new season,� said Friedhelm Nohl, General Manager Engineering, Sports and Touring Cars. �By finishing sixth J�rg was our best-placed driver, less than half a second behind the man on pole. With Augusto and Andy we have two more drivers in the top-ten. Sergio narrowly missed the second session. However, we still hope to be involved in the fight for podium positions in Sunday�s races.� As early as in the first part of qualifying, which was run to a new format with two separate sessions, M�ller was the quickest BMW driver after finishing fifth. While the German booked his ticket for the second part along with Priaulx and Farfus, Hern�ndez and Zanardi were eliminated thanks to being 11th and 14th. The 20-minute session was red-flagged for five minutes after an accident involving BMW privateer driver, Kristian Poulsen (DK), but ran without any further interruptions. M�ller said: �My car was good today, and I managed to be the fastest of all the drivers powered by a petrol engine. I am not really convinced by the new qualifying format. We saw even fewer cars running on the track than before, and there were a lot of tactics in play. Tomorrow I will try to gain as many positions as possible.� Unlike M�ller, who set his lap time after six of the ten minutes in �Q2�, Farfus and Priaulx waited until two minutes before the end of the session before going out. �During the second session the track conditions changed,� commented Farfus. �Therefore, the set-up of my car was no longer at 100 percent. Now I will fight hard tomorrow to gain as much ground as possible and to put on a good show for my home fans.� Priaulx explained: �Our strategy didn�t quite pay off today. That�s disappointing, as it had looked positive after my early runs. Due to s problem with a brake calliper in the morning I lost one set of tyres. Nevertheless, I will push hard to score two good results on Sunday.� The first race of the World Touring Car Championship will start on 13:05hrs local time (16:05hrs GMT) tomorrow, race two will get underway at 16:05hrs (19:05hrs GMT).
	Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual

Sponsored Links

kbannon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Admin Group E39 525i Sport Individual Joined: 09-October-2002 Location: 64 Zoo Lane Status: Offline Points: 15508	Post Options Post Reply Quote kbannon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10-March-2009 at 21:02
	Farfus most successful BMW driver in Brazil � M�ller launches fight back. 03-08-2009 Press Release Curitiba, 8th March 2009. On the opening weekend of the 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), BMW Team Germany�s Augusto Farfus (BR) was the most successful member of the BMW national teams. In the first race of the season the 25-year-old finished fifth in front of his home crowd in Curitiba (BR). In race two, he added sixth place to his tally on a wet track. His team-mate, J�rg M�ller (DE), was the man of the second round, in which the 39-year-old drove his BMW 320si WTCC from 21st on the grid to finish fifth. Sergio Hern�ndez (ES) of BMW Team Italy-Spain and BMW Team UK�s Andy Priaulx (GB) also scored championship points in the first race by finishing sixth and seventh. However, SEAT dominated proceedings at the �Aut�dromo Internacional de Curitiba� and celebrated two clean sweeps by claiming the top four positions. The win in race one was secured by Yvan Muller (FR), Gabriele Tarquini (IT) claimed victory in race two. M�ller�s hopes for a strong result in race one ended as early as Turn 3. Running in fifth place he was hit by Chevrolet�s Alain Menu (CH), who rejoined after cutting the chicane. Following this bump with Menu, M�ller collided with Priaulx and had to pit with a handling problem. He went out again a few minutes later, but finished five laps down on the winner. Priaulx dropped to 19th with a damaged right front wheel, but fought his way back up to ninth. Due to this incident, Farfus improved from seventh to fifth and eventually finished sixth. The progress of Hern�ndez was the best, crossing the line in seventh after starting from 11th. His team-mate, Alessandro Zanardi (IT), improved from 14th to 12th. All BMW national team drivers benefited from a time penalty after the chequered flag for two drivers who had finished in front of them, thus gaining two places each. Priaulx was classified seventh, securing two points and a front-row grid position for race two alongside BMW privateer F�lix Porteiro (ES) of Proteam Motorsport. Thirty minutes before the start, a heavy thunderstorm hit the 3.685-kilometre circuit. The race therefore got underway ten minutes late and was started behind the safety-car. In these conditions, the BMW drivers running at the front were unable to defend their positions. Only Farfus and Porteiro managed to translate their promising grid positions into points. M�ller, on the other hand, coped really well with the conditions and launched an impressive fight back. From 21st place he improved lap by lap, finally taking the chequered flag in fifth.
	Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual

M�ller fastest BMW driver in first WTCC qualifying of the season

M�ller fastest BMW driver in first WTCC qualifying of the season

Farfus most successful BMW driver in Brazil � M�ller launches fight back.