BMW national teams and WTCC travel to Marrakech for first time.
Munich, 27th April 2009.
After a break of over four weeks, the FIA
World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) returns to action with one of the
season’s true highlights: the series will make its debut in Marrakech
(MA) this weekend, marking the first time in its history that the WTCC
has staged two races on the African continent. However, the “Circuit de
Marrakech” is not the only one celebrating its debut. The BMW 320si
WTCC has had a facelift prior to races five and six of the season. BMW
3 Series production cars have sported the new design modifications
since last year, and it is now time to introduce the car’s even more
elegant, sporting profile to the racetrack.
Marrakech also sees the new “compensation weight” come into play
for the first time. This is aimed at balancing out the difference in
performance between individual models of car. Based on the lap times
achieved in Curitiba (BR) and Puebla (MX), the BMW 320si WTCC with the
five-speed H-pattern gearbox and the SEAT León TDI have turned out to
be the reference models. This means that Andy Priaulx (GB) from BMW
Team UK, the two BMW Team Germany drivers, Augusto Farfus (BR) and Jörg
Müller (DE), and Sergio Hernández (ES) from BMW Team Italy-Spain must
each carry an extra 40 kilograms of ballast. In contrast, Hernández’
team-mate Alessandro Zanardi (IT), who is competing with a six-speed
sequential gearbox, will start with 20 kilos less than in Brazil and
Mexico.
Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK):
“Marrakech will be my second street race within a week. Taking part
in the London Marathon on Sunday was a great experience, although the
last mile felt like the longest of my life. Street circuits are also
very challenging in WTCC, but the fact that this one is new and unknown
just goes to make it all the more complicated.”
Jörg Müller (BMW Team Germany):
“I’m intrigued by Marrakech. It is nice, even after so many years
in motorsport, to race at new circuits. The compensation weight ought
to cause changes to positions.”
Augusto Farfus (BMW Team Germany):
“I'm always keen on travelling to new countries and meeting
interesting people. Normally I do quite well on street circuits.
However, with all its long straights the Marrakech circuit doesn’t have
much in common with typical street tracks like Pau. This makes it very
interesting.”
Alessandro Zanardi (BMW Team Italy-Spain):
“On Marrakech’s long straights the reduced weight of my car due to
the compensation weight system should be an advantage. I hope we will
be able to build on the performance we showed in Puebla. Morocco will
be an interesting adventure.”
Sergio Hernández (BMW Team Italy-Spain):
“Finally we go racing again. It's great to return to the cockpit at
such an interesting place like Marrakech. After our promising
performance in Puebla I'm fired up to score some more points in
Morocco.”
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