BMW and Andy Priaulx successfully defend their WTCC titles
in Macau.
Andy Priaulx (GBR) of BMW Team UK claimed his third consecutive
drivers' title in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
At Macau's "Guia Circuit", he secured a perfect
starting position by finishing eighth in the first race. In
race two, he converted pole position into a dominant victory.
Having 92 points under his belt, Priaulx relegated Yvan Muller
(FRA/SEAT) to second place in the overall classification.
In the Manufacturers' Championship, BMW also managed to score
the "hat-trick" of world titles. Over the past 22
races, the brand accumulated a total of 255 points. Privateer
Stefano d'Aste (ITA) of the Wiechers-Sport team won the Independents'
Trophy, thus making it a "clean sweep" for BMW in
the 2007 WTCC.
The season finale in the former Portuguese colony was a true
thriller. While Priaulx was all smiles after his victory,
the two BMW Team Germany drivers suffered their dose of bad
luck. Augusto Farfus (BRA) was running in second place when
he was bumped by Gabriele Tarquini (ITA/SEAT) on the final
lap of race one. He crashed into the barriers and retired.
Consequently, Farfus was out of the title fight before the
start of race two. The 24-year-old finished his maiden WTCC
season with BMW in fourth place overall with 71 points. Jörg
Müller (GER) narrowly missed out on his chance to score
at least four points in Macau which would have happened if
he had been able to finish fifth in race two. However, like
his team-mate earlier on, he was also taken out by another
competitor on the final lap. Müller finished seventh
in the Drivers' Championship, having scored 66 points.
In the first race of the day Priaulx paved the way for the
successful title defence. He benefited from Muller's retirement
on the final lap and the incident between Farfus and Tarquini.
So he was able to improve from 12th position on the grid to
a precious eighth place, which earned him pole position for
the second round. At the start, Farfus had passed Tarquini
and kept in touch with the two drivers in the lead, Muller
and Alain Menu (SUI/Chevrolet). Following Muller's retirement,
Farfus was on his way to celebrate his comeback in the fight
for the crown. But all his hopes ended when Tarquini crashed
into the rear of the Brazilan's BMW 320si WTCC. The two BMW
Team Italy-Spain drivers, Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) and Félix
Porteiro (ESP) finished 10th and 12th respectively. Müller
crossed the line in 13th position, while Fredrik Ekblom (SWE)
took 16th place for BMW Team UK. Menu emerged as the race
winner.
Before race two it was already clear that either Priaulx
or Thompson would become the 2007 World Champion as Muller
was not able to start the race. But there was no doubt about
Priaulx's determination to take both the victory and the title.
He did an excellent start and kept the lead. After a few laps
the 33-year-old had already built up a gap on Thompson, who
had been able to improve from fourth to second place. Priaulx
withstood the pressure, made no mistakes and crossed the line
as winner for the third time this year, thus securing the
fourth consecutive FIA touring car title. In 2004 he had topped
the standings in the European Championship as well.
Further down the field turbulent things happened. When he
tried avoiding another car, Zanardi found himself on the exit
road in the "Lisboa" corner after the start. On
lap 3 he retired due to a technical problem. His team-mate
Porteiro was rewarded for a strong performance on his maiden
Macau appearance by finishing seventh in race two. He ended
the season in 12th place overall. Zanardi took 15th position
in the final standings. In his third race weekend for BMW
Team UK, Ekblom scored his first WTCC point by finishing ninth.
Guest driver Colin Turkington (GBR/Team Aviva), who came eighth
in a BMW 320si, was not eligible to score points for the championship.
Müller, who caught up in an impressive drive from 12th
to fifth, left Macau empty-handed following the accident just
before the end of the race.
Reactions:
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen:
"This has certainly been the most competitive season
we have experienced in the World Touring Car Championship
to date. Never before had we been in such a difficult starting
position. For the first time, we were not the favourites when
travelling to Macau. We knew that something unexpected had
to happen to enable us to win the championship. But Macau
has always been very special. You have to push hard until
the chequered flag comes out - and this was again the case
today. We could not expect what happened during the races,
but then our drivers seized the chance that was offered. Congratulations
to Andy Priaulx, BMW Team UK and all our employees in Munich,
who worked very hard for this success. Congratulations also
go to our competitors, who didn't make it easy for us until
the very final race."
Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK):
"I never give up. But I knew that something special was
needed today. To win the championship you need some luck,
but you also have to be there and grab it. This simply was
my day. Thanks to BMW and everyone who supported me even after
a difficult day like yesterday, we managed to bounce back
in today's races. However, I would also like to say I feel
sorry for Yvan Muller who had a fantastic season. On the other
hand, I'm simply very happy just now."
Augusto Farfus (BMW Team Germany):
"Quite obviously I'm very disappointed. After Yvan Muller's
retirement I would have had the chance to play an important
role in the title fight again. But then this unnecessary accident
occurred. Congratulations to Andy. He was at the right place
at the right time today."
Jörg Müller (BMW Team Germany):
"I gave my best in race two to gain some ground, but
it wasn't to be. If you are pushed off by another driver on
the final lap, then this always comes as a disappointment.
I'm happy that BMW was again able to claim all titles. I will
launch another assault on the title in 2008."
|
