WTCC - Rounds 19 & 20 - 6th/7th October 2007, Monza
(ITA) - Preview
Different starting conditions for BMW drivers in
Monza.
This weekend the BMW national teams will be lining up at the
"Autodromo Nazionale di Monza" for rounds 19 and
20 of the FIA World Touring Car Championship. After celebrating
victory at Brands Hatch eight days ago, Andy Priaulx (GBR)
of BMW Team UK enters the competition in Italy as championship
leader. With 81 points under his belt, the defending title
holder is currently enjoying a 12-point lead over BMW Team
Germany's Augusto Farfus (BRA). Priaulx's appearance at Monza
this weekend marks his 100th European and World Touring Car
Championship race with BMW.
For the first time this season, the gap between the front
runner and his rivals is sizeable. Until now the lead in the
Drivers' Championship has passed regularly between Priaulx,
Farfus and Jörg Müller (GER) of BMW Team Germany.
This time around, however, the three will be joining the races
under very different conditions. In the fight to defend his
championship lead, Priaulx will have 60 kg of ballast on board
as he tries to ensure that he holds all the aces for the finale
in Macau. Meanwhile Farfus and Müller will also enter
the last race on European soil carrying maximum ballast. They
will be doing their level best to close the gap to the leader.
All the while the BMW trio will keep their eye on the competition,
as there a still some other drivers that are keen on winning
the championship title.
This weekend also sees 36-year-old Fredrik Ekblom (SWE) support
BMW Team UK once again. The new Swedish Touring Car Champion
(STCC) secured victory in his national contest in the BMW
320si WTCC. Having managed 12th and 14th place at his WTCC
premiere in Anderstorp at the end of July, he will now be
looking to achieve at least a points finish.
Also joining the chase for points will be Félix Portiero
(ESP) and Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) of BMW Team Italy-Spain.
Porteiro last enjoyed success in Brands Hatch, where he celebrated
his third podium appearance this year. For Zanardi racing
on home ground in front of thousands of excited "tifosi"
is always the highlight of the season.
Alessandro Zanardi (BMW Team Italy-Spain):
"As always, racing in front of my Italian fans will be
very special to me. But irrespective of that, I am looking
forward to the circuit at Monza. It is just fantastic and
fascinates drivers from Formula 1 just as much as it does
touring car drivers. It has eternally long straights and several
hard braking points. Racing there is always a lot of fun.
It rewards my driving style. I've always been really fast
in Monza. Last year I was in the position to win. I hope it's
the same in 2007. Until now, this year has not gone quite
as I would have wished, so my home race is particularly important:
with a good result we should be able to end the season on
a reconciliatory note."
History and background:
Since 2001 Monza has been on the schedules of the European
and World Touring Car Championship every year except one:
in 2002 the Italian ETCC event took place in Pergusa. Three
times (in 2001, 2004 and 2005) the "Autodromo Nazionale
di Monza" has been the showplace for the opening race
of the season, and in 2003 it provided the backdrop for the
European Championship title ceremony.
For BMW, Monza has been the setting for Jörg Müller's
two victories in the European Touring Car Championship and
for two WTCC triumphs. Last year, the track also hosted a
very special occasion involving Andy Priaulx: in the opening
race of the day the 33-year-old took the BMW 320si WTCC out
for its competition debut and was the front runner from lights
to finish straight away.
However the second race of 2006 ended in disappointment for
the BMW national teams, when a series of accidents foiled
efforts by any of the five BMW drivers to reach the chequered
flag. On the penultimate lap, Alessandro Zanardi, who was
in second place at the time, set himself up to overtake Augusto
Farfus, but an ensuing collision left his car with a damaged
suspension and his hopes for a podium appearance dashed.
Set in the Royal Park, the Monza circuit is one of the last
real high-speed tracks. Top speeds recorded there in WTCC
and Formula 1 races in particular are an impressive testimony
to this fact: in 2007 BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Robert Kubica
(POL) was the fastest driver in the field, reaching top speeds
of 351.7 km/h in the Italian Grand Prix. He finished fifth,
following team-mate Nick Heidfeld (GER) in fourth.
Located in the region of Lombardy, Monza is 15 km north-east
of Milan on the River Lambro. It is home to some 122,000 people.
The circuit opened in 1922. After several updates throughout
its long history, its crumbling banked corner remains a silent
witness to the early days. Since the 1000 km Monza race in
1967 the oval, which formed part of the original track layout,
has fallen into disuse.
After the "Guia Circuit" in Macau, the "Autodromo
Nazionale di Monza" is the second longest track in this
year's WTCC race calendar. The two races require drivers to
complete nine laps of the 5.770 km track before the chequered
flag will be raised.
The drivers of the BMW national teams will be available for
group interviews on Saturday afternoon from 17:00hrs to 17:15hrs,
with individual meetings possible afterwards by appointment
only.
The first race in Monza starts on Sunday at 12.05hrs local
time (11:05hrs BST). The second starts at 15:35hrs (14:35hrs
BST). Eurosport International will provide live coverage of
both races.
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