FIA WTCC NEWSLETTER # 42
BMW SIGN FARFUS FOR 2007 WTCC
BMW signed Augusto Farfus as a works driver for the 2007
FIA WTCC. The 23-year-old Brazilian will contest the next
season at the wheel of a Schnitzer Motorsport BMW 320si alongside
Jörg Müller.
"I'm delighted that this up-and-coming touring car ace
will line up for us in 2007," said BMW Motorsport Director
Mario Theissen. "Since having made his debut in the 2004
European Touring Car Championship he has learned a lot and
displayed a steep upward trend. In the 2006 WTCC season he
was among the title contenders up to the very last round.
To be able to stand up to the extremely competitive field
in this hard-fought championship demonstrates his extraordinary
skills."
Farfus, who finished the 2006 WTCC third in the Drivers’
Championship behind Andy Priaulx and his new team-mate Jörg
Müller, commented: "I'm really happy to become a
BMW works driver. It's an honour when a company like BMW give
me the chance to compete for them. I'm confident to be in
a competitive car and my goal is to become World Champion
with BMW. The 2007 season opener will be held in my home town
of Curitiba, which gives me additional motivation.”
Within the ranks of BMW, Farfus is going to replace Dirk
Müller, who was a BMW works driver from 2002 to 2006.
ZANARDI’S FORMULA ONE COMEBACK
Last weekend Alessandro Zanardi made his Formula One comeback,
driving a BMW Sauber F1 at Valencia, within the Formula BMW
World Final.
"This was a special opportunity for me," said Zanardi.
"Everybody was surprised that everything was working
so smoothly. BMW always give me maximum support, especially
in the WTCC. Driving the Formula One car is another step.
I am very proud that I am doing this. The car was fantastic.
I expected it to be much rougher, but it feels more like a
beautiful BMW 7 Series than a F1 car."
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen said: "After
just a few installation laps on Thursday, Zanardi had far
more time to enjoy his Formula One comeback. I was impressed
with how well the modifications on the car are working. Alessandro
felt comfortable from the word go, which has also been proved
by his lap times. He has not forgot how to drive a race car
like this to the limit."
Because Zanardi can generate more force with his right limb,
the engineers moved the car's braking pedal from the left
to the right side of the cockpit. The right prosthesis was
fixed to the brake pedal via Velcro tape. In order to make
the most effective use of the narrow space in the cockpit,
Zanardi used specially made prostheses, smaller than the ones
he uses normally. He shifted gears with a paddle on the right
rear side of the steering wheel. On the left side there was
another paddle to accelerate the car.
"In WTCC I find myself fighting against extremely strong
drivers, who maybe didn't get to F1 just because of bad luck,"
Zanardi commented. "Many times I beat them and I say
I would do respectably in GPs too."
NEW HEADS OF MANAGEMENT FOR EUROSPORT
Eurosport – parent company of KSO, promoter of the
FIA World Touring Car Championship – have appointed
new heads of management. Laurent-Eric Le Lay, 39-years old,
is Eurosport’s new Chairman and CEO. Le Lay joined the
company in 1993 and launched the sports rights sales agency
as well as the eurosport.com websites. In 2001 he also took
on the responsibility for Eurosportnews, the sports information
channel. Head of Sports Acquisitions for the TF1 Group, he
was appointed Eurosport's Managing Director of Broadcasting
in September 2003.
Eurosport’s Board of Directors also appointed Jacques
Raynaud as Vice-Chairman of Eurosport and Chairman and CEO
of Eurosales, Eurosport's international advertising sales
agency. Raynaud, 40-years old, joined Eurosport in 1994 as
Area Manager responsible for the distribution of Eurosport
in Central and Eastern Europe. Appointed Director of Distribution
and Development in 2001, he was then promoted to Deputy Managing
Director, responsible for the marketing and distribution of
Eurosport and Eurosportnews. Managing Director since September
2003, he has overall responsibility for the Distribution,
Advertising and Development of the Eurosport Group.
Jacques Behar, Managing Director and CFO, will be responsible
for Eurosport's newlydeveloped activities in the organisation
of sporting events on top of the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
51-years old he joined Eurosport in 1991 as Chief Financial
Officer and became Deputy Managing Director in 2001. Since
2003, he has been Eurosport’s Managing Director in charge
of Finance and Administration and Chairman and CEO of KSO.
WTCC TO RACE AT PAU FOR THREE YEARS
The FIA World Touring Car Championship have added the famous
street race of Pau to their 2007 calendar. The WTCC cars and
drivers will race for 67th edition of the historical Grand
Prix of Pau on June 3rd, 2007, and will be back for at least
two more years. The wedding between the A.S.A.C. Basco-Béarnais
(promoter of the event) and KSO (promoter of WTCC) was sealed
at Pau’s Palais Beaumont by their respective presidents:
Jean-Paul Pasquet and Jacques Béhar.
“I could not be happier. In 23 years of presidency,
never ever I had contacts so smooth and fruitful like with
KSO. Together with them we will find the solutions to any
problems,” said Mr Pasquet.
Mr Behar commented: “In this choice we have been supported
by all the manufacturers involved in the WTCC. The people
of Pau have the history and experience, which will help the
WTCC to grow up further. I knew from the beginning that Mr
Pasquet and I were going to hit it off.”
Pau, located in the Pyrenees mountains and with approximately
85,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the Pyréneés-Atlantiques
region. The Grand Prix has been raced since 1933 on a 2.7km
street circuit, featuring Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula
3000; however the FIA WTCC will be the first world championship
hosted by the French city.
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