Home >> Archives >> Archive

Site Search

Archives by Year
Archives

Filter 

  • SILVERSTONE TEST SUMMARY - APRIL 26-28, 2005
    Created: Thursday, April 28, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    The BMW WilliamsF1 Team concluded a three day test at the Silverstone circuit, in the UK, today. Mark Webber, Antonio Pizzonia and the team's newly signed test driver, Nico Rosberg, all shared testing responsibilities. Despite typical British weather conditions of heavy rain, the drivers managed to cover 430 laps over the three days, a combined total of 2,210 kilometers, securing valuable data for forthcoming Grands Prix.   Sam Michael (Technical Director, WilliamsF1):"This week at Silverstone we worked on set-ups for this track - mechanical and aerodynamic, engine cooling, brake cooling as well as tyre testing for Michelin. We also concentrated on electronic set-up for traction control and starts.   Mark and Antonio were helped out this week by Nico Rosberg. Nico was useful straight away with the test programme and has already made a direct contribution. As he is now a BMW WilliamsF1 Team driver he will be testing again in the near future."...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • SPANISH GRAND PRIX PREVIEW, MAY 6 - 8, 2005
    Created: Thursday, April 28, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    The BMW WilliamsF1 Team heads to Barcelona next week for the fifth round of the 2005 season, the Spanish Grand Prix. Despite the teams' familiarity with the circuit as a testing venue, the race at the Circuit de Catalunya is one of the most demanding on the Formula One calendar. The region's erratic weather conditions provide a continual challenge to the cars' set-up while prevailing winds can compromise aerodynamic efficiency. Having won over one third of the Spanish GPs held at the Catalunya track, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team is looking forward to drawing upon its experience in Barcelona next weekend. The team is also hoping that progress at the Silverstone test this week, combined with further aero developments for the cars, will provide a solid foundation to help drive the FW27s to a successful result.   Mark Webber:We do a huge amount of testing at Barcelona throughout the year so all the teams know the venue particularly well. I like the track and so really hope we'll be able ...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • WTCC - ROUNDS 3 & 4 - MAGNY-COURS PREVIEW
    Created: Sunday, April 24, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    Magny-Cours (France), 25th April 2005. Races three and four of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) are on the agenda for the coming weekend at the Circuit de Nevers at Magny-Cours. Following its successful season's debut in Monza, BMW heads for France in buoyant mood as the leading team in the Constructors' Championship. Dirk Müller (Burbach) of BMW Team Deutschland heads the WTCC Drivers' standings with 18 points. Behind him is James Thompson (Alfa Romeo) with twelve and BMW Team Italy-Spain's driver Antonio Garcia (ESP) with ten points. On the manufacturers' front, BMW managed to pick up 29 world championship points in Monza to place it first among the six competing brands. Alfa Romeo (28) and SEAT (15) are in second and third places.   The BMW national teams are gearing up for a challenging circuit in Magny-Cours, where Formula One will also be in action on 3rd July 2005 at the French Grand Prix. "The circuit suits me and I have always had a lot of fun driving ther...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • San Marino GP - Race
    Created: Sunday, April 24, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    Weather: Overcast, dry. Temp: Air 17°C, Track 24-27°C Imola (ITA). Both BMW WilliamsF1 Team cars reached the chequered flag at the end of today's race with both Mark Webber and Nick Heidfeld finishing just out of the points. Nick Heidfeld: 9th Best time: 1:23.917 (lap 54, 9th overall)Chassis: FW27 04 / BMW P84/5 engine 1st GP I lost a couple of places off the line and we obviously have to improve our starts. After that, Jarno held up the pack where I was for most of the time. I think towards the end of the race my pace was good enough to collect some points, but of course we want to be more competitive than just scoring points, so we must find more speed. I could catch up with Jarno and Ralf very quickly, but overtaking on this circuit was another matter. At the last pit-stop Ralf Schumacher got in front of me by forcing me to brake hard and avoid a crash....
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX - RACE RESULTS
    Created: Saturday, April 23, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    Weather: Overcast, dry. Temp: Air 17°C, Track 24-27°C Imola (ITA). Both BMW WilliamsF1 Team cars reached the chequered flag at the end of today's race with both Mark Webber and Nick Heidfeld finishing just out of the points.   Nick Heidfeld: 9th Best time: 1:23.917 (lap 54, 9th overall)Chassis: FW27 04 / BMW P84/5 engine 1st GP I lost a couple of places off the line and we obviously have to improve our starts. After that, Jarno held up the pack where I was for most of the time. I think towards the end of the race my pace was good enough to collect some points, but of course we want to be more competitive than just scoring points, so we must find more speed. I could catch up with Jarno and Ralf very quickly, but overtaking on this circuit was another matter. At the last pit-stop Ralf Schumacher got in front of me by forcing me to brake hard and avoid a crash....
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • BMW Team PTG Ready For Laguna Seca
    Created: Thursday, April 21, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    BMW Team PTG Looks to Write another Winning Story at Road and Track 250 Woodcliff Lake, NJ  ? April 22, 2005?  Following its GT class victory at the April 3 Grand American 400 at California Speedway, defending 2004 GT Champions BMW Team PTG will work hard to continue their turn around of the 2005 season at Laguna Seca Raceway, the site of the Round 4 Road and Track 250 on May 1. In past years, the historic Monterey, California circuit has been the site of numerous BMW victories, including two previous BMW Team PTG GT victories. ...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • PREVIEW: FORMULA BMW USA ROUNDS 1 & 2, LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY
    Created: Thursday, April 21, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    The curtain rises on the second Formula BMW USA Championship season on April 29 - May 1 at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California. Racing on the US Sports Car Invitational weekend, 21 young drivers will begin the 2005 Formula BMW USA Championship hunt at the same track where the 2004 champions were crowned last season. One of North America's classic road courses, Laguna Seca's serpentine 2.238-mile's will provide quite a stage for the opening act of the 14-race series, with most drivers making their professional racing debut.   Six days of official testing have been completed in the last four weeks, with many showing potential star quality. Two BMW Juniors, Richard Phillipe (15) and Kevin Lacroix (16), have consistently been close to the top of the unofficial timing charts. Also, catching the eye of Formula BMW USA coaches by posting top-five unofficial times in various sessions were, Maxime Soulet (21), James Davison (16), Robert Wickens (16), John Zartarian (17), Matt Lee...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • BimmerWorld Racing Team Notes - Road Atlanta
    Created: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    BimmerWorld Racing Continues Strong 2005 Season at Road Atlanta Radford, VA (April 20, 2005) ? In a continuation of their 2005 charge, the BimmerWorld Racing team again placed two drivers in the top 10 in a challenging weekend at their home track, Road Atlanta. Quickly up to speed after wreck damage at the previous round in St. Petersburg two weeks ago, Seth Thomas was 6th overall on practice day with teammates James Clay and Matt Richmond following 10th and 14th respectively.         On Saturday for qualifying, an engine issue persisted with Clay's #36 BMW 325i.  The issue was quickly diagnosed after the session, but with an 8MPH deficit down the straight, Clay was only able to place the car in 21st position.  Both Thomas and Richmond sped up over their previous practice times, but in the tightly packed top of the field, they were seeded 12th and 13th for the start of the afternoon race. Matt Richmond followed Seth Thomas's advance through...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX, APRIL 22 - 24, 2005 - PREVIEW
    Created: Sunday, April 17, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    The San Marino Grand Prix marks the start of the European season, and after the uncharacteristic first three races of the year, Imola is a more representative circuit in more usual climatic conditions. Given the normalisation of the racing conditions, the Grand Prix will provide a more accurate form guide for the teams for the next batch of races and the BMW WilliamsF1 Team will hope that its continuous stream of car developments over the past three months will start to show in competitive form on the track. Mark Webber:Imola has been a good track to me in the past. I won there once in Formula 3000, and added to that, I always enjoy going to Italy, it is one of my favourite countries. The atmosphere in that track is very, very good, partly because of its setting tucked in the little mountains among the trees, making it a very picturesque setting. The circuit is one you instantly enjoy racing on and of course our team have a pretty good record in Imola. The only possible downside is the...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • WTCC - ROUNDS 1 & 2 - MONZA - RACE
    Created: Monday, April 11, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    With one win and a total of three podium places, BMW enjoyed a successful launch in the new FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) this weekend. The first race at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza saw Dirk Müller (GER) of BMW Team Deutschland celebrate a start-to-finish win. Second and third places were taken by Alfa Romeo drivers Gabriele Tarquini and Augusto Farfus jr. In the second race, all BMW drivers managed to pick up world championship points. James Thompson (Alfa Romeo) won the race and was joined on the podium by runner-up Dirk Müller and BMW Team Italy-Spain driver Antonio Garcia (ESP) in third place. Rounding off BMW's encouraging overall results were Jörg Müller (GER) of BMW Team Deutschland in fourth place, European champion Andy Priaulx (GBR) of BMW Team UK in fifth, and local hero Alessandro Zanardi (ITA, BMW Team Italy-Spain) in seventh. It puts Dirk Müller at the top of the Drivers' rankings with 18 points in the first World Touring Car Championship to be he...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • WTCC - ROUNDS 1 & 2 - MONZA - QUALIFYING
    Created: Sunday, April 10, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    It was a successful start to the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) for BMW. During Saturday's qualifying for the first race of the series in Monza, Dirk Müller (GER) of BMW Team Deutschland managed to secure pole position. Antonio Garcia (ESP), driving for BMW Team Italy-Spain, claimed the second-best time. The reigning European Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx (GBR) of BMW Team UK came fifth, while Garcia's team-mate Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) will be contesting Sunday's race from eleventh place on the grid. BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, who was determined to attend the curtain-raiser of the FIA WTCC, was impressed by the performance of the BMW drivers: "It was a strong showing by Dirk and Antonio," he said. "In all the teams, we could see how the drivers were taking each other into their slipstream, and that worked pretty well for us. This is a good starting position for the race. Now we will have to wait and see what the track conditions are like on Sunday and how ...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • BimmerWorld - St. Pete Race Notes
    Created: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    BIMMERWORLD DRIVERS GAIN CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS IN THE STREETS OF ST PETE  RADFORD, VA (April 7, 2005) ? The BimmerWorld Racing took two top ten positions and climbed in the 2005 Championship points race at the Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg on Sunday.  During the practice sessions on Friday, James Clay in the #36 car had engine issues early on.  "It is tough to sit out during a session while my competitors learn the new circuit and get faster" explained Clay, "but the crew got my car running perfectly and my teammates gathered good information and really helped me get up to speed quickly."...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • Auberlen and Hand Take Grand American 400 GT Victory
    Created: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    BMW Team PTG M3s Finish 1st, 6th, 7th and 12th   Fontana, Calif. ? April 3, 2005? The No. 21BMW Team PTG M3 of Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand won the GT class of today?s Grand American 400, moving BMW to second in Manufacturer Points. It was the first victory of the 2005 season for the defending GT class champions. Starting from the pole, the duo covered 84 laps in the two-hour-and-forty-five-minute contest, finishing ahead of the No. 65 Porsche.    Not an easy race, the contest was marked by six caution periods that required smart pit strategy by Team PTG to gain advantage over a very competitive 24-car GT field. ...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX - RACE
    Created: Sunday, April 03, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    Weather: Dry, overcast. Temp: Air 42°C, Track 48-55°C Sakhir (BHR). In the heat of the Bahrain desert, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team collected three points thanks to Mark Webber who finished in sixth position. Team mate Nick Heidfeld had to retire due to an engine failure around the mid-race distance. Mark Webber: 6th Chassis: FW27 03 - Best time: 1:33.087min (lap 20, 10th overall) It was a tough race for me. Unfortunately with about 20 laps to go I had a spin at turn 10 when I was running third and I lost two positions. My tyres were in bad shape after I spun and the car was difficult to drive because of strong vibrations. So in the last few laps I lost one position to de la Rosa. Everyone in the team did a very good job and also Michelin provided us with good tyres. Now I am looking forward to Imola....
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • BMW and Auberlen Back On Top of GT Field
    Created: Saturday, April 02, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    BMW Team PTG M3s Will Start 1st, 2nd, 5th and 12th in Grand American 400 Qualifying for tomorrow?s Grand American 400, defending Rolex Sports Car GT Champion Bill Auberlen scored his first GT pole of the season today. Driving the No. 21 BMW Team PTG M3, he recorded a 1:40.893 minute lap around the 2.8-mile, 21-turn California Speedway road course to lead BMW Team PTG in the team?s best qualifying effort of the season. All four BMW Team PTG drivers recorded their best starting positions today. Defending race champion, Tom Milner qualified the No. 16 BMW Team PTG F1 Air M3 second (1:41.589) for an all-BMW M3 front row in the GT class. Chris Gleason will start the No. 22 BMW Team PTG M3 fifth, posting a time of 1:42.774 minutes. RJ Valentine, in the No. 17 F1 Air M3, will start 12th (1:44.266)....
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP - MONZA PREVIEW
    Created: Thursday, March 31, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    FIA World Touring Car Championship Round 1 - Monza, Italy, 09/10 April 2005FIA WTCC season opens: the chase for Ravaglia's title begins. Monza (Italy), The countdown for the curtain-raiser of the FIA WTCC has begun. In six days' time, the first World Touring Car Championship since 1987 kicks off in Monza. The series will visit ten challenging race tracks in three continents. After winning the European Touring Car Championship last year, BMW now enters the FIA WTCC with three national teams driving its tried and tested BMW 320i touring car.BMW Teams UK, Deutschland and Italy-Spain have undergone an intensive testing programme in preparation for the start of the season. The aim was, within the strict framework of regulations, to further improve the BMW 320i, which contests its final season in 2005. In 2004, Andy Priaulx (GBR) for BMW Team Great Britain had driven this car to take the Drivers' title in the FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), while BMW also secured the Manufactur...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • BMW Team PTG Readies for Grand American 400
    Created: Thursday, March 31, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    Fontana, Calif. ? April 1, 2005? As the Rolex Sports Car Series begins a two-race month of April in the Golden State, BMW Team PTG is working hard to turn around its frustrating start to the 2005 season. The 2004 GT champions are looking to leave Sunday?s Grand American 400 at the California Speedway with a much better finish than their current seasons best of seventh.  Last year, in the season-ending race here, BMW Team PTG capped a 10-win season with a 1-2 M3 finish. This year, rules changes requiring significant performance reductions have meant the construction of all-new M3s.  Despite extraordinary effort to even be prepared for the beginning of the season, it has been a very difficult start for the team that has delivered 46 wins and 14 sports car racing championships in nine years of competition. A withdrawal from the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona was followed by a struggle just to keep pace at Miami-Homestead Speedway. Adjustments made by Grand American in the mi...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
  • MINI ANNOUNCES NEXT NEW SPECIAL EDITION; THE MINI PULLMAN
    Created: Thursday, March 31, 2005 Author: Jeff Seabrook
    Special Model to Promote Flexible Transportation InitiativeWoodcliff Lake, NJ - April 1, 2005... MINI, already known for cornering as if it were on rails, will now offer a special edition that will actually corner on rails. In light of the growing problem of gridlock and rush hour traffic, this special model is adapted to ride on all domestic gauge rail lines throughout North America.In conjunction with the North American railway system, an exclusive right-of-way has been authorized for the specially equipped MINI to commute via rail during peak hours in major urban centers. This access, once only limited to railway utility trucks is now available to MINI owners who order the special model.The MINI Pullman can access the railway at any major crossing gate provided care is taken not to enter into the opposing direction of prevailing rail traffic. A new feature in the onboard computer allows the MINI 'motorman' or woman to access individual rail line schedules to plan their travels while...
    ____________________________________________________________________________________________