Williams to test M?ller

In recognition of his strong performance in the European Touring Car Championship, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team is granting touring car works driver Dirk Müller a Formula One test drive. The 26-year-old from North-Rhine Westphalia (GER) will be getting behind the wheel of the WilliamsF1 BMW FW24 in Barcelona on 3 December.

"I can't wait for my test drive in Barcelona," said a delighted Müller. "It's always been my dream to drive a Formula One car one day. It's fantastic that the BMW WilliamsF1 Team has given me this opportunity."

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen said: "Over the last two years Dirk has achieved a great deal for BMW and really deserves this token of thanks." Dirk Müller's touring car teammate, Jörg Müller (GER), by contrast, already has plenty of Formula One driving practice under his belt, having spent three years as an F1 test driver.

Dirk Müller, who turns 27 on 18 November, launched his career in 1989 in karting, moving on to various junior formula classes. In 1996, a highly promising season with his first racing victory in the German Formula 3 Championship ended with the bankruptcy of his main sponsor. Müller switched to touring car racing and went on to win the 1998 Porsche Carrera Cup as a works driver as well as the GT Class of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in 2000.

For the 2001 season he joined BMW's ALMS team and claimed victory at Jarama (ESP) in the BMW M3 GTR. In the 2002 season just past, Dirk Müller manned a BMW 320i as works driver for the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), in which he secured three racing victories and took fourth place in the championship. His country of residence is Monaco and he has been married to Daniela since 2001.

Dirk Müller will be test-driving on 3 December along with Nico Rosberg. The 17- year-old Finn, winner of the German Formula BMW ADAC Championship, was at the WilliamsF1 headquarters in Grove last Monday for a seat fitting and induction.

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