PAC: Series Singapore preview

Singapore driver on hunt for victory on Marina Bay Circuit.

Singapore - Formula BMW Pacific championship leader Richard Bradley (Eurasia Motorsport) will be looking to conquer the demanding 5.067km Marina Bay street circuit when he races in front of a home crowd for the first time in Rounds 11 & 12 from September 24-26.

Featuring on the support card of the 2010 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX, Bradley, 19, will face stiff opposition from a field packed with fledgling talent over two, 10-lap races. All wanting to make their names at one of the FIA Formula One World Championship's most high-profile weekends are young drivers from right across Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Hong Kong, as well as further afield from Australia, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Russia and Spain.

On-form Bradley returned to Singapore from China recently where he clinched three wins in four races at the Guangdong International Circuit to give him a 40 point lead over closest challenger, Formula BMW Pacific Junior Jordan Oon (20/E-Rain Racing), whose parents hail from Singapore. Exciting Colombian teenager Oscar Tunjo (Meritus) lies ten points adrift of Oon on the leaderboard.

The trio tops both the overall Drivers' Classification, as well as the Rookie Cup coming to Singapore, after which only three rounds remain of the 2010 season.

Malaysia's Calvin Wong (18/PETRONAS Mofaz Racing), currently fourth in the Drivers' Classification in his second Formula BMW Pacific season, is the only driver to have experienced Singapore's street circuit before.

Fellow countryman Nabil Jeffri (Eurasia Motorsport), fourth in the Rookie Cup, made headlines recently when, at just 16, he became the youngest person to drive an F1 car, during aero testing for Lotus Racing.

Briton James Birch (17/Motaworld Racing) will be looking to get back to the form which saw him take victory in Malaysia earlier this season, while South Korean S.H. Tom Mun arrives in the Lion City fresh from his first podium finish.

Joining Oon as Formula BMW Junior drivers this season are Kotaro Sakurai (16/JPN/Eurasia Motorsport), sixth in the Rookie Cup, and Jesse Dixon (18/AUS/Atlantic Racing Team), tenth. All three won coveted scholarships from BMW Motorsport following pre-season trials, which include financial support as well as a full season in the comprehensive, unique-in-Asia Education & Coaching Programme.

Adding to the competitive mix for the Singapre rounds are four guest drivers, two of whom are contesting Formula BMW Pacific's sister series in Europe. Russian Daniil Kvyat, 16, and Spaniard Carlos Sainz Junior, 16, son of the former FIA World Rally Champion and winner of the Paris-Dakar Rally Carlos, will compete with Eurointernational. Both Kvyat and Sainz Junior, a 2010 Formula BMW Junior, are Red Bull Juniors.

The FB02 racing car reaches speeds of up to 230km/h and exceeds the FIA safety requirements for its class. Modifications are strictly limited - guaranteeing that skill and not financial advantage dictates success on the track.

But the success of Formula BMW is not just limited to technological excellence and equitable regulations. The Education & Coaching Programme is an integral part of Formula BMW and is a powerful and effective training ground for fledgling talent.

With a sister series in Europe, the Formula BMW concept is a proven winner. Among the 20 team drivers in this season's FIA Formula One World Championship, there are now seven Formula BMW graduates: Bruno Senna, Nico Hulkenberg, Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil, Sebastian Vettel, Sebastien Buemi and Timo Glock. Formula BMW Pacific, although only established in 2003, has already seen its drivers progress to GP2, British and European Formula 3 and now, Formula 1.

Formula BMW Pacific provides ample opportunities for young drivers to develop their skills and competes at some of the region's most prestigious race meetings. The 2010 season kicked off in high gear supporting the FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX. A month later, in May, the series returned to the Sepang International Circuit for four intense races as part of the Asian Festival of Speed.

After Singapore, the series travels to Japan to race in support of the FIA World Touring Car Championship in Okayama next month. The final challenge of the 2010 season will come at the 57th Macau Grand Prix in November on another of the world's most demanding street circuits.

-source: fbmw pac