World Final: Series preview

Driver and teams gearing up for the Formula BMW World Final 2008.

Munich, 18th November 2008. Despite the current Formula BMW season nearing its close, the action is due to follow thick and fast: This weekend sees Formula BMW Pacific contest its final race in Macau (MO), making it the last of Formula BMW's three international driver development series to bring its year to an end. Thereafter the focus of the young drivers will fall on the highlight of the season. The fourth Formula BMW World Final, to be held at the "Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez" in Mexico City (MX) from 5th to 7th December 2008, offers the winner a unique prize - he will get the chance of a test drive in a BMW Sauber F1 Team racing car.

Eight teams have entered a total of 20 drivers - representing the finest talents from Formula BMW Europe, Formula BMW Americas and Formula BMW Pacific - to race for the Formula BMW crown. Included in the field are local hero Esteban Gutierrez (MX), and Alexander Rossi (US). Both are able to look back on very successful seasons: Gutierrez claimed the title in Formula BMW Europe, of which seven of its eight races featured as support events at Formula One Grand Prix weekends, while Rossi's victories in Montreal (CA) and Sao Paulo (BR) mean he scored three of his ten victories in front of Formula One crowds. Both these freshly crowned champions competed in the Formula BMW World Final 2007 - and have every intention of running up front in their second appearance this year.

The final race of the BMW Motorsport season is not, though, popular only amongst the more experienced Formula BMW drivers. Numerous Rookies, who contested their first single-seater racing seasons in 2008, aim to leave lasting impressions during the Formula BMW World Final, and realise their dream of testing a Formula One racing car. Formula BMW Europe Rookie Cup winner Michael Christensen (DK) is travelling to Mexico, as is his peer from Formula BMW Americas, Gianmarco Raimondo (CA). Simon Moss (ZA), too, plans to follow up victory in the Rookie Cup category of Formula BMW Pacific with a further step on the career ladder.

On Thursday, 4th December, the full impact of victory in the Formula BMW World Final will become vividly clear to the youngsters: Philipp Eng (AT), who won last year's event in Valencia, will be granted his Formula One opportunity in Mexico. <pre> List of confirmed drivers and teams:

No       Driver                          Nat.         Team
2        Mikael Grenier, R               CA           Apex-HBR Racing Team
5        Gianmarco Raimondo, R           CA           Autotecnica
7        Velibor Jovanovic               RS           Dams Team
8        Jim Pla                         FR           Dams Team
9        Thomas Hillsdon, R              GB           Eiffelland Racing
10       Jazeman Jaafar                  MY           Eiffelland Racing
11       David Mengesdorf                DE           Eiffelland Racing
12       William Buller                  GB           Eurointernational
14       Daniel Juncadella               ES           Eurointernational
15       David Ostella, R                CA           Eurointernational
16       Alexander Rossi                 US           Eurointernational
17       Doru Sechelariu                 RO           Eurointernational
18       Giancarlo Vilarinho, R          BR           Eurointernational
19       Gabriel Chaves                  CO           Euro Junior Team
20       Alfonso Toledano                MX           Euro Junior Team
21       Michael Christensen, R          DK           Josef Kaufmann Racing
22       Esteban Gutierrez               MX           Josef Kaufmann Racing
23       Facundo Regalia, R              ES           Josef Kaufmann Racing
24       Ollie Millroy, R                GB           Motaworld Racing
25       Simon Moss, R                   ZA           Motaworld Racing

R - Rookie </pre> -credit: fbmw