Valencia: BMW preview

BMW Team RBM concludes European WTCC season in Valencia.

Munich, 14th September 2010. This weekend rounds 17 and 18 of the FIA World Touring Car Championship bring the European leg of the season to a close. At the "Circuit de la Comunitat" in Valencia (ES), BMW Team RBM aims to continue its recent run of successes in order to be best prepared for the showdowns in Okayama (JP) and Macau (CN).

Andy Priaulx (GB) plans to put further pressure on championship leader Yvan Muller (FR) in Spain. Having been 51 points adrift of Muller prior to the rounds in Brands Hatch (GB), over the last two race weekends the BMW works driver has been able to reduce his deficit on the Chevrolet driver to 11.

Augusto Farfus (BR) also managed to climb the rankings after scoring two second places in Oschersleben (DE). Priaulx, on 218 points, presently lies second in the championship; Farfus occupies sixth with 145 points.

Valencia has hosted the WTCC every year since 2005, with BMW drivers celebrating three victories at this circuit. Last year Farfus scored the first of his total of six season victories there.

Bart Mampaey (Team Principal):
"An intense weekend awaits our team in Spain this weekend. Naturally we aim to achieve good results with both cars. However, Valencia has never been a circuit that really suits the BMW. It would therefore be positive from a championship perspective if the gap to the leader did not increase. From that point, the Okayama circuit should suit us better. In fact, early on the Monday after the race in Valencia our equipment leaves by sea freight containers for Asia. This means our team has a lot of work ahead of it."

Augusto Farfus (Car Number 10):
"I like the Valencia circuit, and won here last year. However, it is certainly not easy to find the best set-up for this circuit. You need to have a sufficiently high top speed in order to ward off attacks from slipstreaming cars at the end of the long straight. Oschersleben has been a very important weekend for me. Now I hope to build on this in Spain."

Andy Priaulx (Car Number 11):
"Of course it would be nice to pick up in Valencia where we left off with winning in Oschersleben. However, we have been quite successful this season with taking things as they come and not putting ourselves under too much pressure. From now on, every point can be crucial in the fight for the title. Therefore my first goal is to score in both races. Let's wait and see what's possible beyond that."

-source: bmw