BMW WilliamsF1 Team-Marc Gene Renewal

Gené Re-signs for 2004

Oxford, 31 October, 2003. The BMW WilliamsF1 Team today confirmed that Marc
Gené (ESP) has re-signed as the team's official test and reserve driver for
the 2004 season.

29 year old Gené, a native of St Quirze del Vallés near Barcelona in Spain,
has undertaken testing duties for the team since 2001, and in three years of
relentless work, has completed nearly 42,000 km of testing on the team's
behalf. 

As Chief Operations Engineer, Sam Michael reflects, "Testing is the backbone
of our racing performance and the essential hard grind of the job. I'm
confident that the BMW WilliamsF1 Team could have no-one better as the
mainstay of our testing programme. Marc is quick, consistent, and provides
the team engineers with excellent and intelligent feedback. It gives me
great confidence to know that he will be with the team again next year. I'm
also comfortable knowing that Marc, if needed, can also race competitively
as he showed this season."

While most test drivers conduct their trade away from the glare of
publicity, Marc has 34 Grand Prix starts to his name, and also holds the
position of Official Reserve Driver for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team.

After a mid-season testing accident involving Ralf Schumacher, Marc
deputised for the German driver in the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. In his
first race representing the team, he claimed a highly creditable 5th place
on the grid, and showed an extremely competitive race pace, contributing a
valuable four points to the team by finishing in 5th place. Despite only
having one solitary race start in the 2003 season, Marc finished ahead of
three regular drivers in the FIA Formula One Drivers¹ Championship, as well
as being ahead of four other drivers who between them recorded 19 GP
starts."

Team Principal Frank Williams reflected, "We are fortunate to have a driver
of Marc's calibre who can test with metronomic precision and efficiency, but
who also has the racecraft and depth of experience to represent the team at
a Grand Prix when circumstances require. I am very pleased that we have
managed to extend our relationship for another season given that Marc's
testing knowledge and abilities are highly regarded elsewhere."

The Spaniard said on confirmation of his contract for 2004, "I am delighted
to continue my relationship with the BMW WilliamsF1 Team for next year." He
continued, "2003 has been a very busy and special year, busy because so far
this season I have completed 24,000 testing kilometres, and obviously
special since it marked my debut with the team as a race driver at Monza, a
race I really enjoyed. For next season, my goal is to assist the team in
every way to win the World Championship."

Marc Gené

Date and place
of birth:    29th March 1974/Sabadell (Barcelona, ESP)
Nationality:    Spanish
Place of residence:    St Quirze del Vallés
Website:    www.marcgene.com
Marital status:    Single
Height:    1.73 m
Weight:    69 kg
Hobbies:    Reading (esp. history and psychology), cinema,
   mountain-biking, diving, mountain-climbing
Favourite dish:    Pasta
Favourite drink:    Milk
First drove a car:    At the age of eight in a Ford Fiesta
First drove a racing car:    A go-kart at the age of six

Career highlights

1987    Second in the Catalan Kart Championship.

1988    First in the Spanish Kart Championship (national class);
   first in the Catalan Kart Championship (national class).

1989    Tenth in the European Kart Championship (junior class);
   19th in the World Kart Championship (national class).

1990    First in the Spanish Kart Championship
   (youngest winner in the senior class).

1991    First in the Catalan Kart Championship (senior class);
   13th in the World Kart Championship, Formula A

1992    Fifth in the Spanish Formula Ford Championship,
   one win, one pole position.

1993    Second in the Formula Ford Festival (World Cup),
   Team Manor Motorsport;
   second in the Formula Ford European championship
   one win and three podium placings in four races.

1994    British Formula 3 Championship, Alan Docking
   Racing, "Rookie of the Year";
   seventh in the international Formula 3 Challenge
at Donington Park.

1995    British Formula 3 Championship, West Surrey Racing, two podium
placings;
   second Avon Prize for the three fastest drivers in
British Formula 3. 

1996    First in the II Fisa Golden Cup Superformula,
one win, four podium placings, four pole positions.

1997    International Formula 3000 Championship,
   Pacific Racing Team and Nordic Racing Team.

1998    First in the Formula Open Fortuna by Nissan,
   Team Adrian Campos Motorsports, six wins;
   Formula One test with Fondmetal Minardi Ford.

1999    17th in the Formula One World Championship,
   Fondmetal Minardi Ford, ten out of 16 possible finishes, sixth in the
Nürburgring Grand Prix;
   nominated "Best Rookie of the Year" by the Spanish Car and Driver
magazine and as Driver of the Year by Spanish Motor Racing World.

2000    19th in the Formula One World Championship,
   Telefonica Minardi Team, eight out of 17 possible finishes.

2001    Official test & reserve driver, BMW WilliamsF1 Team

2002     Official test & reserve driver, BMW WilliamsF1 Team

2003    Official test & reserve driver, BMW WilliamsF1 Team


Formula One statistics:

Formula One debut:    Melbourne 1999
Best qualifying:    5th, Monza 2003
Best GP result:    5th, Monza 2003
GP starts:    34
Career points    5
Fastest laps:    0