FIA WORLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP - MONZA PREVIEW

4/01/2005 FIA World Touring Car Championship

Round 1 - Monza, Italy, 09/10 April 2005

FIA WTCC season opens: the chase for Ravaglia's title begins.

Monza (Italy), 4th April 2005. The countdown for the curtain-raiser of the FIA WTCC has begun. In six days' time, the first World Touring Car Championship since 1987 kicks off in Monza. The series will visit ten challenging race tracks in three continents. After winning the European Touring Car Championship last year, BMW now enters the FIA WTCC with three national teams driving its tried and tested BMW 320i touring car.

BMW Teams UK, Deutschland and Italy-Spain have undergone an intensive testing programme in preparation for the start of the season. The aim was, within the strict framework of regulations, to further improve the BMW 320i, which contests its final season in 2005. In 2004, Andy Priaulx (GBR) for BMW Team Great Britain had driven this car to take the Drivers' title in the FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), while BMW also secured the Manufacturers' title in the European Championship. This year, the Munich car manufacturers have the World Championship title in their sights.

The only World Champion to date in the history of touring car racing has been Roberto Ravaglia (ITA). He won the title 18 years ago in a BMW M3. Ravaglia is also involved in the new edition of the World Championship - this time as team manager of BMW Team Italy-Spain. "Winning the World Championship title in 1987 was undoubtedly one of the high spots of my career," he recalls. "It was an incredibly close-fought battle back then, and I think it will be the same in the new FIA WTCC. Being involved as a team manager in the new World Championship with its outstanding line-up is a great challenge. Along with the other two BMW national teams, we will be doing our utmost to perpetuate BMW's great successes in touring car racing."

BMW Team Italy-Spain ROAL Motorsport with drivers Antonio Garcia (ESP) and Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) - once again competing in a specially modified BMW 320i - will be starting off the season with a home race. On the 5.770-kilometre Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, drivers will be battling for the first World Championship points of the season. "Last year, both Alessandro and Antonio managed to pick up points in the ETCC curtain-raiser at Monza. That is our goal again in 2005," says Ravaglia. "The circuit is the fastest in the calendar, which is why a powerful engine is paramount. There are a number of good passing opportunities, which means fans can look forward to some spectacular racing."

Dirk Müller (Burbach) and Jörg Müller (Hückelhoven) of BMW Team Deutschland are also hoping to make a good start to the season in Monza. As for Priaulx, after winning the 2004 FIA ETCC he will be the object of the chase this year. Along with his fellow BMW drivers, the 30-year-old will have to assert himself in a strong field of competitors representing six manufacturers. All 29 drivers will be pursuing a single goal: to follow in the tyre tracks of Roberto Ravaglia.

Eurosport will be providing comprehensive coverage of the FIA WTCC races. The TV channel will broadcast 18 of the 20 races live, along with the warm-up.

Schedule: Saturday, 09 Apr 2005 09.00 - 09.30 Free Practice 1 12.30 - 13.00 Free Practice 2 15.15 - 15.45 Qualifying Sunday, 10 Apr 2005 09.20 - 09.35 Warm-up 15.10 - 15.35 1. Race - 9 laps (51.93km) 16.15 - 16.40 2. Race - 9 laps (51.93km)