.... for World Final. The inaugural Formula BMW World Final is now firmly on the agenda of many of the Formula BMW UK Championship drivers. For them this will provide a unique opportunity to pit themselves against the best drivers in the world in this category.

After a presentation at the BMW Power Festival top UK drivers such as Championship leader, Sam Bird (Fortec Motorsport), have now set their sights on getting to Bahrain for the event on the 16th December. "It is an amazing opportunity for all of us. Not only can we race against the best Formula BMW drivers from Germany, America and Asia, but the prize will be a Formula One test. Things can't get much better than that - what a Christmas present that would be," he said.

Two drivers who have already experienced other Formula BMW championships are Ross Curnow (Promatecme/Soper Sport) and Paul Rees (Team SWR Locktite). Last year Ross raced in Germany, while Paul took part in the two Formula BMW USA Championship races that supported the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix. Ross is confident a UK series driver can lift the World Final cup: "In Germany the standard is quite high, but I believe the UK drivers have a good chance of winning not only the World Final but also the Nations Cup."

The Bahrain International Circuit is renowned as of being one of the best race tracks in the world, and its state of the art facilities will be the ideal setting for this Formula BMW season finale. The Bahrain International Circuit and BMW have come up with a package that gives all competitors free sea freight for each car and equipment, free hotels, hire cars and circuit catering. Several teams have pointed out the disadvantage of having all their cars away when they may need them for winter testing if they are sent by sea, so BMW has also come up with a deal whereby the cars can be air freighted to Bahrain by the beginning of December for an additional cost of US Dollars 3,000 per car.

The weather in Bahrain in December is ideal for both racing and testing, unlike in the UK at the same time. Therefore, BMW has booked the circuit for the four days following the World Final, so it is available for teams who wish to take this as a testing opportunity. This would provide a very cost effective test for new driver evaluation as the personnel and equipment are already on site.