Races three and four of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) are on the agenda for the coming weekend at the Circuit de Nevers at Magny-Cours. Following its successful season's debut in Monza, BMW heads for France in buoyant mood as the leading team in the Constructors' Championship.
Dirk Müller (Burbach) of BMW Team Deutschland heads the WTCC Drivers' standings with 18 points. Behind him is James Thompson (Alfa Romeo) with twelve and BMW Team Italy-Spain's driver Antonio Garcia (ESP) with ten points. On the manufacturers' front, BMW managed to pick up 29 world championship points in Monza to place it first among the six competing brands. Alfa Romeo (28) and SEAT (15) are in second and third places.
The BMW national teams are gearing up for a challenging circuit in Magny-Cours, where Formula One will also be in action on 3rd July 2005 at the French Grand Prix. "The circuit suits me and I have always had a lot of fun driving there," says world championship front-runner Dirk Müller, who celebrated an ETCC race victory in Magny-Cours in 2004. "The track offers plenty of variety. After the start/finish line there's a tough section you have to master perfectly in order to build up enough speed to take into the first turn. On the other hand there are lots of places that require good traction. There's a bit of everything" says Dirk.
Covering a distance of 4.411 kilometres, the Circuit de Nevers is one of the shorter tracks in the World Touring Car Championship calendar. Its smooth surface allows drivers to select a firm set-up. One particular challenge is the level of grip, which is critically dependent on the temperature of the asphalt in Magny-Cours. If the sky begins to cloud over, conditions can noticeably worsen in a matter of minutes.
For the first time this year, the races in France will comply with the new distribution of weight handicaps in the FIA WTCC. Dirk Müller will be taking 45 kilograms on board his BMW 320i. Garcia (20 kg) and the reigning European Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx (GBR, 10 kg) of BMW Team UK will also be lining up with heavier cars. In 2005, the driver who has won the most points on a race weekend - at Monza it was Dirk Müller - subsequently has to take on 40 kilograms of extra weight. A further five kilograms are added for every ten championship points gained. The maximum handicap weight has risen from last year's 40 kilograms to 60 kg.
Dirk Müller explains the consequences of these weight handicaps for the drivers: "You have to adapt your driving style as the car naturally handles differently," says the 29-year-old. "It's more difficult accelerating out of the corners and you have to select different braking points. In addition, the set-up has to be adjusted accordingly. But as I have achieved good results in the past with weight handicaps, I remain optimistic."
Schedule:
Saturday, 30th April 200509.00 - 09.30 hrs: 1st free practice12.30 - 13.00 hrs: 2nd free practice15.15 - 15.45 hrs: Qualifying
Sunday, 1st May 200509.25 - 09.40 hrs: Warm-up15.10 - 15.35 hrs: 1st race - 12 laps (52.93 km)16.15 - 16.40 hrs: 2nd race - 12 laps (52.93 km)
Racing calendar FIA WTCC 2005
Date / Race10th April / Monza, Italy 1st May / Magny-Cours, France 15th May / Silverstone, Great Britain 29th May / Imola, Italy26th June / Puebla, Mexico30th July / Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium28th August / Oschersleben, Germany 18th September / Istanbul, Turkey 2nd October / Valencia, Spain20th November / Macau, China
