2010 WTCC Rds 19 & 20 Japan

• 25.10.2010
• Press Release

Munich, 25th October 2010. In Japan this weekend, rounds 19 and 20 of the season herald the decisive phase of the 2010 World Touring Car Championship. BMW Team RBM is looking for a good result at the 3.703-kilometre “Okayama International Circuit”, which will put it in a promising position heading to the finale in Macau (CN) on 21st November 2010. Andy Priaulx (GB) currently lies in second place in the Drivers’ Championship on 240 points – 25 points behind leader Yvan Muller (FR/Chevrolet). Augusto Farfus (BR) currently finds himself in seventh going into the final overseas leg of the season.

Spectators can look forward to no less than 14 BMW 320si WTCC cars lining up in Okayama. Alongside the two BMW works drivers Farfus and Priaulx, and the six regular BMW privateers, a further six private drivers will be behind the wheel of the successful touring car from Munich. These include Colin Turkington (GB), who has already contested six WTCC races this year and has three podium finishes to his name.

Last year, Farfus and Priaulx each claimed a victory in Okayama, which this year hosts the World Touring Car Championship for the third time following events in 2008 and 2009. Qualifying for the 19th race of the year begins at 15:30hrs local time (7:30hrs GMT) on Saturday. On Sunday, the first race begins at 14:35hrs local time (5:35 GMT), while race two gets underway at 16:05hrs (7:05hrs GMT).

Bart Mampaey (Team Principal):
“The two races in Okayama are enormously important for us. Andy is currently 25 points behind the leader in the Drivers’ Championship. We have to close this gap as much as possible, so as to travel to the season finale with our title chances still intact. We all know anything can happen in Macau. Our drivers have always done well in Japan in the past and both picked up a win in 2009. Everyone in the team is really motivated and has worked hard over the past weeks to ensure we are perfectly prepared for the Asian rounds.”

Augusto Farfus (Start Number 10):
“It's back to racing at last. The final overseas leg of our series is always very exciting. I like the track as it generally suits our car well. In addition, it's great to be back in Japan. It's a fascinating country, and the people are very friendly and really into what we do. It's an important weekend for us, as we want to put ourselves in a promising position for the season finale in Macau.”

Andy Priaulx (Start Number 11):
“Once again the World Touring Car Championship comes down to the last few races. We have to maintain the momentum and ensure we get some great results from Japan to carry the chase for the championship to Macau. I really enjoy the challenge of Okayama, and just hope we have better weather than last year – not just for us, but for the thousands of dedicated local fans.”

• 31.10.2010
• Press Release

Okayama, 31st October 2010. Augusto Farfus (BR) claimed victory in the 20th round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship in Okayama (JP). After finishing fourth in the first race of the day, the BMW Team RBM driver crossed the line 0.275 seconds ahead of fellow BMW driver, Colin Turkington (GB), who made it a one-two for BMW in Japan. In the first race, which also had to be started behind the safety car due to torrential rain, Farfus’ team-mate, Andy Priaulx (GB,) also made it onto the podium by finishing second behind Chevrolet’s Robert Huff (GB). In race two, however, Priaulx had to retire on lap four after he locked his rear-wheels and went off into the gravel trap.

For Farfus this was his maiden victory of the season and the 16th of his WTCC career. In the 2010 Drivers’ Championship, Yvan Muller (FR/Chevrolet) made a big step towards the title. Priaulx now has 258 points under his belt, so ranking second in the standings prior to the season finale in Macau (CN). The gap to the Frenchman, however, increased to 37 points. Fifty points are up for grabs in the former Portuguese colony on 21st November. Farfus improved to fifth in the championship, with 186 points to his name. In the manufacturers’ standings, BMW is now second on 564 points.

Bart Mampaey (Team Principal):
“Whenever we race in Japan, we suffer from very difficult conditions. The same applied today. Our biggest problem was the fact our front tyres needed several laps before they had the right temperatures. During this period, however, our competitors already used their chances to attack or pass us. This made it really difficult today. Thanks to a strong performance Andy was able to bring home second in race one. Due to the points situation he went for it in the second race, but then went off in these horrible conditions with a lot of water on the track. Obviously this doesn’t make it easier for us in the title fight. Augusto managed to keep out of trouble in the opening phase of race one, before improving place by place over the course of the race. I’m really happy for him. We had some technical issues on both cars during the break between both races – and the whole team did a fantastic job.”

Augusto Farfus (Car Number 10):
Race 1: 4th, 1:52.108 min – Race 2: 1st, 1:54.402 min – Car weight: 1,168 kg
“It’s fantastic that I finally managed to win my first race this year. The conditions were really tough today. It was even more difficult this time than last year, when I also scored a victory. The pace of my car was good in the wet, but it just took a few laps until I could push. Still it was enough to win, and of course I’m really happy with my result.”

Andy Priaulx (Car Number 11):
Race 1: 2nd, 1:52.009 min – Race 2: DNF, 1:58.597 min – Car weight: 1,168 kg
“This was not the way I wanted to finish the weekend after such a good qualifying. Race one went according to plan and, while I could do nothing to stop Rob coming by, I was able to fend off Yvan Muller. Then in race two I knew on the grid it would be much tougher with the technical problems we had to work on during the break. I made a mistake and had to retire. Anyway it is congratulations to Augusto for the win. I may be a long way behind Yvan, but I shall still go into Macau fighting to the very last lap.”

Colin Turkington (Car Number 29):
Race 1: 6th, 1:52.150 min – Race 2: 2nd, 1:54.185 min – Car weight: 1,123 kg
“I’m used to heavy rain from the United Kingdom, but here conditions really were extreme. The most important thing was not to take any risks, which worked out fine for me. It feels great to be back on the podium.”