Marco Holzer Wins First Formula BMW World Final

Bahrain, 16 December. Marco Holzer (AM-Holzer Motorsport) is the winner of the
first ever Formula BMW World Final and now has a test in a BMW Sauber F1 Team
car to look forward to. The 17-year-old, who raced in the 2005 Formula BMW ADAC
Championship, had the perfect weekend winning all his heats, the Pre-Final and
then the all important World Final. Second was Sebastien Buemi (ASL Team Mücke-
Motorsport) and third Nicolas Hülkenberg (Josef Kaufmann Racing).

"I cannot find the words to describe how I feel at the moment. I came to
Bahrain and my goal was to finish in the top ten. I have won every race I
competed in and now I have the opportunity to test the BMW Sauber F1 Team car!
This result is unbelievable and I have realised the greatest dream of my life.
I just want to thank my team and BMW for making this dream come true," said a
delighted Marco Holzer.

The event, however, finished on a controversial note as it was Hülkenberg who
was first on the road after leading the final from lap one to the finish.
Following the race he was given a ten second penalty that dropped him down to
third. This was due to an incident at the end of lap ten when the Safety Car
pulled off the track. The Stewards ruled he was in breach of the regulation
stating 'following the withdrawal of the Safety Car and prior to passing the
green flag, the race leader will maintain the pace previously held by the
Safety Car' by reducing his speed.

The event also included a Nations Cup for the country whose drivers scored the
most points in the final. This was won by the UK and Sam Bird as its highest
placed driver overall went on the podium to receive this trophy.

Final: Nicolas Hülkenberg made sure that when it counted he was in front of
the pack although his subsequent penalty dropped caused him to be classified
third. He had been beaten by fellow German Marco Holzer up to now, but he made
sure he led the first lap of the race and stayed there. The race was
interrupted by two Safety Car periods. The first was from laps four to ten to
retrieve the cars of Jack Goldstraw and Salman Al Khalifa. Then just a lap
later the Safety Car was deployed again as the cars of Stefano Colletti and
Jonathan Summeton had collided on the start/finish line at the re-start due to
the cars bunching up when the pace was slowed down. Racing got underway again
at the end of lap 16 and the three out front - Hülkenberg, Holzer and Sebastien
Buemi - were able to pull away. However, behind them the racing was fast and
furious. Sam Bird and Edoardo Piscopo had a race long battle for fourth, with
the British driver being just seventeen thousandths of a second in front as
they passed the chequered flag.

Then came a train of six cars all wanting to be sixth, although in the results
it is fifth as until the FIA Appeal lodged by Piscopo's team is heard in Paris
he will not appear in the results. This battle was won by Nathan Antunes, who
started 18th on the grid, but just 1.2 seconds separated him from tenth placed
James Davison as they crossed the line and in the closing laps at times this
gap had been even smaller. While the Australian had moved up 13 places from his
grid spot, the most improved driver was Robert Wickens, who had made a habit of
coming from the back of the grid during the heats, as he was sixth from
27th.

Pre-Final: Marco Holzer continued his perfect weekend in the 22 lap Pre-Final
by getting the best start from pole and staying in front until the chequered
flag. In fact it was the three drivers who crossed the line first at the end of
lap one - Holzer, Nicolas Hülkenberg and João Urbano - who were still there in
that order at the end. Urbano was briefly relegated to fourth on laps two and
three by Sebastien Buemi, but by the end of lap four he was in front again. The
gap between the first two was never more than a second all race and while they
pulled away the gap between Urbano and fourth placed driver, Sebastien Buemi,
was also never more than eight tenths of a second. Sam Bird admitted to a bad
start, but still managed to hold on to fifth despite pressure in the early laps
from Edoardo Piscopo. The event proved a disappointment for Robert Wickens who
had done so much work by driving through the field in the heats to start
seventh. A rear left puncture sent him into the pits at the end of lap three
and the best he could get back to was 27th.

Pre-Final Results and Grid for World Final.
1 Marco Holzer (GER) (AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH) 32:08.495
2 Nicolas Hülkenberg (GER) (Josef Kaufmann Racing)
32:09.014
3 João Urbano (POR) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport)
32:15.386
4 Sebastien Buemi (SUI) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport)
32:16.186
5 Sam Bird (GBR) (Fortec Motorsport) 32:18.933
6 Edoardo Piscopo (ITA) (Eurointernational SRL) 32:24.740
7 Armaan Ebrahim (IND) (Team E-Rain) 32:30.564
8 Matt Howson (GBR) (Filsell Motorsport) 32:31.292
9 Dominik Wasem (GER) (AM-Holzer Rennsport-GmbH) 32:34.984
10 Jonathan Summerton (GBR) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport)
32:35.300
11 Matt Lee (USA) (Team Autotecnica) 32:40.171
12 Jordan Wise (GBR) (Motaworld Racing) 32:44.159
13 Fabio Onidi (ITA) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport) 32:48.630
14 Stefano Coletti (MON) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport) 32:48.847
15 Tobias Hegewald (GER) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport) 32:50.029
16 James Davison (AUS) (Meritus) 32:50.889
17 Harald Schlegelmilch (LAT) (4speedmedia GmbH) 32:53.197
18 Nathan Antunes (AUS) (Motaworld Racing) 32:55.473
19 Philip Glew (GBR) (Promatecme/Soper Sport) 32:55.983
20 Matt Harris (GBR) (Team SWR) 32:56.478
21 Dean Smith (GBR) (Coles Racing) 32:57.878
22 Andzej Dzikevic (LTU) (4speedmedia GmbH) 33:01.610
23 Robert T. Boughey (THA) (Meritus) 33:02.963
24 Jonathan Legris (GBR) (Mark Burdett Motorsport) 33:06.338
25 Reed Stevens (USA) (Meritus) 33:16.645
26 Euan Hankey (GBR) (Nexa Racing) 33:21.802
27 Robert Wickens (CAN)(Team Autotecnica) 33:28.551
28 Stian Sørlie (NOR) (Fortec Motorsport) 21 laps
29 Ross Curnow (GBR) (Nexa Racing) 20 laps
30 Oliver Turvey (GBR) (Team SWR) 14 laps
31 Salman Al Khalifa (BRN) (Team E-Rain) 12 laps
32 Hamad Al Fardan (BRN) (Meritus) 0 laps
33 Christian Vietoris (GER) (Josef Kaufmann Racing) DNS
34 Race Johnson (USA) (Meritus) DNS
35 Jack Goldstraw (GBR) (Team SWR) DNS

Fastest Lap: Nicolas Hülkenberg - 1m 27.180s

BMW World Final Results.
1 Marco Holzer (GER) (AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH) 44:06.997
2 Sebastien Buemi (SUI) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport)
44:08.576
3 Nicolas Hülkenberg (GER) (Josef Kaufmann Racing)
44:13.967
4 Sam Bird (GBR) (Fortec Motorsport) 44:15.878
5 Nathan Antunes (AUS) (Motaworld Racing) 44:19.843
6 Robert Wickens (CAN)(Team Autotecnica) 44:20.979
7 Ross Curnow (GBR) (Nexa Racing) 44:20.097
8 Dominik Wasem (GER) (AM-Holzer Rennsport-GmbH) 44:20.509
9 Matt Howson (GBR) (Filsell Motorsport) 44:20.957
10 James Davison (AUS) (Meritus) 44:20.980
11 Andzej Dzikevic (LTU) (4speedmedia GmbH) 44:25.728
12 Dean Smith (GBR) (Coles Racing) 44:29.744
13 Matt Harris (GBR) (Team SWR) 44:30.253
14 Matt Lee (USA) (Team Autotecnica) 44:32.517
15 Robert T. Boughey (THA) (Meritus) 44:32.978
16 Philip Glew (GBR) (Promatecme/Soper Sport) 44:33.942
17 Harald Schlegelmilch (LAT) (4speedmedia GmbH) 44:35.120
18 Hamad Al Fardan (BRN) (Meritus) 44:36.210
19 Reed Stevens (USA) (Meritus) 44:36.995
20 Stian Sørlie (NOR) (Fortec Motorsport) 24 laps
21 Jonathan Legris (GBR) (Mark Burdett Motorsport) 24 laps
22 Oliver Turvey (GBR) (Team SWR) 24laps
23 Armaan Ebrahim (IND) (Team E-Rain) 19 laps
24 Tobias Hegewald (GER) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport) 19 laps
25 Stefano Coletti (MON) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport) 10 laps
26 Jonathan Summerton (GBR) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport) 10
laps
27 Euan Hankey (GBR) (Nexa Racing) 10 laps
28 Jack Goldstraw (GBR) (Team SWR) 2 laps
29 Salman Al Khalifa (BRN) (Team E-Rain) 2 laps
30 João Urbano (POR) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport) 0 laps
31 Jordan Wise (GBR) (Motaworld Racing) 0 laps
32 Fabio Onidi (ITA) (ASL Team Mücke-Motorsport) 0 laps
33 Christian Vietoris (GER) (Josef Kaufmann Racing) DNS
34 Race Johnson (USA) (Meritus) DNS

Fastest Lap- Nicolas Hülkenberg - 1m 26.997s

Background:
Formula BMW is the world's leading entry-level class in Formula racing. In 2005
the series was held in Germany, the UK, Asia and the USA. Up-and-coming drivers
as young as 15-years-old are given the opportunity of entering motor racing
with the high-tech, standard FB02 race car.

This racing car has been seen on the grid since 2002 and has set standards
particularly on the safety technology front. The single-seater is propelled by
a 140 bhp BMW engine up to 230km/h and exceeds the FIA safety requirements for
its class. BMW Motorsport has developed the FORS Formula Rescue Race Seat
especially for Formula BMW. The HANS safety system is also mandatory.

In 2005, Formula BMW was staged five times as part of the Formula One support
programme. All the series offer a multifaceted Education and Coaching Programme
as well as sponsorship for promising racing talents. The best-known alumni of
this talent hothouse are Formula One drivers Ralf Schumacher, Christian Klien
and Nico Rosberg.

BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen: "Formula BMW offers talented young
drivers more than just a car. In the Education and Coaching Programme we have
designed specially for them, they learn everything they need to know to hold
their own in the big wide world of motor racing. Formula BMW has shot out of
the blocks to become the top entry-level class for Formula racing worldwide."