Formula BMW Asia - Race 7 - Beijing

Second China victory for Abay.

Round 7
Goldenport Circuit, Beijing, China

Beijing, China - Australian Sam Abay (17/Team E-Rain) notched up his second
win in as many races, taking another pole-to-flag victory on Beijing's 2.3km
Goldenport Circuit. Second was Kiwi and Rookie Cup driver, Earl Bamber, who
had started from 7th on the grid. However, arguably the star of the show was
BMW Junior Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Eurasia Motorsport) who managed to hold off
the hard-charging Bamber until the final lap with a display of defensive
driving that was nothing short of brilliant.

Abay's win puts him at the top of the championship leaderboard, five points
ahead of Bamber. BMW Junior James Grunwell (THA/Team Meritus) retains his 3rd
position, with Ricciardo now only six points adrift. The Rookie Cup positions
remain unchanged.

Off the start, Abay got away well but Ricciardo was not far behind and looking
to challenge for the lead, followed by Grunwell. Meanwhile, Bamber was up from
7th to 4th on the opening lap and continued the charge to Grunwell, whom he
passed to go 3rd. Karting ace, Aaron Lim (MAS/Eurasia Motorsport), who had
started from 6th on the grid was also a man on the move, passing first Mohammed
Al Baharna (BRN/Team E-Rain) and then Grunwell to finish 4th.

In the closing stages, Abay had pulled out an impressive gap, crossing the line
more than six seconds ahead of Bamber. However, it was the duel between the
Kiwi and Ricciardo which had the thousands of Beijing spectators on the edge of
their seats and, although Bamber finally found a way past the talented BMW
Junior, Ricciardo had displayed extraordinary mental and physical stamina: "I
think it's a lot harder to fight to keep a driver behind you than to chase one
in front," he said. "I followed Sam for the first quarter of the race, before
he pulled away. Earl eventually caught up to me and full credit to him for
pressuring me into a mistake."

Ricciardo's podium finish made up for the disaster which befell Eurasia
Motorsport team mate and fellow BMW Junior Dominic Storey. The 16-year-old
Kiwi finished Round 6 in second place during what had been an impressive
weekend for the youngster. However, a technical problem stalled him on the
warm up lap and he was forced to start from the pit lane, eventually finishing
the race in 7th.

Fastest Lap: Sam Abay/Team E-Rain/01:05.466

Formula BMW Asia Points Standings after Round 7.
1. Sam Abay (AUS/Team E-Rain) 109 points; 2. Earl Bamber (NZL/Team Meritus) 104
points; 3. James Grunwell (THA/Team Meritus) 78 points; 4. Daniel Ricciardo
(AUS/Eurasia Motorsport) 72 points; 5. Dominic Storey (NZL/Eurasia Motorsport)
57 points; 6. Hamed Al Fardan (BRN/Team Meritus) 40 points; 7. Zahir Ali
(INA/Eurasia Motorsport) 35 points; 8. Aaron Lim (MAS/Eurasia Motorsport) 34
points; 9. Mohammed Al Baharna (BRN/Team E-Rain) 23 points; 10. Aditya Akkineni
(IND/Team E-Rain) 16 points; 11. Rayomand Banajee (IND/Privateer) 1 point.

Rookie Cup Points Standings after Round 7.
1. Earl Bamber 125 points; 2. James Grunwell 96 points; 3. Daniel Ricciardo 94
points; 4. Dominic Storey 84 points; 5. Aditya Akkineni 56 points.

Statistics:
Winners 2006: Al Fardan (2); Earl Bamber (3); Sam Abay (2)
Pole Positions: Bamber (3); Abay (2); Grunwell (1);
Podiums: Abay (7); Bamber (5); Grunwell (3); Al Fardan (2); Ricciardo (3);
Storey (1)
Championship Points: 1. Abay (109); 2. Bamber (104); 3. Grunwell (78)
Rookie Cup Winners: Bamber (5); Grunwell (1); Storey (1)
Rookie Cup Points: 1. Bamber (125); 2. Grunwell (96); 3. Ricciardo (94)

Background:
Formula BMW is the world's leading entry-level championship in Formula racing.
In 2006 the series will be held in Germany, the UK, Asia and the USA. More
than 80 up-and-coming drivers, some as young as 15-years old, will compete
worldwide. Racing five times in support of the Formula One World Championship,
Formula BMW offers a worldwide stage, training through a multifaceted Education
and Coaching Programme, and BMW's longstanding Junior scholarship for deserving
drivers.

The FB02 race car is propelled by a 140 bhp BMW engine up to 230km/h. The
design exceeds the FIA safety requirements for its class, with the BMW
Motorsport developed FORS Formula Rescue Race Seat, and the mandatory HANS
safety system.

From November 24 to 26, 2006 the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo
Tormo will host the second Formula BMW World Final. Young racing drivers from
the four regional Formula BMW series will compete against each other with the
winner receiving a test drive with the BMW Sauber F1 Team.