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BMW and Andy Priaulx win the 2006 World Touring Car Championship.
BMW and Andy Priaulx win the 2006 World Touring Car Championship.
Andy Priaulx (GBR) is the old and new World Touring Car Champion. At the FIA WTCC's season finale in Macau, the BMW Team UK driver added a fifth win to his tally in race one and finished fifth in the second round.
With 73 points under his belt, he secured his second consecutive world title. Jörg Müller (GER) from BMW Team Germany was beaten by his brand-mate by just a single point.
The 37-year-old won the final race of the season at the “Guia Circuit”, following a sixth-place finish in the first round of the day.
In the Manufacturers' Championship BMW has a 19-point lead over SEAT. With 254 points, the marquee also defended this championship title.
2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Rounds 19 and 20 - 17th/19th November 2006 - Race
Priaulx made history at one of the world's most demanding tracks. He is the first touring car driver since Roberto Ravaglia (ITA), now Team Principal of BMW Team Italy-Spain, who succeeded in winning three FIA Touring Car Championship titles in a row. In 2004 he secured title glory in the European Touring Car Championship, last year he won the FIA WTCC.
Whenever a world title was up for grabs in touring car racing, it was carried away by a BMW driver. By winning both the Drivers' and the Manufacturers' Championship, the BMW 320si WTCC finished a truly successful maiden season in motorsports. The drivers of the BMW national teams scored a total of 11 wins out of 20 races with the car that was developed by BMW Motorsport on the basis of the road-going series car with the same name.
With a good start from pole in race one, Priaulx laid the foundation for his second triumph. He defended the lead and delivered a flawless performance over the course of the following laps. For the drivers further back in the field, however, the first lap was a more turbulent affair.
Duncan Huisman (NLD) of BMW Team Italy-Spain kept out of all this turmoil by improving from fourth to second at the start.
Jörg Müller who started from fifth on the grid, lost one place. His team-mate, Dirk Müller (GER), who prior to the final two races also had the chance to become World Champion, experienced a dose of bad luck: When approaching the renowned Lisboa bend, he was pushed by Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA) and lost control of his car. With his car sideways, the 31-year-old blocked the track for a while, before continuing in the race. However, the best position he could achieve after this incident was 14th. This meant that Dirk Müller was out of the title fight.
The races of Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) from BMW Team Italy-Spain and Jan Magnussen (DEN), who was competing for BMW Team UK, were also spoiled by this situation. Magnussen was forced to return to the pits with a damaged car, while Zanardi was at least able to resume the race following a pit stop for repairs. The 40-year-old finished 23rd. At the top of the field, Priaulx dictated the pace and collected ten valuable points after nine racing laps. Huisman also completed a great race and took the chequered flag in second position.
With 69 points under his belt, Priaulx held a five-point lead over Augusto Farfus (BRA) and was seven points ahead of Jörg Müller in the title race at this point in time. Farfus and Jörg Müller had fought a tough duel for fifth place, with the German finally crossing the line in sixth place. This meant that the championship was to be decided in the very final race of the year.
Jörg Müller had to win race two in order to gain ground on Priaulx - and at the start he took the first crucial step towards victory. From third place he passed Peter Terting (GER) and Tom Coronel (NLD), thus taking the lead. However, Priaulx also improved by two positions and was already running in sixth when the safety car came out at the end of lap one. As was the the case in race one, a collision in the midfield hampered the progress of many BMW drivers. Huisman dropped back from seventh to 17th, while Magnussen was sent into yet another early retirement. Dirk Müller, on the other hand, improved from 14th to eighth. Zanardi leap-frogged the field from 21st to 11th. For Priaulx and Jörg Müller, however, it was more important that the third title contender, Farfus, had crashed on lap one and retired. Now it was obvious: The title fight had turned into a two-horse race.
At the end of lap four, the safety car pulled off. Jörg Müller benefited from technical problems on Terting's car at the re-start, as the SEAT with a misfire held up the rest of the field. Consequently, Jörg Müller was quickly was to open up a gap over his rivals and secured the all-important victory. For Priaulx, sixth place would have been enough to win the title. But he did even better than that. Following Terting's retirement he moved into fifth position and held this place until the end, thus scoring four points and keeping Jörg Müller at bay in the drivers' classification. Dirk Müller secured sixth place in the championship by coming eighth in race two. Zanardi finished ninth, Huisman brought home his damaged car home in 13th place.
Reactions:
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen:
“It's a great success for BMW to have won the title for the third time in a row. For all of these triumphs in the past three years we managed to take the first two positions in the drivers' standings as well as the manufacturers' crown. This championship victory, however, has a special meaning for me. This year we entered a completely new car, the BMW 320si WTCC. If a car lives up to the expectations on the track it only becomes obvious after the first races. From the word go we were competitive. Over the course of the season, we were able to improve the BMW 320si and to make it faster. We offer this car to customer teams around the world. Following the WTCC victory they now know even more precisely what they can look forward to. The fight for the drivers' title was open until the very final lap. Congratulations to Andy Priaulx who once again proved his extraordinary talent here in Macau. However, Jörg Müller didn't make it easy for him. This has been an exciting season with a worthy champion.”
Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK):
”I am overwhelmed by emotions at the moment. The pressure was huge in these two races. By his strong performance, Jörg forced me to do the best race of my life in round two. Fortunately I had the perfect car to do so. My RBM team has done a great job. In race two I was constantly under pressure from Fabrizio Giovanardi. He hit me every lap. But at the end of the day I won the title. To make it three in a row means a lot to me, it's a fantastic feeling. I'm happy to be part of such a competitive championship and that I am able to fight for wins. I also want to give SEAT a pat on the back, as they have shown a lot of commitment this year. However, I am glad that I was at the wheel of a BMW.”
Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team UK):
”This season finale is proof of the fact that again we had the best package of car, driver and team in 2006. If you score three pole positions and five wins in this competitive series, then this is a special achievement. The past season has been the best for the RBM team so far. I'm especially happy that Andy was able to win a race in Macau. This shows his outstanding abilities. I would like to thank BMW for the BMW 320si WTCC. It was unbelievable that we were in the position to win the very first race of the season. Additionally, a big thank you goes to BMW's engine department. The engineers did a great job, especially here at the power circuit of Macau.”
Jörg Müller (BMW Team Germany):
”This has been a sweet weekend for me. It's a pity that it didn't work out for me to win the title. I simply failed to score points consistently enough this season. With a new car you have to gain experiences first. To win here with a handicap weight of 75 kilograms proves how hard the team has worked and improved the car. Andy Priaulx did a superb job and is the deserving winner.“
Dirk Müller (BMW Team Germany):
”In the first race I backed off in order to avoid a collision with Andy. Consequently I lost several positions and in the end was spun round by a guest driver. That didn't help me on my mission to win the title. In race two I managed to improve from 14th to eighth. Quite obviously, I'm deeply disappointed now, as I had hoped for more.
Stats and results Macau:
Circuit / Date Guia Circuit / 19th November 2006
Lap / Race distance 6.117 km / 55.053 km (9 laps)
Pole position 2006 Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK), 2:33.318 minutes
Winners 2006
Race 1: Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK)
Race 2: Jörg Müller (BMW Team Germany)
Fastest lap 2006
Race 1: Alain Menu, 2:34.249 minutes
Race 2: Yvan Muller, 2:34.394 minutes
Drivers' Championship:
1st Priaulx (73 points)
2nd Jörg Müller (72)
3rd Augusto Farfus (64)
4th Muller (62)
5th Tarquini (57)
6th Dirk Müller (54)
7th Rydell (54)
8th Thompson (54)
9th Terting (49)
10th Gené (36)
11th Zanardi (26)...
13th Huisman (22).
Manufacturers' Championship:
1st BMW (254)
2nd SEAT (235)
3rd Alfa Romeo (154)
4th Chevrolet (128).
With 73 points under his belt, he secured his second consecutive world title. Jörg Müller (GER) from BMW Team Germany was beaten by his brand-mate by just a single point.
The 37-year-old won the final race of the season at the “Guia Circuit”, following a sixth-place finish in the first round of the day.
In the Manufacturers' Championship BMW has a 19-point lead over SEAT. With 254 points, the marquee also defended this championship title.
2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Rounds 19 and 20 - 17th/19th November 2006 - Race
Priaulx made history at one of the world's most demanding tracks. He is the first touring car driver since Roberto Ravaglia (ITA), now Team Principal of BMW Team Italy-Spain, who succeeded in winning three FIA Touring Car Championship titles in a row. In 2004 he secured title glory in the European Touring Car Championship, last year he won the FIA WTCC.
Whenever a world title was up for grabs in touring car racing, it was carried away by a BMW driver. By winning both the Drivers' and the Manufacturers' Championship, the BMW 320si WTCC finished a truly successful maiden season in motorsports. The drivers of the BMW national teams scored a total of 11 wins out of 20 races with the car that was developed by BMW Motorsport on the basis of the road-going series car with the same name.
With a good start from pole in race one, Priaulx laid the foundation for his second triumph. He defended the lead and delivered a flawless performance over the course of the following laps. For the drivers further back in the field, however, the first lap was a more turbulent affair.
Duncan Huisman (NLD) of BMW Team Italy-Spain kept out of all this turmoil by improving from fourth to second at the start.
Jörg Müller who started from fifth on the grid, lost one place. His team-mate, Dirk Müller (GER), who prior to the final two races also had the chance to become World Champion, experienced a dose of bad luck: When approaching the renowned Lisboa bend, he was pushed by Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA) and lost control of his car. With his car sideways, the 31-year-old blocked the track for a while, before continuing in the race. However, the best position he could achieve after this incident was 14th. This meant that Dirk Müller was out of the title fight.
The races of Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) from BMW Team Italy-Spain and Jan Magnussen (DEN), who was competing for BMW Team UK, were also spoiled by this situation. Magnussen was forced to return to the pits with a damaged car, while Zanardi was at least able to resume the race following a pit stop for repairs. The 40-year-old finished 23rd. At the top of the field, Priaulx dictated the pace and collected ten valuable points after nine racing laps. Huisman also completed a great race and took the chequered flag in second position.
With 69 points under his belt, Priaulx held a five-point lead over Augusto Farfus (BRA) and was seven points ahead of Jörg Müller in the title race at this point in time. Farfus and Jörg Müller had fought a tough duel for fifth place, with the German finally crossing the line in sixth place. This meant that the championship was to be decided in the very final race of the year.
Jörg Müller had to win race two in order to gain ground on Priaulx - and at the start he took the first crucial step towards victory. From third place he passed Peter Terting (GER) and Tom Coronel (NLD), thus taking the lead. However, Priaulx also improved by two positions and was already running in sixth when the safety car came out at the end of lap one. As was the the case in race one, a collision in the midfield hampered the progress of many BMW drivers. Huisman dropped back from seventh to 17th, while Magnussen was sent into yet another early retirement. Dirk Müller, on the other hand, improved from 14th to eighth. Zanardi leap-frogged the field from 21st to 11th. For Priaulx and Jörg Müller, however, it was more important that the third title contender, Farfus, had crashed on lap one and retired. Now it was obvious: The title fight had turned into a two-horse race.
At the end of lap four, the safety car pulled off. Jörg Müller benefited from technical problems on Terting's car at the re-start, as the SEAT with a misfire held up the rest of the field. Consequently, Jörg Müller was quickly was to open up a gap over his rivals and secured the all-important victory. For Priaulx, sixth place would have been enough to win the title. But he did even better than that. Following Terting's retirement he moved into fifth position and held this place until the end, thus scoring four points and keeping Jörg Müller at bay in the drivers' classification. Dirk Müller secured sixth place in the championship by coming eighth in race two. Zanardi finished ninth, Huisman brought home his damaged car home in 13th place.
Reactions:
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen:
“It's a great success for BMW to have won the title for the third time in a row. For all of these triumphs in the past three years we managed to take the first two positions in the drivers' standings as well as the manufacturers' crown. This championship victory, however, has a special meaning for me. This year we entered a completely new car, the BMW 320si WTCC. If a car lives up to the expectations on the track it only becomes obvious after the first races. From the word go we were competitive. Over the course of the season, we were able to improve the BMW 320si and to make it faster. We offer this car to customer teams around the world. Following the WTCC victory they now know even more precisely what they can look forward to. The fight for the drivers' title was open until the very final lap. Congratulations to Andy Priaulx who once again proved his extraordinary talent here in Macau. However, Jörg Müller didn't make it easy for him. This has been an exciting season with a worthy champion.”
Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK):
”I am overwhelmed by emotions at the moment. The pressure was huge in these two races. By his strong performance, Jörg forced me to do the best race of my life in round two. Fortunately I had the perfect car to do so. My RBM team has done a great job. In race two I was constantly under pressure from Fabrizio Giovanardi. He hit me every lap. But at the end of the day I won the title. To make it three in a row means a lot to me, it's a fantastic feeling. I'm happy to be part of such a competitive championship and that I am able to fight for wins. I also want to give SEAT a pat on the back, as they have shown a lot of commitment this year. However, I am glad that I was at the wheel of a BMW.”
Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team UK):
”This season finale is proof of the fact that again we had the best package of car, driver and team in 2006. If you score three pole positions and five wins in this competitive series, then this is a special achievement. The past season has been the best for the RBM team so far. I'm especially happy that Andy was able to win a race in Macau. This shows his outstanding abilities. I would like to thank BMW for the BMW 320si WTCC. It was unbelievable that we were in the position to win the very first race of the season. Additionally, a big thank you goes to BMW's engine department. The engineers did a great job, especially here at the power circuit of Macau.”
Jörg Müller (BMW Team Germany):
”This has been a sweet weekend for me. It's a pity that it didn't work out for me to win the title. I simply failed to score points consistently enough this season. With a new car you have to gain experiences first. To win here with a handicap weight of 75 kilograms proves how hard the team has worked and improved the car. Andy Priaulx did a superb job and is the deserving winner.“
Dirk Müller (BMW Team Germany):
”In the first race I backed off in order to avoid a collision with Andy. Consequently I lost several positions and in the end was spun round by a guest driver. That didn't help me on my mission to win the title. In race two I managed to improve from 14th to eighth. Quite obviously, I'm deeply disappointed now, as I had hoped for more.
Stats and results Macau:
Circuit / Date Guia Circuit / 19th November 2006
Lap / Race distance 6.117 km / 55.053 km (9 laps)
Pole position 2006 Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK), 2:33.318 minutes
Winners 2006
Race 1: Andy Priaulx (BMW Team UK)
Race 2: Jörg Müller (BMW Team Germany)
Fastest lap 2006
Race 1: Alain Menu, 2:34.249 minutes
Race 2: Yvan Muller, 2:34.394 minutes
| Driver | A. Priaulx | D. Müller | J. Müller | A. Zanardi | D. Huisman | J. Magnussen |
| Date of birth | 08.08.1974 | 18.11.1975 | 03.09.1969 | 23.10.1966 | 11.11.1971 | 04.07.1973 |
| Country | GB | D | D | I | NL | DK |
| Car no | 1 | 43 | 42 | 4 | 41 | 40 |
| Team | BMW Team UK | BMW Team Germany | BMW Team Germany | BMW Team Italy-Spain | BMW Team Italy-Spain | BMW Team UK |
| Handicap weight | 45 kg | 75 kg | 35 kg | 10 kg | 5 kg | 20 kg |
| Test session | 2:35.540 (4th) | 2:36.809 (16th) | 2:36.342 (11th) | 2:36.174 (10th) | 2:35.867 (6th) | 2:40.616 (21th) |
| 1st free ractice | 2:34.957 (2nd) | 2:35.592 (5th) | 2:35.330 (4th) | 2:35.906 (9th) | 2:36.969 (19th) | 2:36.157 (14th) |
| 2nd free practice | 2:34.335 (1st) | 2:34.742 (5th) | 2:34.805 (7th) | 2:35.885 (13th) | 2:35.934 (14th) | no timed lap |
| Qualifying | 2:33.318 (1st) | 2:34.628 (2nd) | 2:34.896 (5th) | no timed lap | 2:34.761 (4th) | 2:36.381 (10th) |
| Warm-up | 2:35.578 (12th) | 2:35.359 (8th) | 2:34.840 (5th) | 2:35.548 (11th) | 2:35.749 (16th) | 2:35.497 (10th) |
| Race 1 | 1st | 14th | 6th | 23rd | 2nd | DNF |
| Race 2 | 5th | 8th- | 1st | 9th | 13th | DNF |
| Points 2006 | 73 | 54 | 72 | 26 | 22 | - |
| WTCC position | 1st | 6th | 2nd | 11th | 13th | - |
Drivers' Championship:
1st Priaulx (73 points)
2nd Jörg Müller (72)
3rd Augusto Farfus (64)
4th Muller (62)
5th Tarquini (57)
6th Dirk Müller (54)
7th Rydell (54)
8th Thompson (54)
9th Terting (49)
10th Gené (36)
11th Zanardi (26)...
13th Huisman (22).
Manufacturers' Championship:
1st BMW (254)
2nd SEAT (235)
3rd Alfa Romeo (154)
4th Chevrolet (128).
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