BMW Motorsport 2003 Season Review.
Almost there.
Munich. Stunning victories, surprising turns of events, bitter
disappointments - the 2003 motorsport season had a little of everything
in
store for BMW. "For us it was up one minute, down the next", admits BMW
Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, "but overall we can look back on a
successful season: in Formula One we fought for the Constructors' title
right until the end - we have never been so close to our big objective.
And in the European Touring Car Championship we won that title in the
final."
Following a shaky start in the FIA Formula One World Championship, the
BMW WilliamsF1 Team achieved four Grand Prix wins, including the only two
double victories of the 2003 championship. With the GP win in Monte Carlo
and a truly triumphal race at Hockenheim, drivers Juan Pablo Montoya
(COL)
and Ralf Schumacher (GER) collected twelve podium places between them.
Once again the team proved to be the most reliable of all, completing
more
race laps than any other. The latest BMW Formula One engine also set
benchmarks at the top echelon of motor racing and never once let the team
down. Four pole positions furnished further proof of the team's strength.
"Our development curve since returning to Formula One continues to climb
steeply upwards", concluded Theissen, adding: "We aim to continue this
trend in 2004."
In the FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), ten out of 20 races
were won by the BMW 320i. Most of these victories were collected for BMW
Team Deutschland by Jörg Müller (GER), who was first to cross the
finishing line five times in all. With one race to go before the end of
the season, BMW had become unassailable in the Manufacturers' standings.
In the battle for the Drivers' title, Müller was defeated in the final
race by just one championship point.
The third pillar of BMW Motorsport likewise continued to gain in stature.
While Formula BMW has already established itself in Germany and Asia as
the first port of call for promising young racing drivers, sister series
have been set up for 2004 in England and the USA as well.
