Interview with BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen.

Munich, 08th November 2006. The countdown for the FIA World Touring Car
Championship (WTCC) season finale is on. Prior to rounds 19 and 20 at
Macau's (CHN) "Guia Circuit", nine drivers are still in the
fight for the drivers' title. Three contenders are racing a BMW 320si
WTCC: Reigning champion Andy Priaulx (GBR) of BMW Team UK as well as
both BMW Team Germany drivers, Jörg Müller (GER) and Dirk
Müller (GER). In addition, BMW holds the lead in the
Manufacturers' Championship and is set to defend the title in the former
Portuguese colony. In this interview, BMW Motorsport Director Mario
Theissen, talks about the showdown in the Far East and reviews the
exciting season. Mr Theissen, as it was the case in 2005, the WTCC
title fight will be decided in Macau. Is this a worthy venue for the
finale? Mario Theissen: "Yes for sure. I was on site last year,
when Andy Priaulx clinched the drivers' title and we won the
Manufacturers' Championship. It was a unique atmosphere, and I was
deeply impressed. The circuit poses an inimitable challenge for the
drivers in the final event of the season. The Guia Circuit is evocative
of the narrow streets of Monaco. Street circuits of that kind deserve
their reputation of being extremely demanding." Does it come as a
surprise to you that any one of nine drivers can still be champion?
Theissen: "I assess this situation with mixed emotions. On the one
hand, it's great that we still have three strings to our bow. Combined
with the fact that we are leading the manufacturers' classification,
this proves the competitiveness of the BMW 320si in its very first
season. From the manufacturer's angle, however, we have to keep a
critical view of the close field of competitors which has been brought
about by individual handicaps and compromises." For the fans
there just cannot be enough excitement... Theissen: "That's true.
I'm also happy we didn't have an early title decider. We have seen 11
different race winners this season, representing four manufacturers. As
far as excitement among the drivers is concerned, it couldn't get any
better. However, the WTCC is not only about the drivers, but we fought
for the manufacturers' title as well. Such a title only makes sense, if
the best car is in the front at the end of the year. The title loses
its significance and an ambitious manufacturer loses its interest, if
the cars' performance is levelled via the regulations." How do
you rate the performance of the three BMW title aspirants? Theissen:
"Over the course of the season, Andy Priaulx not only scored points
on a regular basis, but also turned out to be a multiple race winner. To
date he made it onto the top step of the podium four times, thus
winning three more races than last year - when he won the title.
Jörg Müller leaped into third position in the drivers'
classification thanks to an impressive performance in the second half
of the season. Overall, he won three races. Jörg knows Macau very
well. His experience will be an advantage for him. Dirk Müller is
the underdog this year. In 2005, he travelled to Macau as championship
leader and was beaten by Andy. Furthermore, the handicap weight will
play an important role in the final two rounds." What do you
expect from the other three drivers in the BMW national teams? Theissen:
"Alessandro Zanardi again made some special moments in this year's
World Touring Car Championship and celebrated another win in Istanbul
after claiming his first WTCC victory in Oschersleben 2005. This is an
outstanding achievement. I'm confident that he will also be a factor in
Macau. The same goes for his BMW Team Italy-Spain team-mate, Duncan
Huisman. No other driver has scored more wins at this track than the
Dutchman. Jan Magnussen will also support us in our quest for the
manufacturers' title. He is an experienced driver who already knows the
BMW 320si from the Danish Touring Car Championship." What is so
fascinating about the World Touring Car Championship? Theissen: "In
Formula One and in most of the other racing categories, it's essential
to avoid all contact with an opponent on the track. This is different
in the WTCC. Often the contact is even welcomed, when drivers lean on
their rivals to gain fractions of a second in corners. This is truly
unique. The races are very exciting and offer a lot of action. So far,
every World Touring Car Champion has won the title in a BMW. I hope
that this will still be the case after the season finale in
Macau." What does Alessandro Zanardi's test with the BMW Sauber F1
Team mean to you? Theissen: I'm delighted that we can give Alessandro
the opportunity to make his return at the wheel of an F1 car. A couple
of months ago he asked me about this topic rather as a joke. Now, this
joke will become reality. Our engineers were able to modify the BMW
Sauber F1.06 for his specific needs. I'm really excited about the test."