BMW Motorsport 2003 Season Review.
Page 3. Successful 2003 season. Page 4. Interview with BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. Formula One. Page 6. Weak start, strong mid-season, disappointing finale. Page 7. Australian GP. Page 8. Malaysian GP. Page 8. Brazilian GP. Page 8. San Marino GP. Page 8. Spanish GP. Page 9. Austrian GP. Page 9. Monaco GP. Page 9. Canadian GP. Page 10. European GP. Page 10. French GP. Page 10. British GP. Page 10. German GP. Page 11. Hungarian GP. Page 11. Italian GP. Page 11. US GP. Page 12. Japanese GP. Page 13. Results and stats. Page 17. Facts and figures. European Touring Car Championship (ETCC). Page 19. BMW claims Manufacturers' title after exciting ETCC. Page 23. Results and stats. Formula BMW. Page 25. Title duel in Germany, international expansion. Pgae 29. Champion Maximilian Götz. Page 30. Top rookie Sebastian Vettel. Page 31. Results and stats. Nürburgring 24 Hour Race. Page 33. Record winner BMW runs out of luck in the Eifel in 2003.
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.
