Formula BMW Germany - Race 5 and 6 - Nürburgring

Race 5 + 6, 5-7 May 2006, Nürburgring, F1 Grand Prix.

Vietoris: "Two wins - time to celebrate!"

Nürburg. The Formula One fans thronged the stands at the Nürburgring to see
Formula BMW Germany line up for its sixth championship race. Christian Vietoris
(Lissendorf/Josef Kaufmann Racing) delivered a commanding performance in which
he dominated his rivals. The 17-year-old driver from the Eifel won the season's
fifth race ahead of Stefano Coletti (MCO/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg) and Jens
Klingmann (Leimen/Eifelland Racing). His triumph was witnessed by Franziska van
Almsick, who was watching the junior drivers from the BMW Sauber F1 Team pit
garage. In the sixth race, Vietoris crossed the start/finish line with a lead
of 4.8 seconds, leaving Klingmann and Formula BMW World Final winner Marco
Holzer (Bobingen/AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH) trailing.

"Two wins on the Formula One weekend. Time to celebrate!" rejoiced the normally
reserved Vietoris. The evening before, he was still together with his team
trying to find the perfect set-up. After the race the Josef Kaufmann Racing
squad jubilantly shared the winner's champagne. Making his mark as the best
rookie this weekend was Klingmann. The youngest participant in the series at
just 15, he made it onto the podium twice. "It was just fantastic," he noted of
his successful performances. Holzer started the race from fifth position on the
grid and worked his way forward to a third-placed finish. "It's really cool to
be handed your trophy by an ex-Formula One World Champion," said Holzer, who
was delighted to find BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Jacques Villeneuve doing the
honours at the presentation ceremony.

After the races that were part of the support programme for the European
Formula One Grand Prix, Vietoris heads the championship rankings after four
consecutive wins on a points tally of 110. Following him in second and third
place are Mika Mäki (FIN/Eifelland Racing, 72) and Marco Holzer
(Bobingen/AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH, 53). In the classifications for newcomers
to formula racing, Philipp Eng (AUT/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg, 110 points) is in
the top slot ahead of Jens Klingmann (Leimen/Eifelland Racing, 82) and Patrick
Kronenberger (Friedrichshafen/Josef Kaufmann Racing, 76).

During a question and answer session with Nick Heidfeld and the participants in
the Education and Coaching Programme run by BMW, Heidfeld had to smile as he
recalled his time with Eifelland Racing. The Formula BMW Juniors got him to
admit that he has a relatively low pulse rate at the start of a Formula One
race and that his long-term hope is to win the World Championship with the BMW
Sauber F1 Team.

Formula BMW Germany's championship races 7 and 8 will be held in Oschersleben
from 19 to 21 May as part of the DTM race weekend.

Race 6, placings:
1. Christian Vietoris (Lissendorf/Josef Kaufmann Racing) 21:10.656, 2. Jens
Klingmann (Leimen/Eifelland Racing) 21:15.490, 3. Marco Holzer
(Bobingen/AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH) 21:16.371, 4. Stefano Coletti (MCO/ADAC
Berlin-Brandenburg) 21:16.687, 5. Mika Mäki (FIN/Eifelland Racing) 21:17.304,
6. Sergio Perez Mendoza (MEX/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg) 21:19.769, 7. Philipp Eng
(AUT/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg) 21:25.716, 8. Nick de Bruijn (NLD/Josef Kaufmann
Racing) 21:26.149, 9. Dominik Wasem (Seiboldsdorf/AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH)
21:26.691, 10. Devis Schwägli (CHE/Team Kath Racing) 21:37.031, 11. Patrick
Kronenberger (Friedrichshafen/Josef Kaufmann Racing) 21:37.466, 12. Christian
Zacherl (Munich/AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH) 21:39.220, 13. Robert Wickens
(CAN/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg) 21:39.802, 14. Oliver Oakes (GBR/ADAC
Berlin-Brandenburg) 21:39.919, 15. Fabio Leimer (CHE/Team Rosberg) 21:40.281,
16. Maximilian Wissel (Hörstein/GU-Racing Motorsportteam) 21:45.155, 17. Jens
Höing (Berlin/GU-Racing Motorsportteam) 21:54.974, 18. Tobias Hegewald
(Waldbreitbach/ADAC Mittelrhein) 21:55.225, 19. Oskar Paegle (RUS/Eifelland
Racing) 22:01.421, 20. Josef Král (CZE/Micánek Motorsport - Brno) 23:06.989,
21. Andrei Harnagea (ROM/GU-Racing Motorsportteam) + 1 lap. Pole position:
Vietoris. Fastest race lap: Vietoris 2:05.786 min. Circuit length: 51.480 km
(10 laps).

Race 6, Rookie placings (newcomers to formula racing):
1. Jens Klingmann (Leimen/Eifelland Racing), 2. Philipp Eng (AUT/ADAC
Berlin-Brandenburg), 3. Patrick Kronenberger (Friedrichshafen/Josef Kaufmann
Racing), 4. Christian Zacherl (Munich/AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH), 5. Fabio
Leimer (CHE/Team Rosberg), 6. Maximilian Wissel (Hörstein/GU-Racing
Motorsportteam), 7. Oskar Paegle (RUS/Eifelland Racing), 8. Andrei Harnagea
(ROM/GU-Racing Motorsportteam).

Championship standings after 6 out of 18 races:
1. Christian Vietoris (Lissendorf/Josef Kaufmann Racing, 110), 2. Mika Mäki
(FIN/Eifelland Racing, 72), 3. Marco Holzer (Bobingen/AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH,
53), 4. Stefano Coletti (MCO/Eifelland Racing, 41), 5. Philipp Eng (AUT/ADAC
Berlin-Brandenburg, 38), 6. Jens Klingmann (Leimen/Eifelland Racing, 38), 7.
Sergio Perez Mendoza (MEX/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg, 38), 8. Nick de Bruijn
(NLD/Josef Kaufmann Racing, 37), 9. Dominik Wasem (Seiboldsdorf/AM-Holzer
Rennsport GmbH, 17), 10. Martin Ragginger (AUT/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg, 10),
11. Patrick Kronenberger (Friedrichshafen/Josef Kaufmann Racing, 8), 12. Jens
Höing (Berlin/GU-Racing Motorsportteam, 7), 13. Josef Král (CZE/Micánek
Motorsport - Brno, 5), 14. Maximilian Wissel (Hörstein/GU-Racing
Motorsportteam, 5), 15. Tobias Hegewald (Waldbreitbach/ADAC Mittelrhein, 4),
16. Yoshitaka Kuroda (JPN/ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg, 2), Devis Schwägli (CHE/Team
Kath Racing, 1.)

Rookie standings: 1. Philipp Eng (110), 2. Jens Klingmann (82), 3. Patrick
Kronenberger (76), 4. Maximilian Wissel (48), 5. Christian Zacherl (44), 6.
Fabio Leimer (38), 7. Oskar Paegle (30), 8. Andrei Harnagea (27).

Team standings (based on the two best finishers in each team):
1. Josef Kaufmann Racing (150), 2. Eifelland Racing (110), 3. ASL-Mücke
Motorsport (107), 4. AM-Holzer Rennsport GmbH (70), 5. GU-Racing Motorsport
(12), 6. Micanek Motorsport (5), 7. Devis Schwägli (1).

Background:
Formula BMW is the world's leading entry-level class in Formula racing. In 2006
the series will be held in Germany, the UK, Asia and the USA. Up-and-coming
drivers as young as 15-years-old are given the opportunity of entering motor
racing with the high-tech, standard FB02 race car.

This racing car has been seen on the grid since 2002 and has set standards
particularly on the safety technology front. The single-seater is propelled by
a 140 bhp BMW engine up to 230km/h and exceeds the FIA safety requirements for
its class. BMW Motorsport has developed the FORS Formula Rescue Race Seat
especially for Formula BMW. The HANS safety system is also mandatory.

In 2006, Formula BMW will be staged five times as part of the Formula One
support programme. All the series offer a multifaceted Education and Coaching
Programme as well as sponsorship for promising racing talents. The best-known
alumni of this talent hothouse are Formula One drivers Ralf Schumacher,
Christian Klien and Nico Rosberg.

BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen: "Formula BMW offers talented young
drivers more than just a car. In the Education and Coaching Programme we have
designed specially for them, they learn everything they need to know to hold
their own in the big wide world of motor racing. Formula BMW has shot out of
the blocks to become the top entry-level class for Formula racing worldwide."

From 13th to 16th December 2005 the Bahrain International Circuit hosted the
first Formula BMW World Final. Young racing drivers from the four regional
Formula BMW series competed against each other. The winner Marco Holzer will
get a test drive with the BMW Sauber F1 Team.