Andy Priaulx

By lunch time on Sunday in Portimao, where we were spending our fifth FIA World Touring Car Championship weekend of the year, I was almost believing, unknown to me, someone had put a sticker on my car that said ‘hit me’! However, if they had done that for qualifying and race one, they had taken it off by late afternoon when it came to race two.

The weekend had started very well with quickest in testing on Friday and it seemed, contrary to what I had thought before the weekend, this circuit in the Algarve region of Portugal could be good for our rear wheel drive BMWs. I should also mention here that the weather was pretty hot – air temperatures in the mid thirties and track in the fifties – so tyre wear was going to be pretty crucial and our car seems to be much kinder to its Yokohamas.

I had a lot of confidence for qualifying, but it was on the out lap that this was shaken when local driver, Tiago Monteiro, ran into me and did damage to my car that only became apparent after the session. I have to admit I did struggle in the session, but with just 20 minutes followed by a ten minute top ten shoot out there is not a lot of time to make major changes to the car. Eighth and point seven off pole was not what I wanted, and the fact my team-mate at BMW Team RBM, Augusto Farfus, was third reinforced my belief. It was only when the boys had a good look at my car that evening that they found the rear hub was broken.

I knew we had a good race pace and again was feeling pretty confident when I put in the fastest time in the warm-up. However, I know only too well what rolling starts can be like when you are stuck in the middle of the pack. As we hurtled down to the first corner my worst fears were realised as I was hit by Fredy Barth in his SEAT. I managed to hold on but a few corners later I was propelled into the gravel. Luckily I managed to get out and drive slowly back to the pits, but the damage was pretty bad. The damage was on both sides of the car and included the front and rear suspension, the steering rack, wish bones, the list goes on. As usual my boys got to work and the decision was taken not to put it into parc ferme between the races but to keep on working. I was at the back of the grid anyway, so there was not point trying to rush the work.

For race two I lined up 19th on the grid and when the lights went out I was determined to make up as many places as possible. Needless to say I did this and by lap two was up to ninth. From where I was sitting it was a pretty exciting race, and I understand it was like this all the way through and so was a real treat for the fans there and those watching us on Eurosport. I was soon up to very near the front and by the time the flag came out was in fifth, with my team-mate, Augusto Farfus, behind me in sixth.

However, there was still another twist to the tale as during the race Rob Huff in his Chevrolet had collided with Augusto. After the race the Stewards had a look at this incident and decided to give Rob the equivalent of a drive through, which after the race translated into a 30 second penalty. This not only moved me up a spot to fourth, but also gave me enough points to move up in front of Rob in the standings to third.

I don’t have much time to dwell on this as we are now in a pretty hectic schedule of races every two weeks. Also the next one on the calendar is my favourite of the year – my home race in Brands Hatch. I love the track and also love all the home support. We are on a roll and so I am hoping to keep this positive momentum to give you all something to cheer about on that weekend.

However, before that I have change of pace and it is cars to boats. Every year my long term sponsor, SG Hambro Private Banking, and Sunseeker holds a special day on the island of Herm, which is somewhere I often go in my own boat. Talk about chalk and cheese. The tranquillity is amazing and I just love visiting the islands. We shall certainly have a great day there.

Also on my agenda is testing the BMW M3 GT2 car in Spa and then a trip to the British Grand Prix. I love the atmosphere of that weekend, and I am certain with Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton doing so well there will be lots of union jacks waving in the stands and round the track.

Apart from going to Silverstone to soak up the atmosphere, I shall also be visiting the Formula BMW Europe paddock. This will be my first visit for a while as my own racing activities keep me fairly busy. However, I am looking forward to meeting all the young kids, and in particular meeting young Jack Harvey, who is doing a great job this year and is leading the series’ standings. He is backed by the Racing Steps Foundation and it is so good to see a young Brit having such support.

Let’s hope we have lots of British motor racing wins over the next two weekends.

I now know what I plan to do once I hang up my racing helmet and overalls, I am going to be a cab driver. I am sure any of you guys out there who have seen the Sun’s story about me driving the cab round Brands Hatch with Ruth and Danni, a couple of their page three girls, in the back know exactly where I am coming from. With two gorgeous girls in the back there can’t be many better ways of earning a living!

I had an awful lot of fun doing the record attempt. Mind you, if I don’t beat a 1min 33.66secs lap when I go back to Brands for the WTCC race there at the end of the month I think I shall definitely be looking for another job. By the way those of you who remember that in my BMW 320si WTCC I clocked a time in qualifying last year of 1min 33.670secs should take into account that was round the 2.301 mile Grand Prix Circuit and not the 1.198 mile Indy Circuit!. Also while a London cab is pretty agile when nipping in and out of the traffic in the capital, it does leave a lot to be desired as regards road holding and cornering speed.

I also want to say a big thank you to Grant, whose taxi it was. He was a trusting fellow and I just hope that he made it back to the Tottenham Court Road after the cab blew up at the end of the stunt. I promise you Grant I treated it the same way I would treat my racing car!

After my stunt it was back home to Guernsey for the first time in several weeks as I had last waved goodbye to the island before Le Mans. I was in luck as the weather has been amazing and so I have been out on the boat and also doing some fishing with the family.

Another reason to go home was for a wedding. Ian Potter, my personal trainer, who keeps me fit and in shape for all this dashing around got married on Guernsey. It was a glorious day and I want to say congratulations to him and his beautiful new wife, Danielle.

I now have to mention the world cup. Can you imagine how I am going to be ribbed this weekend when I turn up for our next FIA World Touring Car Championship event? I know the RBM boys from Belgium will say very little – their team never even made it to South Africa – but can you imagine what the BMW boys from Munich will say? I actually do feel sorry for the guys who I am sure feel gutted about the way they went out.

However, let’s look on the bright side of things. As I write this Andy Murray is still in Wimbledon and didn’t Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button do well in Valencia. It was an interesting race and obviously Red Bull got their car right as Sebastian Vettel’s performance was stunning. Mind you, to me the most important thing was that Mark Webber survived his horrific accident. You can’t watch that sort of accident without fearing the worst. The car was like a rocket and the fact he escaped without any injuries does show again just how strong these cars are. A lot is written about the tweaks the teams do to make the cars go faster, but thankfully at the end of the day safety is paramount and that was proven again on Sunday.

This weekend I am back in FIA WTCC action in a new track for the series, the Portimao Circuit in Portugal. It is a brand new circuit and I know from testing there just how amazing it is. There are a lot of uphill sections that follow slow corners, and these do not suit our car. Also we have only tested there in the wet so we have to see how we go in the dry. While it will be a challenge, I am buoyed on by recent wins and know if we are to keep in touch with the guys in front in the championship some more good races are needed.

Portimao will also be a family affair as, not only will my wife and children be there, but also my sister Fi will be there with her three boys and husband. Luckily her husband Rick’s family is Portuguese so I shall have my own personal translator.

I can’t think of a better Fathers’ Day present than the one I had on Sunday. There I was in Zolder for the fourth round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship with my family and what did I do? I went on and won a race and have now gone from fourth to third in the drivers’ championship.

Anyone who saw this race on Eurosport would have seen some very, very happy faces. Not only did I have a Cheshire cat grin from ear to ear, but so did my boss at BMW Team RBM, Bart Mampaey. For Bart this was also a special race as it is his home event. The team is based in a small town in Belgium called Mechelen, which is less than a hundred miles from the track. The fans were amazing with their support of the team. So a big thank you to them for urging us on to this fantastic result.

However, if anyone had told me this would be the outcome after qualifying I think I would told them they were deluded. Let’s go back to Saturday. We had shown a great pace in not only testing on Friday, but also free practice on Saturday. As this was the first time the WTCC had visited Zolder we needed this extra test session. Although I had been to the track testing last year, I didn’t feel I had any specific advantage and knew that on a track like this a good qualifying would be crucial as overtaking is not easy.

Well a good qualifying is not what transpired. In the first 20 minute session all went to plan and I was fourth. However, I needed a spring change to give me some more speed and my team-mate, Augusto Farfus, needed his car checked as he had hit a kerb hard. Unfortunately things then started to go against us as it began to rain. Not doing the work on the cars was not an option, so we stayed in the pits while the boys worked as fast as they could. However, the rain beat us and by the time we got out onto the track a dry line was history and we ended up ninth and tenth.

Disappointing is the best way to describe how we all felt. It was no one’s fault, but just a set of circumstances that had not been helped by me also being one of the last cars over the line at the end of Q1, so the time to work on the car was considerably shortened. Anyway, we picked ourselves up and when I was quickest in the Sunday morning warm-up I felt considerably brighter, as I knew the car had a great race pace.

Race one had the usual jostling as we went over the line for the rolling start, and I actually dropped a place because I was desperate not to get tangled up with any costly accident. However, I was soon able to set off in pursuit of the guys in front of me. It was a tough race but, in what I can only describe as opportunistic moves, I was able to pass a couple of cars and claim that coveted eighth that meant pole for race two.

Race two thank goodness was a standing start, which suits my BMW much more. I got off the grid well and the guys behind me had to navigate round Norbert Michelisz, who was alongside me on the front of the grid but got bogged down in his SEAT when the lights went out.

I didn’t have any breathing space, as my wing mirrors were full of the Chevrolet of Rob Huff, who was followed closely by Tiago Monteiro in his Chevrolet. I knew one slip up from me would see not one, but perhaps both of them by and I was determined not to make the smallest of mistakes. Good to my word, I controlled the race from the front and from three tenths of a second on lap one I was able to gradually increase my lead and crossed the line after 13 laps a second ahead. Not a big gap, but it was enough for the win.

I can’t begin to describe how elated I felt as I got out of the car and saw my family standing there. I was able to give my wife, Jo, and my son and daughter, Sebastian and Danniella, a big hug. I was a very proud father.

It is nice winning in front of the home fans and also my big boss, BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen. He gave me a big hug before sending me and Bart up to the podium to collect our trophies. We certainly enjoyed drenching each other in champagne and the smile on Bart’s face was also a picture.

The biggest problem in my opinion with Le Mans is that it only happens once a year! I want another crack at it next weekend. In terms of atmosphere this has to rank at the top of my motorsport event list. If I had to take one memory with me from the event it would be the reception we had for the drivers’ parade. It was awesome – it would be what I would expect to see if you mixed the London Marathon with the Rio Carnival. I have seen fans having fun at races in Macau, Philip Island, Bathurst, Brands Hatch, Spa – this list goes on. But I have never seen so many people having so much fun and getting so much enjoyment out of their sport. Whatever reason brought everyone to the town of Le Mans in the middle of France last week, it was with one end result – to have a good time. Passion is perhaps the best single word to describe why people put themselves through not just one, but several sleepless nights and keep coming back year in and year out for more.

I don’t intend to dwell on our result here as it has been well documented, but for those of you who may have been more engrossed in football over the weekend I shall just give you a brief explanation. The car I was sharing with Dirk Müller and Dirk Werner retired on Saturday evening. Sadly this wasn’t the first problem we had with the BMW M3 GT2 Art Car, and so we were quite a way down the field in our class. Dirk, Müller that is, had the honour of starting the race and was working his way up through the field when he had a puncture in a rear tyre, hit the kerb and damaged the car. He had to come in for repairs which took 50 minutes. I then went out in the car after 26 laps but by then we had dropped from sixth to 16th in the class. I had to make some unscheduled stops for repairs but still the car felt great when out on the track. Sadly all the hard work by the Team BMW Motorsport guys was to no avail as on lap 54 the car came to a halt going into Indianapolis. The second car, driven by Jörg Müller, Uwe Alzen and Augusto Farfus, had better luck as it eventually finished sixth in class after completing 320 laps.

Yes I am disappointed not to have finished, but I am also exhilarated by the entire experience. It is one of those events that you work yourself up for. You test and test and test. This can be in the form of other races or just pounding round race tracks. Whatever you have done to get ready for the event, when you finally arrive at Le Mans and see the Circuit de la Sarthe you are then aware that somehow when the cars roar away on Saturday afternoon whatever happens over the next 24 hours is out of your hands.

All the best plans can come unstuck. Just look at the pre-race favourites Peugeot. They had four cars and an amazing driver line-up. In the three official works cars they had no less than six former Formula 1 drivers, and then another one in the ORECA team. They had the speed and the numbers and it was felt that Audi with their Le Mans specialists such as Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish were going to come off second best. One by one the French cars fell by the wayside, and at the same time Audi proved reliability is the most important asset any team can have.

This really is a tough track and is 13.629 kilometres of the greatest test of man and machine. There is just no letting up whether you are the driver, the mechanics or the car. It is relentless. While our cars had already raced at the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps it was a very different BMW that was entered for Le Mans, as the regulations call for many changes. In fact there were very few parts of the car that were the same and so because of this we had a very short preparation time. The other races had proved the car was reliable, but had not been test benches for the parts that the Le Mans regulations call for.

While there was just the one Team BMW Motorsport car running at the end, I felt we had made our mark thanks to the amazing livery designed by Jeff Koons. The fans were amazing in their appreciation of what BMW had done in this area. It was also impossible to mix us up with any other car. The multi-coloured livery stood out on the track and it was great to see the British flags and banners being waved us I went by the fans.

I have already seen some great shots of this car, but can’t wait to see the result of a competition BMW is running for the accredited photographers. They are offering 1,000 euros for the best photograph of the car at the race, and I am lucky enough to be on the judging panel along with BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen, and my two fellow drivers in the car. The winning entry will be used to make a poster of the Art Car and I can assure you this is something I want to have on my study wall.

I now have to think ahead to this weekend and my next WTCC race which is at Zolder. This is actually a home race for us as BMW Team RBM comes from Belgium. I know the track from testing there so hope it is kind to us. While Le Mans was unlucky for me, I have had some great luck this year in Marrakech and Monza with two wins. It would be nice to think this luck can keep with me when I get back into my BMW 320si WTCC this weekend.

Anyway I have one last message before ending this column and that is a big thank you to the marshals at Le Mans. They are without doubt the unsung heroes. They also have to keep awake and on the ball during the hours of darkness. I know many of them are English who take their holidays to go to the race. Thank you to all of you for the amazing job you did last weekend.

When you see a master at work it is truly inspiring. I have been lucky recently to see two such people at work in very different areas and they have both left a profound impression on me.

I will be driving car number 79 at Le Mans this weekend and this car has turned into a real masterpiece thanks to one of the world’s greatest living artists Jeff Koons. What he has done to turn the BMW M3 GT2, an already beautiful car, into the most stunning artwork on wheels is nothing short of phenomenal.

It was at the Pompidou Centre in Paris last week that I had my first glimpse of the car I shall be driving for my first visit to the awesome 24 hour race. Just put yourself in my shoes. I had a boyhood dream of competing in this event, and now I am not only realising this dream, but am doing it in a car that will stand head and shoulders above any other of the 45 cars in the field thanks to the imagination of Jeff. The first time I met him I liked him and then when I saw what he had done with my car I fell in love with his work.

I was also lucky enough to be invited to combine my trip to Paris to attend the French Open Tennis. I really enjoy the sport and often have a knock up when I can. However, the chance to see Rafa Nadal at his best was mind blowing. I was amazed how anyone could combine such awesome speed with pinpoint accuracy. I know when I am driving my car how every inch off line can affect the perfect lap, but the skill he displayed when aiming his ball for that fine line between in and out was poetry in motion. He is a worthy number one and after I saw him in the quarter finals I was routing for him even more in the finals.

I would love to be number one when Le Mans finishes at 4pm local time on Sunday and shall do everything I can to achieve this. I think numbers are quite significant in life and I have a good feeling for my car being the 17th BMW Art Car and its starting number of 79. I have 2 team-mates, Dirk Müller and Dirk Werner, so I suppose you could call them Dirk². There are likely to be 300,000 spectators visiting Le Sarthe this weekend for the race, and it is 11 years since BMW won the event, my racing number for BMW Team RBM in the WTCC is 11 and after our last race in Monza I became the first driver in the series to pass the 500 mark for points scored.

What else has been going on that I should comment on? Well I suppose you want to know what I think about the crash between Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel in the Turkish Grand Prix. I like both of these guys a lot and know how competitive they are. I can’t say this sort of incident surprised me. It has happened before and it will happen again. All racing drivers want the same piece of tarmac. I can only imagine what was said behind closed doors in the Red Bull motorhome and I reckon Christian Horner had to read the riot act to both of them! The first rule of motor racing is don’t crash with your team-mate. However, I have to say it was an amazing race and has put motorsport back on the front as well as the back pages.

I also want to say congratulations to Dario Franchitti for winning the Indy 500. This is another race that you dream off if you want to be a racing driver. Dario is a great driver and I think much underestimated over here. To win this event once is great, to win it twice is amazing. He didn’t make it to F1 for one reason or another. However, he has found his niche in the States and good on him. Mind you we may have a member of his family in F1 soon as his cousin, Paul de Resta, is doing a good job at Force India and so let’s hope we see a Scot on a Grand Prix entry list soon.

F1 aside, I hope that all you Brits who flood across the channel to go to Le Mans will be there with your Union Jacks and perhaps Guernsey flags to support me. I shall try to remember to give you a wave.

The saying it’s an ill wind that blows no one any good is certainly true in my case after my win in the second race of the FIA World Touring Car Championship in Marrakech on Sunday. If you had asked me to be totally honest before the bizarre happenings I would have said I had a good chance of getting points, even though I started race one from 12th on the grid, and no chance of a win. Just shows after a couple of decades of racing how much I know about the sport!

Seriously though, wonderful lady luck has often looked kindly on me and this weekend she had taken herself to Morocco to make sure me and my BMW 320si WTCC had a good dose of that.

Now let’s look at the facts. We had a new race director who was very keen that the rolling start for race one was clean. We trundled round this tight street circuit and when we came to the start the red lights were still showing. We went round again and the same happened. It was only on the third attempt that we were let loose.

I made the most of the rolling start which was a much less fraught than usual and found myself up to ninth, just behind Alain Menu’s Chevolet and in front of my BMW Team RBM team-mate, Augusto Farfus. This is a very tight track, and overtaking is not easy with just a couple of places where it is possible. However, on lap five I saw just the glimmer of a chance as we came out of the last chicane and took it. It was close but clean and afterwards I was happy to hear that Alain’s quote on this was: “Nice move from Andy!” As I got by him there was a slight contact and my passenger door even swung open. Needless to say I had more important things on my mind such as keeping in front of him. Thankfully at the next corner the door closed and I was on my way.

Just after that there was a safety car situation when some other cars went off. As we followed the car round and round we saw all sorts of work going on on what looked like an oil patch and also a flat bed lorry on the circuit. My team kept me informed and I have to say when finally after 13 laps – two were added because of the safety car – I was told we would finish behind the safety car I was pretty relieved. I had pole for race two – result!

I got a good start for race two, but behind me it was total chaos with a car stalling on the grid and then several others crashing into the walls. The safety car was deployed again and it was out until the end of lap six. However, once we got going again, with Yvan Muller’s Chevrolet hot on my heels, it was less than a lap before the safety car was sent out again. This time it was a collision between Augusto and Alain that saw the Chevrolet hit the wall pretty hard. Being behind the safety car is not easy at the best of times because there is no way you can keep the heat in the tyres. However, with such high air temperatures this was a double problem as inside the car was like an oven. However, I had to keep my concentration up as I knew if we did go racing again Yvan would be all over me and had the legs on my car in terms of outright speed.

With just one lap to go we were off again and, as I feared, my mirrors were full of Yvan’s blue car. I shall now apologise to all of you watching who may have felt my driving was pretty much on the limit and had your hearts in your mouths when I nearly hit a wall. I was on the limit, but I knew if I wasn’t I would be standing on the second step on the podium and this was not going to happen! It was that last chicane where I got Alain in race one that was going to be my undoing if I gave Yvan half a chance. I monstered it into there and reckon I came out 50 yards ahead of him and so had the momentum into the hairpin. That chequered flag was a lovely sight.

The team had worked so hard to get the car ready for this race and I want to say a big thank you to them. The RBM boys are great and they never let me down. Also it was great having the family there with me. We had some fun between racing. However, I will always have one image stuck in my mind from this trip, the sight of one of my most loyal sponsors with a monkey on his head. I have a picture but reckon he may take his sponsorship money elsewhere if I was to let it be published!

I went to Marrakech after the Virgin London Marathon and I reckon I now have another marathon ahead of me, but this time a racing one. I shall not be home long before I head to Spa-Francorchamps for a 1,000 km race there in the BMW M3 GT2 next weekend. This is part of the build up to the Le Mans 24 Hours. Then the following weekend it is the 24 hour race on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife. After that it is back to my WTCC duties with our third weekend of the season in Monza. Add a WTCC test somewhere in the middle of all this and you can be certain I shall be pretty busy.

Please don’t feel sorry for me doing all this work as I could not be happier. It is amazing to be driving such great cars and this makes sure each time I get in the car I am really sharp and ready for the off. From the first free practice I am really on it and the variety of different BMW models also adds to the spice. Let’s hope the next time I report back it will be with more success stories.

Strange though it may seem, the Virgin London Marathon was one of the most restful things I have done in a long time.  I spent 3 hours 49 minutes just concentrating on getting to the end of the 26 miles and raising lots of money for CLIC Sargent an amazing charity for children. The target of the team I was running with, made up of my fellow BRDC drivers, was to raise £50,000 and I have already been told we have exceeded that figure by over fifty per cent so a big thank you to all of you who have so generously made donations.

For those of you who have not done the marathon I would like to encourage you to consider it.  This was the second year I had done it and I cannot explain just how emotional and exhilarating it is.  The crowds were fantastic and if the cause you are running for is not enough to encourage you through the pain barriers, then the support from the thousands who line the route will be.  They even encouraged me enough to chop 13 minutes off my time from last year! Also I want to say a big thank you to Dr Sandie Bohin a fellow runner who was doing it for my charity, the Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation.

If the marathon was relaxing, getting there was not. Thanks to that volcano my plans for last week were turned upside down and I actually arrived in my London hotel at late on Saturday night. It all started on Monday when I took a ferry from my home in Guernsey to France.  We were testing in Magny Cours in readiness for our next World Touring Car Championship weekend in Marrakech. The nice thing about this trip was it took me past Le Mans where I shall be racing for BMW for the first time in June, and so I was able to have a look at the track. It is amazing and from what I saw I should have a lot of fun.

Anyway when I got to Magny Cours it was two days of hard work with my BMW Team RBM team-mate, Augusto Farfus, also there. We wanted to see what we could do to our BMW 320si WTCC to make it more competitive for rounds three and four of the series this weekend. It was a good test so let’s hope we have found something that will get us a good result.

From there it was off to the Nürburgring to do the latest VLN Endurance Championship race in the BMW M3 GT2 on the infamous Nordschleife, that is aptly nicknamed the Green Hell. The car I was in finished third just behind our team-mates, but no one at the race could feel any joy as a fellow competitor was killed. We all know our sport is dangerous, we are reminded off it with all the notices round the circuits and on the tickets.  However, safety has become so much part of the sport that when this happens it is rather a jolt to remind us that sometimes all the safeguards in the world cannot stop fatalities. The driver who so sadly lost his life was 43 year old German Leo Löwenstein. I can’t pretend to have known him, but I still feel sad about his loss and send my thoughts and condolences to his family and friends.  Like me he was doing something he loved, but the price was too high.

As I said our next race in WTCC is in Marrakech. I had all sorts of plans in place to get there by road and train because of the flying ban, but luckily I can now fly. This will be the second race on this street circuit and I hope it will be more successful than the first. I just have to admit it did not suit our car. I never want to go to an event in a negative frame of mind, but I know it will be tough for us again. However, I loved being there last year and had some fun getting to know the city and the surroundings. Let’s just hope this race will start a string of good results as the schedule in May is manic with races in Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburgring and Monza before the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.

As you may know I am running the Virgin London Marathon on the 25th April with thirteen other members of the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC). With only a few weeks of fundraising left we still need to find a considerable amount to reach our £50,000 goal for CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading children’s cancer charity.

If you can spare a few pounds please click onto the BRDC Marathon Legends ‘Just Giving’ link. Be sure to include my name in your message, I try to keep track of the donations as much as possible. http://www.justgiving.com/BRDC-marathon-legends

Every penny counts for these kids so no matter how big or small, your support is very much appreciated.