FIA ETCC Valencia - Qualifying - Andy Quickest BMW Driver
2004 FIA European Touring Car Championship
Rounds 3 & 4 – 17/18 April Valencia (Spain)
QUALIFYING
Weather: Sunny, 18ºC.
Valencia, 17 April 2004: The FIA ETCC cars are racing at the Valencia track for the first time and after qualifying it was the BMW Team Great Britain BMW 320i of Andy Priaulx which was the quickest from the marque in fourth spot. “We did test here and struggled, but we have really improved the car since then, so I am quite happy. I think over a race distance the BMW will be better,” said Andy.
Although on paper the results from this session do not look that promising for the national BMW teams, it is not all doom and gloom. At BMW Team Deutschland Dirk Müller is smiling, as he was conservative with the use of his new tyres so he feels he will be in a good position for both races. His team-mate, Jörg Müller, was not so happy as traffic and yellow flags hampered his progress on quick laps. The team still looking to find more speed is BMW Team Italy-Spain. Team boss Roberto Ravaglia would have liked Antonio Garcia to be closer to Andy Priaulx, as the Spaniard is not carrying any ballast.
At the front of the grid again will be two Alfa Romeos. In Monza Gabriele Tarquini was on pole with the newcomer to the series, Brazilian driver Augusto Farfus Jr, second. In Valencia the tables have been turned and the Brazilian has claimed his first pole of the series. Spanish honours were upheld by Frank Diefenbacher claiming fifth in his SEAT, while the leading Independents Trophy contender, Tom Coronel, in his Carly Motors BMW 320i, is the fastest BMW in this category and will start from 15th on the grid.
The news since the opening rounds of the FIA ETCC in Monza is the Drivers’ Championship is now being led by BMW drivers. Jörg Müller leads on 15 points with Andy Priaulx and Dirk Müller second and third with 12 points each. This change followed a decision taken on Thursday to impose a ten minute penalty on Alfa Romeo driver Augusto Farfus Jr for each of the Monza races for an illegal suspension on his car. However, the down side of this is the handicap weights carried by the drivers – Jörg 40kg, Dirk 35kg and Andy 25kg – with Dirk given the greater weight due to his better qualifying positions in Monza.
BMW Team Deutschland – Schnitzer Motorsport
No 42 - Jörg Müller (GER) 12th – 1m 42.943s – 40kilos ballast
No 43 - Dirk Müller (GER) 7rd – 1m 42.570s – 35 kilos ballast
BMW Team Great Britain – RBM
No 11 - Andy Priaulx (GBR) 4th – 1m 42.088s – 25 kilos ballast
BMW Team Italy-Spain – Ravaglia Motorsport
No 4 - Alex Zanardi (ITA) 14th – 1m 43.344s
No 5 - Antonio Garcia (ESP) 8th – 1m 42.612s
BMW Privateer Teams
Carly Motors - No 20 – Tom Coronel (NLD) 15th - 1m 43.532s
Carly Motors – No 21 – Paulien Zwart (NLD) 24th – 1m 45.348s
Proteam Motorsport – No 25 – Stefano D’Aste (ITA) 20th – 1m 44.525s
Crawford Racing – No 27 – Carl Rosenblad (SWE) 23rd – 1m 45.201s
Results: 1. Augusto Farfus Jr (BRA/Alfa Romeo) 1m 40.819s, 2. Gabriele Tarquini (ITA/Alfa Romeo) 1m 40.906s, 3. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA/Alfa Romeo) 1m 41.754s, 4. Andy Priaulx (GBR/BMW 320i) 1m 42.088s, 5. Frank Diefenbacher (GER/SEAT) 1m 42.183s, 6. Luca Rangoni (ITA/Alfa Romeo) 1m 42.396s.