This weekend Imola hosts rounds 19 and 20 of the 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championship, which simultaneously marks the end of the European leg of this year’s series. After the victories posted by BMW Team UK’s Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus of BMW Team Germany in BMW’s home races at Oscherleben, the BMW national teams depart for the "Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari” in a confident frame of mind.
Farfus, with 90 points, is just one adrift of world championship leader Gabriele Tarquini (SEAT). The same gap separates BMW (234 points) from leader SEAT in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Last year Imola was not, though, kind to the BMW drivers, with only Jörg Müller, the team-mate of Farfus, managing to make it to the podium. The long straights of this classic circuit enable SEAT’s drivers to exploit the torque advantage provided by their turbo-diesel engines. Despite carrying 40 kilograms of compensation ballast, Farfus, Priaulx, Müller and Sergio Hernández of BMW Team Italy-Spain fully intend ensuring they are in the best possible shape as regards points ahead of the four final overseas races. The same applies to Hernández’ team-mate Alessandro Zanardi, who is allowed to shed 20 kilograms from his sequential transmission-equipped BMW 320si WTCC for his home race.
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