Thursday, 26th June 2008

BMW Motorsport chief admits that a decision over WTCC involvement in 2009 will depend on the future strategy of the series.

BMW Motorsport chief Mario Theissen has cast doubt over the manufacturers' long-term future in the World Touring Car Championship by admitting that no decision has yet been taken over whether or not works teams will run in the series in 2009.

The 2008 season thus far has been beset by political bickering regarding the differing performance of cars on the grid, with the diesel-powered SEAT Leon having dominated the opening fly-away races of the year in Brazil and Mexico.

However, SEAT was then hit with a penalty ahead of the return to Europe when the engine speed on the Leon TDi was limited to try and equalise performance.

The base weight of the BMW – and the Honda Accord – was then reduced ahead of the fourth round of the year at Pau, but despite winning just one of the six races since the European started, SEAT still dominates the points standings – with Gabriele Tarquini leading the way and defending champion Andy Priaulx the leading non-SEAT in fourth, some 24 points off the pace.

"I have to admit we are far from being where we want to be," Theissen reflected, despite seeing Priaulx, Augusto Farfus and Alex Zanardi all win in the last two meetings at Pau and Brno. "In the drivers' championship, Andy lies 24 points behind the championship leader. In the manufacturers' classification, we hold second position. No doubt, this will be our most difficult season.

"The balance of power is down to several factors: quite obviously to the quality of teams and drivers, but also to the performance level of the base car and the FIA regulations. Basically, the level of competitiveness in the WTCC has increased massively and all the competitors involved have moved closer together. We witness extremely hard-fought races.

"At the same time, SEAT added to the challenge by introducing a turbo-diesel engine. In 2007 BMW and Andy Priaulx claimed both titles in an extremely close season finale – just as in the previous years. This season, however, the regulation advantage of the turbo-diesel engine has made an impact on the results: currently, SEAT holds the lead in the championship. Nevertheless, recently we succeeded in turning the tables. Therefore, I hope we will experience a thrilling championship right to the finale."

Although he admitted that it was difficult for organisers to ensure that one car doesn't gain an advantage over the others – with petrol versus diesel and front-wheel drive versus rear-wheel drive to be taken into consideration – Theissen said it was vital that rules were implemented at the start of a season that would be constant throughout the year and said that no decision has yet been taken over works involvement in the series in 2009.

"It's the task of the FIA Touring Car Bureau to create regulations that guarantee equal opportunities for every competitor before the season which shouldn't be subjected to changes during the course of the season," he said. "If equal opportunities aren't ensured from the very beginning of the season and the rules of the game can be changed during the year, the work is made more difficult for all those involved.

"It's a fact we will see the BMW 320si in the 2009 WTCC season - this is ensured by the large number of customer teams successfully running this car. As soon as the future strategy of the organisers and regulations are clear, we will make the decision regarding our works involvement."

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