Driver's Profiles

Andy Priaulx

Exceptional driving talent, superb strategic skills and nerves of steel: Andy Priaulx has demonstrated all of the above. When combined with excellent team work and impressive base speed, these qualities contribute to making this driver from Guernsey in the Channel Isles the perfect racer. Priaulx, though, is more than a beaming winner who has won four of the most sought-after titles in international touring car racing. He is also a hard worker whose unwavering determination has seen him through some extremely difficult periods during his career.

It is no secret that Priaulx's route to the top was fraught with numerous obstacles, which he and wife Jo overcame together. During his early racing years the couple sold their home in Guernsey, and moved into a small caravan situated within sight of the Silverstone circuit. There Priaulx financed his way to the top by working as a racing instructor. "I was convinced that I had to devote my entire life to my dream," says the father of two. "How else could I expect a sponsor to support me if I was unable to demonstrate my determination?"

The dream referred to has long since become reality - and yet the 2004 European Touring Car Champion and winner of three successive world titles between 2005 and 2007 is still hungry for success. Although Priaulx has recently achieved universal acclaim, his extraordinary talent was clear to see at an early age. Like father Graham, he was a class act in hillclimbing. As freshly crowned British Formula 1 Hillclimb Champion he switched to single seater racing cars in 1996. Three years later he claimed the Renault Spider Series with 13 victories in as many races. Priaulx's route to touring cars came via British Formula 3. Since contesting the ETCC with Team RBM in 2003, one success has followed the other. In 2009 he added two victories in Oschersleben and Okayama to his tally.

Priaulx has always been versatile. On Guernsey he carved a reputation for himself in motocross and powerboat racing. With BMW he won the legendary 24 Hour Nürburgring Race. In addition, he has tested for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team and driven the BMW Sauber F1 Team's Formula One car in the Pit Lane Park and as part of the support programme for the WTCC races in Brands Hatch last year. In 2008 he received a very special honour, when Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the title of "Member of the British Empire".

Augusto Farfus

It is not unknown for race drivers to adopt unusual measures to toughen themselves mentally in preparation for their exploits on the race circuits of the world. One such driver is Augusto Farfus. Each year the BMW works driver targets a particular passion and then proceeds to deny himself its pleasures. One year, for example, he abstained from eating chocolates, while another time he spent an entire year without meat. "It may sound unspectacular," explains Farfus, "but that way I prove to myself that I can manage it. Discipline is an important part of motorsport."

Fortunately, though, he has not targeted champagne, or else he would have found his numerous visits to the podium a lot less enjoyable. In 2007, his first season with BMW, the 26-year-old scored a total of three victories. In 2008 he added a further two wins to his collection, last year he crossed the line as winner six times. Until the season finale he was still in for a chance of winning the title. At the end of the day, however, he couldn't close the 13-point gap to the leaders in Macau.

His racing debut in the BMW 320si WTCC in Curitiba in 2007 went off as though specifically tailored for the city's hometown hero. In front of thousands of cheering compatriots Farfus stood on the podium after finishing third in race one - following that up with victory in the second heat. The deafening "Farfus, Farfus" chants of his enormous army of fans created an electric atmosphere.

In 2005 Farfus won his first World Touring Car Championship race on the challenging Macau street circuit. A year later he made a decisive breakthrough in the WTCC: starting with low expectations he achieved three victories and, along with new team-mates Andy Priaulx and Jörg Müller, was one of three drives in with a chance of the title ahead of the final race of the season. After an accident, Farfus consoled himself with third in the Drivers' Championship.

Career milestones abound for this exceptional talent. Having tasted numerous successes in motocross and karts, Farfus made the move to Europe in 2000 and entered the European Formula Renault Championship. He won the title a year later. The 2003 F3000 Euro Series, too, went his way in his second season in the category. For 2004 Farfus switched to touring cars.

The BMW driver's personal life is marked by equally courageous steps: during the week leading up to the season opener in 2008, he married his long-time partner Liri in Curitiba.