BMW Team RBM fail to win weight break

BMW Team RBM have failed in a bid to drop back to the early specification aero package on their BMW 320si’s, in order to run at the lower weight specification.

With four older specification BMW’s allowed to run at the lower weight of 1123kg, including Colin Turkington who was fastest in the second practice session, BMW Team RBM turned up with the older car specification, ready to see their car allowed to compete at 1123kg as well, instead of the 1198kg they were expected to run.

This is the first race where the new model BMW 320si’s have been required to run the same penalty ballast (+40kg from the cars base weight) this season, as the speed advantage has been with the Chevrolet Cruze & SEAT León TDI previously.

The FIA however, turned down an application by the team to run at the lower weight.

Regulation 84 a) was quoted as the reason why by the FIA

“If a Manufacturer homologates an extension on the FIA homologation form or a new car (different FIA homologation form), a competitor can start using it at any Event during the season. However he cannot revert back for the rest of the season to the previous one.”

The cars ran in the earlier specification for the first session, where Priaulx & Farfus were 2nd & 3rd – but were hastily reset to the ‘newer’ specification for session two.