Sequential gearbox for Priaulx and Farfus

Four BMW cars – Andy Priaulx’s, Augusto Farfus’, Franz Engstler’s and Andrei Romanov’s – are equipped with an Xtrac 6-speed sequential gearbox. Although Romanov already used it in the previous three events, this is the first time ever since the Super 2000 regulations were adopted back in 2002 that BMW factory cars run with a sequential gearbox instead of the usual 5-speed H-pattern.

This change, along with the compensation weight system, enabled them to benefit from a significant weight reduction: 1168 kg compared to the 1198 kilos fixed by the sporting regulations and the application of the compensation weight.

Four other BMW cars – Kristian Poulsen’s, Colin Turkington’s, Yoshihiro Ito’s and Henry Ho’s – were accepted as “old” models and given a weight of 1123 kilos.

The Chevrolet team announced their intention to appeal against the decisions 1 and 2 taken by the Panel of the Stewards that authorize the two BMW Team RBM cars to run with the 6-speed sequential gearbox.
Chevrolet will have 48 hours, starting from Monday morning, to actually lodge the appeals.