Farfus satisfied after spectacular V8 Supercars weekend at Surfers Paradise

Following his first ever race appearance in the popular V8 Supercars Championship Series in Australia, BMW works driver Augusto Farfus had a really positive experience at Surfers Paradise. Sharing the wheel of his Fujitsu Racing GRM car with Michael Caruso, the pairing finished eighth in the first race of the Armor All Gold Coast 600 on Saturday. Today they took the chequered flag at the challenging street circuit in 21st.

“I really enjoyed this trip to Australia and cannot thank BMW Motorsport enough for giving me the opportunity to race here,” commented Farfus after the second race. “It was great working with the guys from the Fujitsu Racing GRM team. While the first race had gone really well, the second one didn’t run according to plan for us. But strong results weren’t my main focus here. I think this is a fantastic series, and racing through the streets of Surfers was an amazing experience. I got on well with the car and the track, so I was able to soak up the unique atmosphere of this event. Bringing a host of international drivers here, is a great idea by the organisers. I cannot wait to be back next season.”

After unexpected rain showers in qualifying, Farfus and Caruso had to make do with 14th on the grid. The Brazilian drove the first two stints and, also due to a different strategy compared to their competitors, successfully worked his way up to second before handing over to his team-mate. However, the safety-car was deployed right at the wrong time for the no. 34 Fujitsu Racing GRM car, meaning Caruso dropped back to 16th. The team didn’t give up, changed its race strategy and ultimately finished eighth.

Race two, however, was a disappointing affair for Farfus. Due to a clutch problem he lost several positions at the start and was later spun around by another competitor. Twenty first was the best the pairing could achieve at the finish of the 300-kilometre race.

Farfus is heading back to Europe now, in order to re-join BMW Motorsport in preparation for the 2012 DTM season. Like the 28-year-old, several of his fellow BMW drivers, such as Andy Priaulx, Dirk Müller and Joey Hand, were in action at Surfers Paradise.

You will find more information on the official V8 Supercars website: www.v8supercars.com.au