After several weeks of uncertainty, a very happy Ross Curnow announced that he is to contest the 2006 Formula BMW UK Championship with Nexa Racing.

Nexa Racing took the 2005 Formula BMW UK Drivers’ Championship, having won the British Formula Ford Drivers’ Championship the previous year. Team principal, Andy Kidby, said after the signing: “We were very impressed with Ross’s speed at the World Finals in Bahrain and the team enjoyed working with him. I’m delighted he’s going to be leading our assault on this year’s title.”

The team was out at Silverstone on 1^st and 2^nd March for the first Formula BMW UK official test in 2006. Silverstone’s paddock once again contained the familiar sight of Nigel Mansell, who has been appointed as BMW’s ambassador for the formula and whose presence is expected to draw even more media attention to the formula.

The first day was bitterly cold and blustery and the afternoon session was interrupted by a fall of snow requiring snow ploughs to clear the pit lane before testing could restart! Conditions improved on the second day and Curnow managed to put in a series of very consistent laps, signalling his clear intention to challenge for this year’s championship.

He finished the final session 2^nd fastest at just a tenth off, having dominated the wet session the previous day with a time almost a second clear of the rest of the field.

The next official Formula BMW test is on 21-22 March at Oulton Park and the first two races are on 8-9 April at Brands Hatch.