After an outstanding drive in last year’s Formula BMW World Final in Bahrain, Ross Curnow had high hopes for this year’s contest. Staged in Valencia in southern Spain, however, the event was to prove a disappointment for the Salisbury 19 year-old who was plagued by problems in Free Practice and Qualifying.

37 drivers from 16 countries, representing the cream from the Formula BMW Championships in Asia, Germany, the USA and the UK arrived for an action-packed three days between 24^th and 26^th November 2006. Curnow, approached by the US-based Gelles Racing team to drive in this year’s event, had tested with them earlier in the month at the Virginia International Raceway. The performance of the car there could not be matched when it was unpacked in Spain, however, with Curnow struggling to find grip in Free Practice on the Wednesday. Although finishing 3^rd fastest in one of the sessions, he was well down in the other two. “We have a huge problem with understeer,” said Ross after the last session. “We just can’t eliminate it and with Qualifying coming so soon this afternoon, we are running out of time.”

Ross qualified 16^th in his group - behind three British drivers that he had beaten all year in the UK Championship. “This is very disappointing”, said Ross at the end of a difficult first day. “We’re studying the data and we have one or two ideas that we’re going to pursue overnight. But unfortunately, qualifying determines the grids for all three Heats, the results of which set the grid for the Final. On a circuit where passing is so difficult, I think it’s essentially over for us.”

In his first Heat, Ross started 15^th but forced his way through to 10^th by Turn 4, before slipping back to finish 12^th after his car’s handling deteriorated further. In Heat 2, he started 16^th and picked up two places to finish 14^th. His last Heat saw him again start from 16^th, but he managed to pass three cars by the time they came out of Turn 1 and then gained two more places to finish 10^th. “I’ve done my best today and in spite of the fact that we’ve managed to gain places in all the Heats, we’ll be well down when they bring everyone together and produce a single grid for the Final tomorrow,” said Ross.

Ross found himself starting from 23^rd on a grid of 36 for the Final and after a great first two laps and some exciting exchanges of places throughout the 18 laps of the race, he was eventually classified 18^th. Ross was philosophical afterwards: “Our fate was effectively sealed by the end of Free Practice but it’s been an interesting few days and I’m grateful to everyone for doing their best. They tell me this sort of week is character building! Our focus now has to be on the funding for next year and there are discussions taking place over the next two weeks. I’m hoping that some good news may come out of them.”