2008 Formula One Thread

[mika]

BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM RESTRUCTURES TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
06/26/2008

Munich/Hinwil, 26th June 2008. The BMW Sauber F1 Team is restructuring the management of its technical department. Willy Rampf (55), currently Technical Director, will take up the post of Technical Coordinator on 1st November 2008. Rampf will continue to be responsible for the vehicle concept and lead the team at the race track in his new role. However, responsibility for business operations and line management will pass to Walter Riedl (48), who already heads up operations at the Hinwil plant and overall project management in his capacity as Managing Director. Riedl will also retain these functions.
The change has come about at the express wish of Willy Rampf, who has been keen to reduce his work schedule: ÔÇ£I have been Technical Director since April 2000, initially at Sauber, and now for the BMW Sauber F1 Team. It has been an extremely enjoyable but also very intense phase of my life. The idea of cutting back professionally has been growing in my mind for some time already. I discussed the subject with Mario Theissen and we have found a solution together. IÔÇÖm looking forward to focusing on my original technical responsibilities again and am in no doubt that we can continue to build on our success.ÔÇØ

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen added: ÔÇ£I can totally understand that Willy Rampf wants to cut down on his workload. IÔÇÖm pleased that we have found an internal solution with the new structure, one which fits in with the philosophy of the team. All responsibilities will continue to lie in the hands of experienced managers who have played a key role throughout the development phase of the young team. At the same time, the team will continue to benefit from WillyÔÇÖs expertise and great experience. His contribution to the team ÔÇô both before and after BMW acquired a majority stake ÔÇô deserves the utmost respect. His record is extremely impressive, and our one-two victory in Montreal represents the crowning moment of his time with us so far.ÔÇØ

Walter Riedl will take over responsibility for the BMW Sauber F1.09 development process with immediate effect, while Rampf will continue to look after the further development of the BMW Sauber F1.08. As Riedl explains: ÔÇ£I have already been working very closely and very effectively with Willy Rampf, and this cooperation will now reach another new level. The new structure guarantees continuity and ensures that the BMW Sauber F1 Team is in good shape for the future.ÔÇØ

Riedl joined BMW as a development engineer in 1983 and has worked in a leading position in Formula One for nine years. Since 1999 he has been the responsible manager for the BMW Formula One project. Riedl took over the management of the Hinwil factory on 1st January 2006 following the companyÔÇÖs decision to acquire a majority stake in Sauber. He has also been responsible for project management across both locations since the summer of 2005.



BMW Sauber F1 Team - British GP ÔÇô Preview
06/27/2008

4th - 6th July, 2008
9th of 18 World Championship races

Munich/Hinwil, 27th June 2008. The 2008 Formula One season reaches its halfway mark on July 6th with a truly classic fixture: the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. The BMW Sauber F1 Team hopes the three days of testing at this challenging circuit in Northamptonshire will help it bring home a better result than at its last outing in the French Grand Prix. Silverstone features a lot of medium and high-speed corners, so good aerodynamic balance is always one of the key issues here.

The BMW Sauber F1 Team comes to Silverstone lying second in the Constructors' Championship, and with Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld second and fifth in the drivers- rankings.

On the same weekend that Kubica and Heidfeld are battling for championship points in Silverstone, Manchester will welcome the hands-on BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park. This high-tech theme park will be open to visitors free of charge from Friday to Sunday until 10 pm. The park recorded more than 300,000 visitors during its 2007 tour.


Nick Heidfeld:
"Over the main entrance to Silverstone there's a sign saying "Home of British Motor Racing", and that really sums up the atmosphere here. This classic track has stayed true to its roots. It really has character, which I like. There are a lot of great high-speed sections, and some memorable corners and combinations like Stowe, Copse and Beckets. Also, you can always count on the British spectators to create a special atmosphere. The British fans are really into racing; they're very informed and enthusiastic. I hope we can put on a good show for them."


Robert Kubica:
"Silverstone has a great history and is a very nice track. It is very important to have good downforce here, especially in the high-speed first sector. Later on in the lap the track has some low-speed corners. From a driver's perspective, the circuit is a good mix that makes a lot of different demands. Wind conditions are always a big factor, and they can have quite an effect on the car in the first sector. Furthermore, British weather is always unpredictable, but I have been to races in Silverstone three or four times and never had rain. So let's wait and see."


Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
"Silverstone is a classic date on the racing calendar, and it attracts a special calibre of fan. A lot of the racing enthusiasts who come here are less concerned with the personalities and the show side of things and more interested in the sport itself. The team has already been testing in Silverstone this week. Both Robert and Nick have been working on their set-ups for the Grand Prix. Following the difficult weekend in Magny-Cours, we expect to get back on track again at Silverstone."

"For the BMW Group, Britain is the only market with production sites for all three of its brands: the MINI is built in Oxford, Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, BMW car engines are built in Hams Hall, and the Swindon plant is the main supplier of MINI body stampings and parts. After the US and Germany, Britain is the third-biggest market for the BMW Group."


Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
"Obviously, in England we'll be looking to prove that our result at Magny-Cours didn't do us justice. We picked up some interesting tips from testing in Silverstone, and I'm confident we'll recapture our previous strong form. To drive a fast lap at Silverstone you need a car with very good aerodynamic balance. The drivers have to carry as much speed as possible out of those medium and high-speed corners that are such a big feature of this course. Maggots-Becketts-Chapel is one of the best combinations on the whole calendar. Silverstone is a fairly abrasive track, so it's quite hard on the tires. That means we will be using the hardest compounds."


Facts and figures:

Circuit/Date: Silverstone/6th July 2008
Start time (local/UTC): 13.00 hrs/12.00 hrs (14.00 hrs in central Europe)
Lap/Race distance: 5.141 km/308.355 km (60 laps)
Corners: 10 right-hand and 7 left-hand corners
Winner 2007: Kimi R?ñikk?Ânen, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, 1 hr 21:43.074 min
Pole position 2007: Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, 1:19.997 min
Fastest lap 2007: Kimi R?ñikk?Ânen, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, 1:20.638 min
Data 2007 (race): Full-throttle percentage: 64%
Top speed: 294 km/h
Longest stretch at full throttle: 12 sec / 890 m
Gear changes per lap: 40
Tyre wear: medium to high
Brake wear: low
Downforce level: high


Nick Heidfeld
Date of birth: 10.05.1977
Place of birth: M?Ânchengladbach/Germany
Nationality: German
Residence: St?ñfa, Switzerland
Marital status: Partner Patricia Papen, daughter Juni, son Joda
Height: 1.67 m
Weight: 61 kg
F1 debut: 2000, Melbourne
GP starts: 142
Pole positions: 1
Wins: -
Podium places: 9
Fastest laps: 1
Best placing: 5th (2007)
Total points: 168
Points 2008: 28 (5th place)


Robert Kubica
Date of birth: 07.12.1984
Place of birth: Krakow/Poland
Nationality: Polish
Residence: Monaco
Marital status: Single
Height: 1.84 m
Weight: 69 kg
F1 debut: 2006, Budapest
GP starts: 30
Pole positions: 1
Wins: 1
Podium places: 5
Fastest laps: -
Best placing: 6th (2007)
Total points: 91
Points 2008: 46 (2nd place)


BMW Sauber F1 Team
Founded: 01.01.2006
Locations: M??nchen (DE) and Hinwil (CH)
F1 debut: 2006, Melbourne
GP starts: 43
Pole positions: 1
Wins: 1
Podium places: 9 (4 x 3rd / 4 x 2nd / 1 x 1st)
Fastest laps: 1
Championship placings:
5th (2006), 36 points
2nd (2007), 101 points
2nd (2008), 74 points after 8 GPs



History and background:
2008 sees Silverstone host the British Grand Prix for the 42nd time. The Northamptonshire circuit is about halfway between Birmingham to the north and Oxford to the south. Formerly a military airfield during the Second World War, the venue saw its first race on 2nd October 1948. Since the official inauguration of Formula One (from 1950), the British GP has also been held in Aintree (five times) and Brands Hatch (12 times). England has also played host to three European Grands Prix: at Brands Hatch in 1983 and 1985 and at Donington Park in 1993.

 

[PAGoldsby]

<snip>
Willy Rampf (55), currently Technical Director, will take up the post of Technical Coordinator on 1st November 2008.
<snip>

The day of qualifying for Brazil? Odd.

 

[mika]

BMW Sauber F1 Team - British GP - Practice

07-04-2008 Press Release
Weather: Sunny but windy and dry, 17-20 ??C Air, 19-34??C Track


Silverstone (GB). For the BMW Sauber F1 Team it was a quiet start to the British Grand Prix weekend at the Silverstone circuit. Neither driver was completely happy with his carÔÇÖs balance, but they completed the planned Friday work.


Robert Kubica:
BMW Sauber F1.08-03 / BMW P86/8
1st Practice: 5th, 1:20.367 min / 2nd Practice: 11th, 1:21.023 min
ÔÇ£There is nothing special to report from today, as it was just a normal Friday with us testing almost everything we had planned. Now we shall see how the weather is tomorrow and what we have to do to improve the car. As always in Silverstone, the balance of the car is changing with the weather conditions, especially the wind. I have never driven here in the rain, yet, but for me whether it rains or is dry makes no difference.ÔÇØ


Nick Heidfeld:
BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8
1st Practice: 13th, 1:21.107 min / 2nd Practice: 13th, 1:21.453 min
ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm not happy yet. For last weekÔÇÖs test the balance of the car was better. I think this is due to the stronger winds we now have, which cause the balance to change every lap. I had difficulties with the softer tyres, as for me they didnÔÇÖt even last for a single lap.ÔÇØ


Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
ÔÇ£Robert had a rear suspension problem on his first run in the second session, and this cost him some time for set-up work. However, we almost managed to do the planned programme with both cars, and completed the long-runs for race preparation. Now we shall analyse the data to see where we can improve for tomorrow.ÔÇØ

No pictures at this time.

 

[mika]

BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM - GERMAN GP - PREVIEW
07/11/2008

18th ÔÇô 20th July 2008
10th of 18 World Championship races

Munich/Hinwil, 11th July 2008. The excitement is building at the BMW Sauber F1 Team ahead of its home GP at Hockenheim on 20th July. The team has conducted three days of testing at the circuit in the state of Baden-W??rttemberg in preparation for the race.

Formula One welcomes back the German Grand Prix following an absence of two years. 2008 also sees the return of Hockenheim to the calendar, after the N??rburgring hosted a round of the 2007 World Championship under the banner of the European Grand Prix. Five of the 20 drivers on the F1 grid hold a German passport, with Nick Heidfeld by far the most successful of the group.

Currently lying fifth in the DriversÔÇÖ Championship on 36 points, Heidfeld recorded his third second-place finish of the season at Silverstone last time out. The German is 10 points behind his team-mate Robert Kubica in the standings, the Pole ÔÇô on 46 points ÔÇô trailing the leaders by just two points. Going into round 10 of the 18-race season, Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes) and the Ferrari pair of Felipe Massa and Kimi R?ñikk?Ânen are level at the top on 48 points. In the constructorsÔÇÖ standings, the BMW Sauber F1 Team remains in second place at the half-way point of the season.

The German Grand Prix programme will see the revival of the most spectacular single-make competition in motor racing history. The BMW M1 Procar series will be back at Hockenheim on Saturday and Sunday as a field of ten cars

Nick Heidfeld:
ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm really looking forward to my home grand prix. Hockenheim is a very special race for the whole team, while a lot of Swiss fans have traditionally made the trip across the border to give their support. I personally have a lot of good memories of the Hockenheimring, especially the old circuit with its long straights through the forest. Those sections were really unmistakeable, but the new track is, of course, significantly safer and better for the spectators ÔÇô and I appreciate it for those reasons. Plus, a good overtaking opportunity has been created in the Parabolika. IÔÇÖve driven at Hockenheim in Formula Ford, Formula 3, Formula 3000 and Formula One, and canÔÇÖt wait for this grand prix.ÔÇØ

Robert Kubica:
ÔÇ£In 2006 I had the opportunity to drive at Hockenheim in free practice on Friday, but this will be my first Formula One grand prix there ÔÇô although I did race at the circuit in F3. We werenÔÇÖt there last year so I think it will be a very special weekend for our team and especially for BMW and all the BMW fans. We always try our best. It is the kind of track with different kinds of corners, although not really high-speed corners. The only one that is quite quick is when you enter the stadium, where there is always a special atmosphere. I know corner one is pretty quick but not really a long corner. There are some quite short corners with only one line you can take through them.ÔÇØ

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
ÔÇ£This is the only F1 race being held in our home country in 2008 and naturally weÔÇÖre very much looking forward to it. However, you canÔÇÖt afford to let that disturb your concentration ÔÇô after all, we donÔÇÖt get any more points here just because its our home GP. The circuit has lost some of its allure since they cut out the straights through the forest, but the atmosphere should be fantastic after a year without Formula One. It is sure to be an extremely exciting race. Three drivers are tied at the top of the driversÔÇÖ standings, while Robert is only two points behind them. Nick is not far away either, and his strong performance at Silverstone has given him an extra boost. You could not have written a better script for our home GP.

ÔÇ£Hockenheim takes us into the second half of the season. The nine races so far have brought us 82 points and seven podiums, and we have scored points on every occasion. All of which means we are in second place in the ConstructorsÔÇÖ Championship, 14 points behind Ferrari but 10 ahead of McLaren Mercedes. The highlight of our season so far has, of course, been the one-two in Montreal. Fastest race lap, pole position, race victory ÔÇô in all the categories where there was a zero next to our team in the statistics not so long ago, there is now a 1. And that has, of course, given the team members in Munich and Hinwil even more confidence. Everybody in the team can see that we are on the right path.

ÔÇ£We set out to turn the two-horse race at the top of the standings into a three-way battle and to win our first race, and we have achieved this goal. Two teams are still a touch faster than us when you look at the lap times. However, as far as the reliability of our cars and the work of the pit crew and race strategists are concerned, we are already a top team. We will now make every effort to keep our chances alive this season, while not neglecting the development of the F1.09. That is a big challenge, especially given the radical rule changes due to come into force next year.ÔÇØ

Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
ÔÇ£Needless to say, Hockenheim is a very special race for us, and there is an extra buzz of anticipation within the team. The circuit is characterised by slow and medium-speed corners, where you need a lot of downforce. More than any other part of the track, the Motodrom is a key section when it comes to the lap time. However, you canÔÇÖt afford to ignore top speed altogether, as the best overtaking spot is going into the hairpin after the long Parabolika, which is taken flat-out. Here, as well as a good top speed, the most important thing for the drivers is high braking stability and optimum traction on the exit from the corner.ÔÇØ

Facts and figures:
Circuit/Date: Hockenheim/20th July 2008
Start time (local/UTC): 14.00 hrs/12.00 hrs
Lap/Race distance: 4.574 km/308.863 km (67 laps)
Corners: 10 right-hand and 7 left-hand corners
Winner 2006 Michael Schumacher, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, 1 hr 27:51.693 min
Pole position 2006: Kimi R?ñikk?Ânen, Team McLaren Mercedes, 1:14.070 min
Fastest lap 2006: Michael Schumacher, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, 1:16.357 min

Data 2006 (race):
Full-throttle percentage: 64 %
Top speed: 310 km/h
Longest stretch at full throttle: 14 sec / 1,030 m
Gear changes per lap: 46
Tyre wear: medium
Brake wear: medium to high
Downforce level: medium to high


Nick Heidfeld
Date of birth: 10.05.1977
Place of birth: M?Ânchengladbach/Germany
Nationality: German
Residence: St?ñfa, Switzerland
Marital status: Partner Patricia Papen, daughter Juni, son Joda
Height: 1.67 m
Weight: 61 kg
F1 debut: 2000, Melbourne
GP starts: 143
Pole positions: 1
Wins: -
Podium places: 10
Fastest laps: 1
Best placing: 5th (2007)
Total points: 176
Points 2008: 36 (5th place)


Robert Kubica
Date of birth: 07.12.1984
Place of birth: Krakow/Poland
Nationality: Polish
Residence: Monaco
Marital status: Single
Height: 1.84 m
Weight: 69 kg
F1 debut: 2006, Budapest
GP starts: 31
Pole positions: 1
Wins: 1
Podium places: 5
Fastest laps: -
Best placing: 6th (2007)
Total points: 91
Points 2008: 46 (4th place)


BMW Sauber F1 Team
Founded: 01.01.2006
Locations: Munich (DE) and Hinwil (CH)
F1 debut: 2006, Melbourne
GP starts: 44
Pole positions: 1
Wins: 1
Podium places: 10 (4 x 3rd / 5 x 2nd / 1 x 1st)
Fastest laps: 1
Championship placings:
5th (2006), 36 points
2nd (2007), 101 points
2nd (2008), 82 points after 9 GPs


History and background:
Hockenheim has a population of over 20,000 and lies in the state of Baden-W??rttemberg. HockenheimÔÇÖs inaugural event, held on an as yet unsurfaced triangular track, was a motorcycle race which took place on 29th May 1932. In 1938 the circuit was modified to become the oval-shaped Kurpfalzring. 1957 saw further upgrading and the addition of the Motodrom. HockenheimÔÇÖs first Formula One GP was held on 2nd August 1970. In 1977 the German Grand Prix moved to Baden, only returning to the N??rburgring once ÔÇô in 1985.

For its 70th anniversary in 2002, the race track displayed a new design and a new name: since then, the ÔÇ£Hockenheimring Baden W??rttembergÔÇ£ has managed without the famous long forest straights which offered no room for spectators. Where the course used to disappear into the woods, the field now takes a right turn into the full-throttle Parabolika section. This ends in a hairpin that is taken in first gear with the steering wheel almost at full lock. A generous asphalt run-off zone encourages overtaking manoeuvres. Following this hairpin, a right-left-right combination leads back into the Motodrom ÔÇ£stadiumÔÇØ.

 

[mika]

Interview With Bmw Sauber F1 Team Driver Nick Heidfeld

07/10/2008

ÔÇ£I want to keep heading in the same direction.ÔÇØ
Munich/Hinwil, 10th July 2008. BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Nick Heidfeld has turned his season around, emerging from a recent barren spell just in time for his home race, the German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring on 20th July.


YouÔÇÖve earned a lot of praise for your second place and pair of double overtaking moves in the rain of Silverstone. How did you pull off such a great performance?

BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Nick Heidfeld: ÔÇ£It was just brilliant. Qualifying finally went well again, and in the race everything slotted into place. The team did everything right and I also avoided making any mistakes. ItÔÇÖs always satisfying when passing moves come off; winning a head-to-head battle fair and square is as good as it gets. And if you can overtake two other guys in the same move twice in the same race, the thrill is that much greater. Especially as it was a Ferrari and a McLaren I got past on one of those occasions.ÔÇØ


A lot of people complain that overtaking is impossible in Formula One. You provide regular evidence to the contrary ÔÇô under the toughest conditions as well. How do you decide whether to dive into a gap? Are you braver than other drivers?

Heidfeld: ÔÇ£I actually find overtaking easiest in tricky conditions. The differences between the individual drivers are just greater in the rain. Plus, different drivers take different lines through the corners, which naturally helps with overtaking.ÔÇØ


You referred to your problems in qualifying. Are they now behind you?

Heidfeld: ÔÇ£What is certain is that our work has paid off. The team has given me tremendous support. We conducted a complicated analysis of the situation and took measures to enable me to make better use of the tyres for a single hot lap. As an outsider itÔÇÖs tempting to think that all it takes to get the tyres up to optimum temperature is a couple of burnouts. But that only heats up the contact area of the rear tyres. It is a complex issue, and the Barcelona test in June already produced a degree of progress. We undid some of the good work with our poor performance overall at Magny-Cours, but for me it was important to see that I was back up to the same level as my team-mate in the second period of qualifying. That was the case again at Silverstone. However, we will not be easing off now; IÔÇÖm sure that there is a lot more we can do to further improve my performance in qualifying.ÔÇØ


Have you feared for your place in the team over recent weeks?

Heidfeld: ÔÇ£No, that would have been the wrong way to approach the situation. I was concerned about my qualifying performance. But I also knew that I hadnÔÇÖt suddenly forgotten how to drive a car and that my race speed was still good. The critical thing for me is to get the tyres up to temperature in qualifying.ÔÇØ


Why do you perform so well in the wet?

Heidfeld: ÔÇ£I used to enjoy racing in the rain in my karting days, and then in the various classes up from there as well. The car slides and reacts totally differently, and you have to do everything with much greater sensitivity ÔÇô steering, braking, accelerating. Getting to grips with all of these factors is so much fun. However, if you are not in the lead there is another aspect of racing in the rain that makes things rather unpredictable: the lack of visibility. We sit so low to the ground and the Formula One cars whip up so much water that you can hardly see a thing in the spray ÔÇô neither the pools of water nor the other cars. You really canÔÇÖt compare it with driving on the road.ÔÇØ


How did your two days of testing go at Hockenheim?

Heidfeld: ÔÇ£We were fortunate that the weather turned out to be better than forecast, which meant I was able to complete more laps than I was expecting in the dry. We tested a few new aerodynamic and mechanical components at Hockenheim, both for the German Grand Prix specifically and looking further ahead. That was our priority during the test; the plan was in no way to set the fastest possible lap times. As I cannot judge what kind of programme the other teams were running, the lap times from the test do not tell us all that much. However, I would have liked more time to work out an ideal set-up for the race at Hockenheim.ÔÇØ


What is your plan for the German Grand Prix?

Heidfeld: ÔÇ£Clearly, it gives me an extra push to go into my home GP on the back of a podium finish in the last race. I want to keep heading in the same direction ÔÇô get a good position on the grid and do as well as possible in the race itself. IÔÇÖm really looking forward to what is BMWÔÇÖs home grand prix as well as mine personally. Plus, Hockenheim always attracts a particularly large number of fans from Switzerland as well, and IÔÇÖm determined to put on a great performance for them.ÔÇØ

 

[mika]

After a summer break it is time to catch up with July. Sunday is the Hungarian GP. Heidfeld has been having a good time and Kubica has been a bit frustrated to say the least. BMW is holding on to an honest second place in the contstructors championship while the drivers are doing there best to keep the drivers championship interesting.

 

[mika]

British GP Slideshow

BMW Sauber F1 Team - British GP - Practice
07-04-2008 Press Release
Weather: Sunny but windy and dry, 17-20 ??C Air, 19-34??C Track


Silverstone (GB). For the BMW Sauber F1 Team it was a quiet start to the British Grand Prix weekend at the Silverstone circuit. Neither driver was completely happy with his carÔÇÖs balance, but they completed the planned Friday work.


Robert Kubica:
BMW Sauber F1.08-03 / BMW P86/8
1st Practice: 5th, 1:20.367 min / 2nd Practice: 11th, 1:21.023 min
ÔÇ£There is nothing special to report from today, as it was just a normal Friday with us testing almost everything we had planned. Now we shall see how the weather is tomorrow and what we have to do to improve the car. As always in Silverstone, the balance of the car is changing with the weather conditions, especially the wind. I have never driven here in the rain, yet, but for me whether it rains or is dry makes no difference.ÔÇØ


Nick Heidfeld:
BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8
1st Practice: 13th, 1:21.107 min / 2nd Practice: 13th, 1:21.453 min
ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm not happy yet. For last weekÔÇÖs test the balance of the car was better. I think this is due to the stronger winds we now have, which cause the balance to change every lap. I had difficulties with the softer tyres, as for me they didnÔÇÖt even last for a single lap.ÔÇØ


Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
ÔÇ£Robert had a rear suspension problem on his first run in the second session, and this cost him some time for set-up work. However, we almost managed to do the planned programme with both cars, and completed the long-runs for race preparation. Now we shall analyse the data to see where we can improve for tomorrow.ÔÇØ



BMW Sauber F1 Team - British GP - Qualifying
07-05-2008 Press Release
Weather: damp in practice, mostly dry in qualifying, 18-20??C Air, 16-32??C Track

Silverstone (GB). It was mixed fortunes for the BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers in qualifying for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. For Nick Heidfeld it was a good day, as fifth fastest means he equalled his previous best performance of 2008 from Melbourne. However, the reverse happened to Robert Kubica, as a problem with his car in the last part of qualifying meant he was tenth fastest, and this is his worst performance of the season.


Nick Heidfeld:
BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8
Qualifying 5th, 1:21.022 min (3rd Practice: 15th, 1:22.916 min)
ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm quite happy with fifth because it just continues a positive trend which began in qualifying in Magny-Cours, and confirms all our efforts and work have paid off. I can now manage again to heat up the tyres properly and get them to work, but we shall continue to work on this subject. In Q2 Robert and I where just separated by two hundreds of a second. Generally my car was a lot better today than on Friday. However, on my last lap in Q3 it felt a little bit strange, so we have to find out what this was. I think we shall have an exciting race tomorrow. There is a high chance of rain!ÔÇØ

Robert Kubica:
BMW Sauber F1.08-03 / BMW P86/8
Qualifying 10th, 1:19.788 min (from Q2) (3rd Practice: 19th, 1:23.282 min)
ÔÇ£It was a difficult qualifying in the end. Finally we were on the right pace. Qualifying 1 was good and qualifying 2 was even better, as the first time on option tyres was very good. I backed off in the last sector to just bring the car home, and it was still enough to be two or three tenths off the McLaren time. In qualifying 3 I went through the first sector without any problems, but then I felt the same problem at the rear I felt on Friday. Now we have to analyse everything and see what is going on.ÔÇØ

Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
ÔÇ£Up to the top ten qualifying session everything went according to plan, but then Robert aborted his lap in Q3 because he realised he had a technical problem with the car. Unfortunately time was too short to analyse the problem during the session and get him back out on the track. It is a shame because both drivers were strong, which is proved by NickÔÇÖs fifth place. It was a very good performance by him.ÔÇØ

Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
ÔÇ£Both our drivers were well on their way in the first two qualifying sessions, and only needed a single lap to easily advance into the final stage of qualifying. However, in Q3 Robert couldnÔÇÖt complete his fast lap, and over the radio told us about a technical problem with the car. NickÔÇÖs performance was impressive and put him fifth fastest. We are all very happy about that. The weather prediction for tomorrow is mixed. We are prepared for anything that might come.ÔÇØ


BMW Sauber F1 Team - British GP - Race
07-06-2008 Press Release
Weather: wet track with heavy rain showers. Air: 16-18??C, Track: 17-21??C


Silverstone (GB). After a flawless drive and numerous good overtaking manoeuvres Nick Heidfeld took second place for the BMW Sauber F1 Team in what was a wet and fairly chaotic British Grand Prix. This was his third runner-up spot of the season, and the teamÔÇÖs seventh podium. While everything, including the right tyre choice at each pit stop, paid off for Heidfeld, his team mate Robert Kubica slid off the slippery track after his second pit stop.


Nick Heidfeld: 2nd
BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8
Fastest Lap: 1:32.719 min on lap 21 (2nd fastest overall)
ÔÇ£It was a good race. I am happy with second place because today it was the best I could achieve. Qualifying went well and in the race we did everything right. Obviously it was crucial to make the right tyre decisions. At the first stop we were wondering if we should stay with the used set of inters, but luckily we then decided on new tyres. We were expecting a small shower, but when I drove down Hanger Straight and saw a black wall in front of me I thought I should expect more than that! The most difficult moments in the race were when cars were overtaking me who had been lapped, but were just on better tyres for the conditions at that time. There was so much water and I couldnÔÇÖt see where it was lying. Once before Abbey I almost spun, but just managed to keep the car on the track.ÔÇØ

Robert Kubica: DNF
BMW Sauber F1.08-03 / BMW P86/8
Fastest Lap: 1:33.539 min on lap 22 (12th fastest overall)
ÔÇ£I was already aquaplaning for many laps and unfortunately in a straight line I just lost the car completely and went off. Here in Silverstone it was a crazy race in difficult conditions. Everything was running pretty well as I was having quite a good race and gaining positions. But when it rained and there was a lot of water on the track I was just struggling. I couldnÔÇÖt keep the car in a straight line, was losing power, the rear wheels were losing contact with the tarmac and that was it.ÔÇØ

Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
ÔÇ£It was a very dramatic race which was dictated by the weather conditions. In some periods of the race the lap times varied by as much as ten seconds depending on the tyre choice. With Nick our strategy worked out perfectly. He performed very strongly and carried out some spectacular overtaking manoeuvres. After things have not gone his way recently, I am very happy for him he climbed from fifth on the grid to second with a good mixture of intelligent racing and fighting spirit. For him it is the third second place so far this year, and for our team the seventh podium. Robert was doing well, having climbed up to third, but then went off during a rain shower. Compliments to him as well as it was a strong team performance under these difficult conditions.ÔÇØ

Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
ÔÇ£That was a tyre lottery, as there was a permanent question over which ones we should use. The critical period was when the drivers were fighting very hard to keep the cars on track after the heavy rain. Nick managed to do this very well. Unfortunately Robert was aquaplaning and went off. Nick deserved his place on the podium as he drove a very smart race. Congratulations on a great performance and compliments to the pit stop crew, because we made the tyre choice decisions at very short notice."

 

[mika]

BMW Sauber F1 Team - European Grand Prix - Preview
08-15-2008 Press Release
Reinvigorated after the brief summer break, the BMW Sauber F1 Team is looking forward to the Formula One debut in the Mediterranean port of Valencia, the first of two street circuit premieres this season. The second is the night race in Singapore at the end of September.

Although Valencia possesses a permanent race track ÔÇô the Circuito Ricardo Tormo ÔÇô it was decided that, rather than upgrading it to Formula One standard, a course running through the city and along the harbour would be used instead. A backdrop of bobbing yachts may be reminiscent of the Monaco Grand Prix, but the circuit is more in keeping with modern requirements and does not emulate the confined conditions found in the Principality. There are several sections where the F1 cars are expected to reach around 300 km/h. The Formula 3 and GT races held on the last weekend of July served as a ÔÇ£dress rehearsalÔÇØ for the forthcoming Grand Prix.

There was no opportunity for Formula One testing in Valencia, so the BMW Sauber F1 Team has prepared with the help of simulation. Based on the circuit data, the anticipated ideal line was plotted with the aid of a computer program, while lap times were simulated in varying vehicle configurations. For the mechanical set-up, the weight distribution as well as spring and damper settings were determined, and based on the calculated speeds, the gear ratios were also fixed. Taking downforce levels and track characteristics into account, the lap simulation was able to establish the extent of brake wear, and on this basis the brake materials and cooling requirements were determined. Grip levels of the asphalt surface and tyre wear, on the other hand, can only be verified on location.

Valencia has long cast off its former image of an industrial port city and has emerged as one of EuropeÔÇÖs cultural metropolises. The Marina of SpainÔÇÖs third-largest city, with a population of around 850,000, has been transformed into a stylish and fashionable complex on the back of the AmericaÔÇÖs Cup held there in 2007. The F1 circuit leads across a bridge that links the North and South Marina. On the south side, the cars drive along the quayside, past the historic fish market and towards the suburb of Grao. They then briefly follow the course of the River Turia before braking into a hairpin bend, following which the route snakes back towards the waterfront. After a series of S-bends, the cars take a left turn and enter the start-finish straight, bringing them back to the harbour and home, the team garages being set up in the port buildings.

Nick Heidfeld:
ÔÇ£IÔÇÖm always pleased when a new race track turns up in the calendar, and IÔÇÖm particularly keen to experience Valencia. It will be an authentic street circuit in the sense that it runs through the town centre, unlike the Melbourne or Montreal tracks. In terms of its charms and challenges, the Valencia race will probably come closest to the Monaco Grand Prix. I really like Valencia, which IÔÇÖve visited many times, of course. We do a lot of testing on the permanent race track in Cheste and weÔÇÖve rolled out our new Formula One car in Valencia on several occasions. The first few metres in a brand-new car are always a very special experience.


ÔÇ£Early this year I spent a few days in Valencia with my family between the rollout and the next test. We had a great time, went to the beach, and in town thereÔÇÖs a dried-out riverbed that has nature parks and playgrounds. That was very nice, especially for the children. Valencia is also a great place for shopping and eating out, needless to say, and I love the contrast between its historic and futuristic architecture. IÔÇÖm looking forward to the weekend.ÔÇØ

Robert Kubica:
ÔÇ£I am very much looking forward to Valencia as I am a big fan of street circuits in general. They are very demanding as they are often bumpy and the street surface changes. When you make a mistake you easily run into barriers. Anyway, Valencia will not be a complete street circuit. There will be lots of run-off areas for safety reasons. The FIA puts a lot of effort into safety, which is good.

ÔÇ£On a street circuit it is of major importance to have a good basic set-up which is easy to drive. The lap time improvement has to be gained step by step, you cannot drive in too wild a style. Also, in terms of the racing line you have to approach this gradually. It is very important to walk the track before driving it the first time to get a feeling for the surface and the layout.ÔÇØ

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
ÔÇ£The short summer break after the race in Budapest has benefited everyone. Now we are embarking on the remaining three European races and four overseas GPs with renewed vigour. Our aim is to continue on from the good results of the first half of the season. We still have a few arrows in our quiver and we aim to land one or other hit.

ÔÇ£The European Grand Prix around the port area of Valencia is new to the programme this year. We are very much looking forward to the race and the city, particularly as BMW has some close associations with Valencia. The Formula BMW Racing Center there serves as the training site for our up-and-coming young talent in the Formula BMW series around the world. Valencia is by tradition the venue for rolling out our new F1 car, and beyond that city races always make for a unique atmosphere. We await the new circuit with keen anticipation.ÔÇØ

Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
ÔÇ£Valencia is a new venue in the calendar and as such poses a particular challenge, not least because itÔÇÖs a street circuit. Not that itÔÇÖs a slow one ÔÇô the drivers will be exceeding the 300 km/h mark on the fastest section. With the help of our simulation programs we are in a position to reliably calculate the required downforce levels in advance as well as brake wear and gear ratios. That means we will start out with a good basic set-up.

ÔÇ£If you compare Valencia with Monaco, youÔÇÖre talking about two street circuits but with very distinctive characters and very different challenges for the cars. In Valencia we will be racing with a lot of downforce, but not with the maximum that Monaco demands.ÔÇØ

 

[mika]

BMW Sauber F1 Team - Interview on KERS

08-21-2008 Press Release
Interview with Markus Duesmann, Head of Powertrain BMW Sauber F1 Team

Munich/Hinwil, 21.8.2008. The BMW Sauber F1 Team have now concluded their investigations into the KERS incident at Jerez in late July. Markus Duesmann, Head of Powertrain, gives us more details.

What exactly happened in Jerez?
Markus Duesmann, Head of Powertrain: ÔÇ£The mechanic suffered an electric shock after touching the sidepod and steering wheel of the car. There was a high-frequency AC voltage between these contact points, the cause of which has been traced back to the KERS control unit and a sporadic capacitive coupling from the high-voltage network to the 12-volt network. The voltage ran through the wiring of the 12-volt network to the steering wheel and through the carbon chassis back to the control unit.ÔÇØ
Note on capacitive coupling: this refers to an inadvertent transfer of electric voltage between two transfer media by inductive or capacitive coupling.

Was there a serious danger to the mechanic and the driver?
Duesmann: ÔÇ£No, as only a small amount of energy can be transferred through this capacitive coupling effect. However, the energy is sufficient to cause an extremely painful reaction. The driver was insulated against the car by his racing overalls and gloves and therefore not in any danger.ÔÇØ

Why did the investigation take so long?
Duesmann: ÔÇ£It was not possible initially to reproduce the capacitive coupling effect in the car, as the problem was caused by a sporadic error in the control unit. Due to the extremely high frequency of the voltage in the steering wheel, the safety mechanisms and data recordings did not pick up on the error. In the absence of data, all the theoretical possibilities had to be systematically investigated and analysed in tests. Furthermore, the capacitive coupling effect only occurs under certain conditions. Without the option of driving the KERS test car used in Jerez again, we had to reconstruct these conditions. We also had to develop a model to be installed between the steering wheel and sidepod which replicated the characteristics of the human body as an electric transfer element.ÔÇØ

What measures are now being taken to solve the problem?
Duesmann: ÔÇ£In addition to the measures required to tackle the issue at hand, the extremely far-reaching analysis we conducted also gave rise to other recommendations which are of great value for the development of electric KERS systems. Among the measures arrived at are changes in the design of the control unit to avoid capacitive coupling effects, extended monitoring functions for high frequencies and a conductive connection of the chassis components to avoid any electric potential.ÔÇØ

What will happen with these findings now?
Duesmann: ÔÇ£We have already handed over this safety analysis, complete with measures and recommendations, to the FIA, and will also make our findings available to the other teams at the next meeting of the Technical Working Group.ÔÇØ

When will the next track test for KERS take place?
Duesmann: ÔÇ£We will resume the testing programme once all the necessary amendments to the safety concept have been implemented. We expect this to be the case in the autumn.ÔÇØ

 

[mika]

Valencia – Friday Free Practice

The phrase ‘Green Track’ is normally understood to mean a freshly resurfaced race track. That does not begin to describe Valencia. Fresh resurfacing on a street track with 22 corners that has never been used before is what makes up this track. Toss in a bridge with a gap in the middle that bounces the cars like a curb and has a hard turn at the far side and all went to make for an interesting free practice.

Three tire compounds were available and offered mixed results as suspension settings were sorted out. With little or no run off areas available on street tract traction v speed will be a major concern. Speed was not lost; however. Straight away speeds of over 196 mph were reported. Tomorrow’s qualifying will give let us know how much of that speed will be given up to increased down force needed to aid in traction.

Alonso managed to gain a dubious place in the record books for Valencia. He wondered back and forth across the white lines to the entrance of the pit area catching the eyes of the race officials. He is the first driver to be investigated as a result a potential rules violation at Valencia and will probably add being the first driver fined to his list of Valencia records. Ah, F-1 rules.

The Friday session seemed to be business as usual for the BMW Sauber team. Heidfeld seemed to be working hard with mixed results for his efforts. Kubica managed to pull himself up to fourth fastest at one point but did not hold on to it.

formula1.com: Practice - Vettel pips Massa

Gallery: European GP – Valencia
BMW Sauber F1 Team - European Grand Prix - Free Practice
08-22-2008 Press Release
Weather: dry, partly cloudy, 28-30??C Air, 33-44??C Track


Valencia (ES). Both BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers had a trouble free first day on the new street circuit round the harbour area of Valencia, which received compliments from every direction. Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld completed their evaluation of the harder and softer tyre compounds as planned, and both of them see room for improvement before the start of the European Grand Prix.


Robert Kubica:
BMW Sauber F1.08-05 / BMW P86/8
1st Practice: 6th, 1:41.281 min / 2nd Practice: 8th, 1:40.149 min
“In the First Free Practice session we concentrated on learning the new circuit. The surface was still very dirty in the morning, so we had to wait until the track picked up some grip. In the Second Free Practice the conditions were better, although it was still quite slippery, and our main focus was on tyre evaluation and basic set-up work. Anyway, the track conditions were changing every thirty minutes. Because of this it is quite tricky to make a prediction for tomorrow. We now have to analyse the data.”


Nick Heidfeld:
BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8
1st Practice: 16th, 1:42.453 min / 2nd Practice: 18th, 1:41.084 min
“I really like the new Valencia street circuit as they have done a very good job on the lay-out. Of course at the start the track was extremely dirty, but obviously the conditions are the same for everybody. We had no technical problems and I was able to do the tyre comparison as planned. I’m not happy with the lap times yet, so now we shall look into the data and figure out how we can improve.”


Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
“Although this is a new track, there were no surprises for us as regards the car’s set-up. The circuit is as we expected, and we were well prepared. As usual on Friday we concentrated on comparing the tyres and race preparation. We were able to complete the programme without any technical problems. Because we cannot use any previous information to refer to for this new track, we shall now analyse all the data. We shall pay special attention to comparing the sector times so we can make the right set-up changes for the rest of the weekend.”

 

[mika]

GP of Europe Valencia Qualifying

GP of Europe Valencia Qualifying

Constructors Championship standings before the European GP ÔÇô Valencia

CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS
01 Ferrari 111
02 McLaren-Mercedes 100
03 BMW Sauber 90
04 Toyota 35
05 Renault 31
06 Red Bull-Renault 24
07 Williams-Toyota 16
08 Honda 14
09 STR-Ferrari 8
10 Force India-Ferrari 0
11 Super Aguri-Honda 0



Drivers Championship standings before the European GP ÔÇô Valencia

DRIVER STANDINGS
01 Lewis Hamilton 62
02 Kimi R?ñikk?Ânen 57
03 Felipe Massa 54
04 Robert Kubica 49
05 Nick Heidfeld 41
06 Heikki Kovalainen 38
07 Jarno Trulli 22
08 Fernando Alonso 18
09 Mark Webber 18
10 Timo Glock 13
11 Nelsinho Piquet 13
12 Rubens Barrichello 11
13 Nico Rosberg 8
14 Kazuki Nakajima 8
15 David Coulthard 6
16 Sebastian Vettel 6
17 Jenson Button 3
18 Sebastien Bourdais 2
19 Giancarlo Fisichella 0
20 Takuma Sato 0
21 Adrian Sutil 0
22 Anthony Davidson 0


Qualifying

Qualifying practice found drivers and teams mixed up all over the place. Overnight rain had washed away all the rubber built up on Friday returning the track to a green condition. The potential bright spot for BMW Sauber was having Kubica in first during practice and Heidlfeld eight.

Q1
Both BMW Sauber drivers were out at the beginning of Q1. The sky was heavily overcast and threatening rain so no one could hold back in any of the sessions.

Kubica briefly held P1 and then dropped as other teams took their flying laps but at no time was he at risk of not making it through the session. The same could not be said for his teammate.

Heidfeld struggled through Q1. He spent most of the session in the drop zone. At one point it looked as he could have been blocked by ToyotaÔÇÖs Glock while Heidlfed was on a flying lap. Glock will be investigated and his position in the final grid shown here should be considered provisional. The checkered flag dropped on the firs qualifying session while Heidfeld was completing his final lap. At the start of the final lap he was well into the drop zone and then on this final lap made it into Q2.

Q2
Sprinkles on part of the elongated Valencia track had everyone out and running hard at the start of the second session. With about five minutes remaining the track was empty briefly as teams held to see if it would rain. It didnÔÇÖt and they were back out in short order.

Q2 is normally the fastest of the three qualifying sessions and Heidfeld made a significant move to P3. Kubica did not fare as well. He scored strong laps early and may have been sorting things out a bit more in anticipation of Q3. The main thing for BMW Sauber is both drivers were through to the final session.

There were some surprises in Q2.

Much of the buzz going into this race was about the fight between Renault and Toyota for fourth in the ConstructorÔÇÖs Championship. Glock has looked strong of late scoring P2 in the last race at Hungary. Alonso had been very strong in the first qualifying session. Yet neither team was able to get a driver into Q3.

Toro Rosso was the other surprise. They put both their drivers through to Q3. Their sister team Red Bull did not do as well. Coulthard was out after Q1 and Weber after Q2.

Q3
The final grid positions where determined in the last laps of the final session. Hamilton had been strong in all of the sessions and looked to have the pole when the final checkered flag fell ending qualifying. But Massa had started his last flying lap before that and took the pole in the end. This moved Kubica of the front row to the second row in P3 with Rikkonen alongside him in P4. Heidfeld recovered from his strong showing in Q2 and returned to form securing P8 on the starting grid.


The Race
I am not certain what to expect in the race. This is the first race on this track and the weather is questionable. Weather will undoubtedly clean the track overnight once again. The race will in all likely hood start on a green track. The top three drivers in practice finished 3, 9 and 10 in final qualifying. The drivers making it through all three qualifying sessions all had moments of brilliance. With no history to aid my best guess is the first race on the Valencia track will be determined during the first lap and first pit stop.

The first lap sets the stage. The grid launches down a high speed straight into a hard right hander. Remember this is a street course with concrete barriers allowing no run off room. F1 drivers are notorious gambles in how the jump off and fight into turn one. The result in this race could be a major pile up in turn one leaving some strong cars broken and out of the race.

The first Valencia pit stop takes on added importance in my view. Q3 has all cars going out in with their final race setup and fuel load with the only thing that changes during the session are the tires and normally all teams end up on the same race compound. Teams were on the track using all three compounds at the end of the session. How these hold up in grip and mileage will go a long way to determining when a drivers first stop will come. The first round of pit stops could play a big part in strategy and final race positions.

Valencia is a slot car fast track. Top speeds on the main straight push 200mph and the average qualifying speeds were in the 120mph + range. Like a slot car track it is unforgiving when you make a mistake and this could make the crash and burn fans happy.

This should be a very fun race for everyone to watch.


Formula1.com ÔÇô Post qualifying headlines from the official site.

Also in the F-1 news this weekend

The silly season continues. Everyone is lining up and the queue lines up behind FerrariÔÇÖs Kimi Raikkonen. Neither current F-1 champ, nor Ferrari, has announced plans for where the champ will be next season. Rumors have him moving to the World Rally Car series, staying at Ferrari or retiring. This leaves everyone else waiting in line. Formula1.com has its version of where Berrichello and Alonso may be in the queue.

 

[mika]

BMW Sauber F1 Team - European Grand Prix - Qualifying

08-23-2008 Press Release
Weather: overcast, some raindrops, 26-29??C Air, 27-33??C Track

Valencia (ES). Positive qualifying for the BMW Sauber F1 Team - Robert Kubica qualified third for the maiden event at the Valencia street circuit. Nick Heidfeld finished qualifying for the European Grand Prix in eighth.


Robert Kubica:
BMW Sauber F1.08-05 / BMW P86/8
Qualifying 3rd, 1:39.392 min (3rd Practice: 1st, 1:38.754 min)
ÔÇ£This was a very good Qualifying for the team and me. After some unlucky races lately the pace of the car here in Valencia is not that bad. However, there is still a small gap to Ferrari and McLaren. Qualifying went pretty smoothly, with only the weather a bit unstable. In the end there were only some rain drops in the second qualifying session, but this did not affect the result. The choice of tyres was pretty clear for me by yesterday: I went on the harder compound in Q1 and on the softer compound in Q2 and in Q3.ÔÇØ

Nick Heidfeld:
BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8
Qualifying 8th, 1:40.631 min (3rd Practice: 8th, 1:39.335 min)
ÔÇ£Qualifying eighth is not perfect, but I think it was about the maximum possible today as the fuel load comes into play. In Q1 I thought it was d?®ja-vu when Timo Glock was in my way. Our team informs us on the radio how many seconds behind us a fast car is, and when we have to let somebody overtake. Apparently this isnÔÇÖt the case in every team. I was afraid my qualifying would be ruined, but luckily I was able to do a second lap straight away and it was good enough. Q2 was fine, as I was third fastest and could see the pace was there. Generally speaking IÔÇÖm a lot happier with my car today. On Friday I was struggling a lot, but we have made a lot of changes since.ÔÇØ

Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
ÔÇ£On this new and demanding track Robert had a great qualifying again and fought his way through to P3 on the grid. Nick improved in the second part of qualifying and made it into Q3 with the third best time overall. His last lap wasnÔÇÖt perfect as he lost some time in the second sector. Anyway, eighth is good. What these positions are worth we shall see tomorrow during the first pit stops. We had no technical problems during qualifying.ÔÇØ

Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
ÔÇ£This was a very exciting qualifying. In the first part there were some rain drops, and in the second part the times were close. It's positive that we were able to get both cars into the top ten qualifying. Nick drove a very fast lap in Q2 and was able to qualify easily for Q3. Robert also had a very strong performance. Starting from P3 he is in a very good position for the race, and Nick will also have his chances. I'm pleased all the hard work we have done since the race in Hungary has paid off.ÔÇØ

 

[mika]

European GP ÔÇô Valencia: 1 Provisional Result

1 Massa
2 Hamilton
3 Kubica
4 Kovalainen
5 Trulli
6 Vettel
7 Glock
8 Rosberg
9 Heidfeld
10 Bourdais
11 Piquet
12 Webber
13 Button
14 Fischella
15 Nakajima
16 Barrichello
17 Coulthard
18 Raikkonen ÔÇô retired with engine failure
19 Sutil ÔÇô retired after crash
20 Alonso ÔÇô retired after incident with Nakajima on first lap


Massa takes the first victory title at Valencia under a cloud. Ferrari and Massa will be investigated for a near crash with Force IndiaÔÇÖs Sutil.

Kubica makes it back on the podium in third while his team mate turned in another very less than impressive ninth loosing a spot from his starting position on the grid.

DriverÔÇÖs standings ÔÇô pending the investigation of Massa/Ferrari
Hamilton ÔÇô 70
Massa ÔÇô 64
Raikkonen ÔÇô 57
Kubica ÔÇô 55


Constructors Championship
Ferrari ÔÇô 121
McLaren ÔÇô 113
BMW Sauber ÔÇô 96

During the after race interview with the podium finishers Kubica sat holding his head up with his left hand and looked terribly bored. I can not say I was bored with the race but this race did little for me on the track.

Off the track in the pits and in the garage is what was interesting.

MassaÔÇÖs victory is provisional. During the second pitstop the winner was released by the team right into a pit lane near miss with Sutil. This did not result in a race penalty and will probably result in a fine for Ferrari. Until that is resolved the race result should be considered provisional.

RaikkonenÔÇÖs Ferrari engine exploded this weekend in similar fashion to MassaÔÇÖs failure at Hungary. Both failures were on the second race for the respective engine. The engine may have cooked itself during a dramatic pit incident. Raikkonen jumped the end of the second pit stop breaking off the fueling hose and knocking down three mechanics. He was held while the fueling team struggled to release the hose and get him underway.

McLaren motored on. Hamilton finished second able to press Massa but not beat him. Kovalainen had a good showing finishing fourth. The result for the weekends work is Hamilton continues lead the DriverÔÇÖs Championship and the team closed in on Ferrari in the ConstructorÔÇÖs Championship.

KubicaÔÇÖs facials during the interview says volumes for the BMW Sauber weekend results. Kubica was back on pace and the podium. He still does not seem to have the combination to seriously challenge the leaders. The car has the potential to be in second place in the Constructors Championship. The problem is with the number two driver Heidfeld, who was on the track at the end of the race but out of the points. This has been the case in too many races for the progress the team seems to have made in relation to Ferrari and McLaren.


I will post BMW's release and a link to the Valencia photos this evening.

 

[mika]

Gallery


BMW Sauber F1 Team - European Grand Prix ÔÇô Race
08-24-2008 Press Release
Weather: Dry and sunny. Air: 28-29??C, Track: 44-45??C


Valencia (ES). At the maiden F1 event in Valencia Robert Kubica finished third. It is the eighth podium for the BMW Sauber F1 Team in 2008 and the fifth this season for the Pole. Kubica started the European Grand Prix from third on the grid. Team mate Nick Heidfeld slid from eighth to ninth immediately after the start and did not score in Spain.

Robert Kubica: 3rd
BMW Sauber F1.08-05 / BMW P86/8
Fastest Lap: 1:39.330 min on lap 38 (4th fastest overall)
ÔÇ£I started pretty well but in corner 1 I went over the kerb and Lewis was closing. In the second corner I was going to overtake Lewis, but I saw Felipe braking quite early. It would have been too much of a risk, as I could end up overshooting the braking point and crashing into him. Over the next few laps I was consistently a bit slower than Lewis. Suddenly I saw a white plastic bag flying across the track, but could not avoid it and it went under the car. I couldnÔÇÖt steer for two corners, which was extremely dangerous. Fortunately most of the bag soon flew away, but my confidence was very low over the next sector, and I lost around three seconds. In the end I finished third. Eventually I think my good qualifying result yesterday was crucial for todayÔÇÖs result.ÔÇØ

Nick Heidfeld: 9th
BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8
Fastest Lap: 1:39.526 min on lap 57 (7th fastest overall)
ÔÇ£This was one of the worst races ever for me. To finish ninth in a car which is obviously good enough for third is a disaster. After qualifying I was pretty confident because we realised we could go well. But in the race I had big problems with the harder tyres during the first two stints, and it was only better at the end with the softer compound. I lost one position after the start and later in the race I couldnÔÇÖt gain any. The pace wasnÔÇÖt there.ÔÇØ

Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
ÔÇ£First of all a big compliment to the organisers of the event for such a good first race. The atmosphere in the city and at the circuit around the harbour is just fantastic. From now on Valencia will be one of the seasonÔÇÖs highlights. Certainly we enjoyed being back on the podium, with it being the fifth time this year for Robert. He drove a strong race. During the early laps he had some trouble as a plastic bag was stuck on his car and affected its handling. Apart from this both cars ran trouble free and the pit stops went well. Starting from eighth was not an ideal situation for Nick. We were hoping he would improve one or two places at the start, but in the heat of the moment he unfortunately lost a position and then the race was basically over for him.ÔÇØ

Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
ÔÇ£This was a race without too much excitement. Our most difficult moment was when Robert radioed he had a problem. On the telemetry data we could see that his car lost downforce, which was due to a plastic bag stuck to the floor of the car. During the first pit stop we removed it, and after this, everything was fine again. At the start Robert almost overtook Lewis Hamilton, but finally it didn't work out. He then drove a good and consistent race, and he finished in third. Nick started from eighth, hence we expected him to score championship points. However, his pace was simply too slow. Of course we are happy about Robert's podium finish, but overall we expected to score more points today.ÔÇØ


Test in Monza: 27th/28th August Nick Heidfeld, 29th August Robert Kubica

 

[mika]

The Silly Season

motoring.co.za: Ferrari names drivers for 2009

Ferrari has announced Raikkonen and Massa will be its drivers for the 2009 F1 season. Now the rest of the contracts will fall in order like dominos.

?Heidfeld?

 

[leeines]

Many, many Thanks to MIKA

Hello Mika,
I just discovered your F-1 posts this morning. I had not seen them before. Apparently they do not stay on the start up page very long.
My congratulations to you for such really good posts. I went through all nine pages this morning.
Keep up the good work. I really appreciate the quality and of course the time you spend getting this onto the site for those of us who are F-1 fans.
I am a diehard F-1 fan of several decades. Now almost into my 70's and ride an
'06 GSA.
Lee

 

[mika]

Thanks.

 

[mika]

BMW-Web.tv has three pieces on preparing for Valencia to give us a Labor Day F1 fix.

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[mika]

Video: F1: A lap of Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium 2008

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[mika]

Belgian GP – Practice

A cool fall day with a bit of a drizzle makes me want to light a fire in the fire place and settle back. If you are in Belgium this weekend you go racing instead.

Spa-Francorchamps
Race Date: 07 Sep 2008
Number of Laps: 44
Circuit Length: 7.004 km
Race Distance: 308.052 km
Lap Record: 1:45.108 - K Raikkonen (2004)


formula1.com: Spa-Francorchamps – Technical Requirements to set up for the race


Friday practice was held on a cool overcast day. The second session sprinkles brought sent the drivers to the pits then on their return sent several into the safety barriers.

BMW Sauber drivers put in the normal day in the office with Heidfeld finishing the day 8th fastest and Kubica 9th.

Massa was in control in both sessions. Raikkonen worked hard and crashed in the second session for all his efforts. The rear aerodynamics were knocked off and a radiator damaged spilling coolant on the track. This is the second race for Raikkonen’s Ferrari engine and one has to wonder what impact this will have on his race.

The Championship standings going into this weekend.


Drivers Championship points going into the weekend:

Pos Driver Nationality Team Points
1 Lewis Hamilton
British McLaren-Mercedes
70
2 Felipe Massa
Brazilian Ferrari
64
3 Kimi R?ñikk?Ânen
Finnish Ferrari
57
4 Robert Kubica
Polish BMW Sauber
55
5 Heikki Kovalainen
Finnish McLaren-Mercedes
43
6 Nick Heidfeld
German BMW Sauber
41
7 Jarno Trulli
Italian Toyota
26
8 Fernando Alonso
Spanish Renault
18
9 Mark Webber
Australian Red Bull-Renault
18
10 Timo Glock
German Toyota
15
11 Nelsinho Piquet
Brazilian Renault
13
12 Rubens Barrichello
Brazilian Honda
11
13 Nico Rosberg
German Williams-Toyota
9
14 Sebastian Vettel
German STR-Ferrari
9
15 Kazuki Nakajima
Japanese Williams-Toyota
8
16 David Coulthard
British Red Bull-Renault
6
17 Jenson Button
British Honda
3
18 Sebastien Bourdais
French STR-Ferrari
2
19 Giancarlo Fisichella
Italian Force India-Ferrari
0
20 Takuma Sato
Japanese Super Aguri-Honda
0
21 Adrian Sutil
German Force India-Ferrari
0
22 Anthony Davidson
British Super Aguri-Honda
0


Pos Team Points
1 Ferrari
121
2 McLaren-Mercedes
113
3 BMW Sauber
96
4 Toyota
41
5 Renault
31
6 Red Bull-Renault
24
7 Williams-Toyota
17
8 Honda
14
9 STR-Ferrari
11
10 Force India-Ferrari
0
11 Super Aguri-Honda
0
Note - Super Aguri withdrew from the championship after round four

This is going to be an important weekend for the Silly Season driver shake out. I think this is where teams are at but I may well be mistaken.

Team Drivers:

FERRARI: Both drivers will remain in 2009
MASA
RAIKKONEN

McLAREN: Both drivers will remain
HAMILTON
KOVELLINAN


BMW Sauber: Still participating in the Silly Season.
KUBICA – Is expected as a result of an option.
Heidfeld – Looks to be on his way out. There have been several indications of BMW Sauber allowing him a graceful retirement exit to this point but no announcement. After a poor showing in Valencia word up and down the pits is he may not make it through the season if he doesn’t do well this weekend. The question is who would replace him? If BMW is seriously going to contend for the Constructors Championship it needs a strong driver who is also able to work with the engineers on car development.


RED BULL – Coulthard’s retirement results in -
WEBER will stay
VETTEL moves from Toro Rosso to the “A” team of the Bull’s


WILLIAMS
ROSSBERG has contract
NAKAJIMA – unsigned and many think is doubtful

TOYOTA
TRULLI – signed
Glock – unsigned but is suppose to be close in negotiations.

HONDA
????
????
Currently – Barrichello and Button. Honda is just one big question mark.

FORCE INDIA expected to remain the same
Fisichello
Sutil
No contract announcements. The focus is on the back of the house and rancor with aerodynamicist and other engineers.