BMW Sauber F1 Team - Chinese GP
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Printed Date: 21-May-2024 at 16:48
Topic: BMW Sauber F1 Team - Chinese GP
Posted By: kbannon
Subject: BMW Sauber F1 Team - Chinese GP
Date Posted: 15-October-2008 at 22:30
BMW Sauber F1 Team - Chinese GP - Preview
12-10-2008 Press Release
17th – 19th October 2008
17th of 18 World Championship races
Munich/Hinwil, 12th October 2008. The Asian leg of the Formula One
season continues with the penultimate round of the 18-race World
Championship in Shanghai this coming Sunday, 19th October.
Nick Heidfeld:
“On the whole, I quite like this circuit. The first three corners
are among the best on the calendar. You come in with a lot of speed,
and the first corner remains pretty fast initially. But then it
tightens up more and more and you have to change down into second gear.
Getting out the other end in good shape will be just a bit more
difficult this year with the absence of traction control. Every time
you come here you’re impressed by the huge scale of the paddock and
grandstands; there’s nothing else like it. Last year I got unlucky with
the timing of a tyre change onto a fresh set of wets. Second place was
possible, but that turned into seventh when I had to come in for an
extra stop.
Shanghai will be the fifth Asian city in a row I’ve visited – after
Singapore, Seoul, Gwang-ju and Tokyo – and each one is different.
Shanghai is certainly the fastest-growing and without doubt the one
with the worst traffic conditions. Each time we come to Shanghai there
are new skyscrapers, but every year a few of the old districts also
disappear from the city centre.”
Robert Kubica:
“Shanghai is an interesting circuit with a very long straight, and
here there’s a good chance to overtake. The track offers a mixture of
very different corners; there are some slow areas but also several fast
sections. The first corner is particularly challenging. You stay on the
brakes for a long time, and then it quickly switches into a
left-hander. I haven’t had much luck at this circuit so far. I hope
that changes this time and I can pick up some important points for the
World Championship.”
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
“Just a week after the race in Japan we travel to China for the
second part of this Asian double-header. This means we will have had
five races on this continent this year. If you add the Turkish Grand
Prix, that means there are six GPs in Asia – a third of the season.
Plus, next year will also see the first visit of Formula One to Abu
Dhabi. All of which shows that the top category of motor racing has
established a major foothold in Asia.
Shanghai has developed dramatically as a business centre and China
is a future market with significant growth potential. From the point of
view of BMW and our partners, the race in Shanghai is therefore of
particular importance. BMW has operated its own production facility in
China since 2004, where the BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series models are
made.
This will be the fifth time that Formula One comes to China. The
scale of the facility in Shanghai is beyond any other venue on the
calendar and the track layout is a tough challenge. We are very much
looking forward to the penultimate race of the season.”
Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
“The track in Shanghai stands out with its very special layout. A
particularly interesting section is the double right-hander, double
left-hander combination at the end of the start-finish straight. The
drivers approach it with a lot of speed and then stay on the brakes for
a long time on the entry. This is a very unusual section, which places
heavy demands on the tyres.
The long straight offers a good overtaking opportunity, as it feeds
into a hairpin and the track is very wide at this point, allowing the
drivers to take two different lines. The combination of widely
contrasting corners demands a high level of aerodynamic efficiency.
With the tyres put under such heavy loads we use the hardest
Bridgestone compounds here.”
------------- Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual
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Replies:
Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 19-October-2008 at 21:10
BMW Sauber F1 Team - Chinese GP - Qualifying
18-10-2008 Press Release
Weather: dry, 27-28C Air, 34-36C Track
Shanghai (CN). Mixed feelings for the BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers in
qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. Nick Heidfeld was
rather happy with his car and took seventh place, while his team mate,
Robert Kubica, struggled with the balance of his car and wasnt able to
do any better than 12th.
Nick Heidfeld:
BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8
Qualifying 7th, 1.37.201 min (3. Training: 1st, 1.36.061 min)
I think this was the best I could manage today, and Im glad the
positive trend in qualifying I had in the last three races has
continued. I feel sorry for Robert. Apparently he struggled here and
this grid position reduces his championship chances, but certainly
well never give up.
Robert Kubica:
BMW Sauber F1.08-05 / BMW P86/8
Qualifying 12th, 1:35.814 min in Q2 (3rd Practice: 3rd, 1:36.150 min)
A very disappointing qualifying! I was struggling with the balance
of the car all weekend. We made some changes before qualifying, but
they had a negative effect. The car was difficult to drive and I
couldnt push as I wanted. I expect a tough race because now we are not
allowed to change the set-up.
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
That was a disappointing qualifying for Robert and the whole team,
especially because he didnt progress from Q2. Throughout the whole
weekend Robert has not been happy with the balance of his car, and this
did not change in qualifying. The only advantage in this situation is
we can choose our own strategy for Robert tomorrow. From the teams
point of view we are relying on Nick for our chances. He did a good job
in Qualifying and managed to set the seventh best time.
Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
The result is obviously not what we were hoping for. With Robert
we were not able to bring the good result from the third free practice
into qualifying, which meant he was unhappy with the balance of his car
and only ended up 12th. Nick did a good job and qualified where we
expected him to be.
------------- Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual
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Posted By: kbannon
Date Posted: 19-October-2008 at 21:11
BMW sauber F1 Team - Chinese GP - Race
19-10-2008 Press Release
Weather: dry and overcast, 27C Air, 28-31C Track
Shanghai (CN). Both BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers put in strong race
performances in the Chinese Grand Prix. Nick Heidfeld started ninth and
improved to fifth, while Robert Kubica was eleventh on the grid and
finished sixth. However, a further seven points for the BMW Sauber F1
Team and three points for Robert in todays race were not enough to
keep the outsiders championship chances alive.
Nick Heidfeld: 5th
BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8
Fastest lap 1:36.498 min on lap 56 (3rd fastest overall)
Im quite happy with todays race. At the start I gained positions
and in corner two I overtook Sebastian Vettel on the outside. He
touched the rear of my car, but he has already told me it wasnt on
purpose and, anyway, nothing happened. So after a few corners I was
sixth again just where I thought I would start from after qualifying.
Later in the race I reduced the engine revs to save it for Brazil. It
is a fact we now dont have any hopes of claiming the constructors
title, and neither can Robert win the drivers championship. But we
shouldnt be too disappointed, the team has had a fantastic third
season, and Robert especially had a very good year. Its not over yet.
Robert Kubica: 6th
BMW Sauber F1.08-05 / BMW P86/8
Fastest lap 1:36.854 min on lap 56 (7th fastest overall)
After a very difficult qualifying Im pleased with sixth. I made
up a position at the start and then another two when Jarno Trulli and
Sbastien Bourdais touched in the first corner. The balance of the car
was still not good in the first two stints, and it only changed in the
final stint after we changed to the softer compound. There is now one
race left, and I shall try hard to defend my third place in the
drivers championship.
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
Coming fifth and sixth is a good outcome after yesterdays
disappointing qualifying. Both drivers put in the ground work for this
result at the start, and after that drove fine races without any
mistakes. The strategy was good, all pit stops worked out perfectly,
and we had no technical problems.
Willy Rampf (Technischer Director):
If you start from ninth and 11th on the grid and finish the race
fifth and sixth you do have to be satisfied. The drivers gained three
positions each right at the start. Robert, in particular, reacted
perfectly when a car spun right in front of him. During the race both
drivers were doing well with the strategy. Thank you to the whole team
for the good work, especially during all the pit stops.
------------- Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE 1997 E39 523i 2003 E39 525i Sport Individual
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