Wet races to be followed by sandstorm?

By BMW Sauber F1
April 24 2009

Following the two wet races in Malaysia and Shanghai, rain is not expected for the race weekend in Bahrain. Nevertheless, the weather could still make an impact on the Bahrain GP as there is a possibility that the "Bahrain International Circuit" will be hit by sandstorms on Sunday. Should this be the case, Nick Heidfeld expects difficulties

The BMW Sauber F1 Team was one of the three teams to test at the Bahrain Grand Prix circuit in early 2009. The tests were hampered by a severe sandstorm and due to the poor visibility all track activities even were suspended.

"I wasn't here during the sandstorm," says the German. "I was lucky and was able to test in good conditions. Nonetheless, I don't think it will be possible to contest the race should there be another sandstorm on Sunday."

Basically, having tested with the BMW Sauber F1.09 at the "Bahrain International Circuit" should prove to be an advantage for the Munich and Hinwil based squad. Nick explains: "Obviously, the tests helped us to gather some useful information regarding the set-up. On the other hand, the temperatures during the tests weren't as high as this weekend. And we lost nearly two days due to the sandstorm."

As expected, the action in Bahrain got underway in extreme heat right from the beginning of the weekend. On Friday, the BMW Sauber F1 Team had to cope with temperatures of up to 34° C while preparing for the remainder of the weekend.