Dr Mario Theissen Interview

By BMW Motorsport
November 22 2003

	Course is set for 2004
	“The course is set for 2004 – we want to win.” How do you rate the season from BMW Motorsport’s point of view? Mario Theissen: Positively. In Formula One we have demonstrated our strongest performance so far and fought for the World Championship right to the end. We had four wins, including two one-two finishes, and we earned more than one and a half as many championship points again as in the previous year. In the European Touring Car Championship we won the Manufacturers’ title and fought for the Drivers’ title up to the final round, ultimately missing out on it by a single point. In Formula BMW, the youngsters in Germany and Asia delivered first-class racing. We have also managed to extend the series further around the globe: in 2004 this talent hothouse will also be racing in England and the USA. Private competitors have similarly claimed major successes with BMW, foremost among them Claudia Hürtgen in the German Touring Car Challenge, the first woman to win a German touring car title. How do you explain why the team didn’t quite manage to win the Formula One championship? Mario Theissen: If you want to win the World Championship, you have to be on good form from the very first race. In 2003 we hadn’t yet managed that. Our kick-off to the season was too weak. Towards the middle of the season we did brilliantly, but in the last three races our error rate was simply too high. What were the season’s highlights for you? Mario Theissen: In terms of individual results, undoubtedly the Formula One wins. The eyes of the world are on Monte Carlo, and to win that Grand Prix is something very special. The one-two victories at the Nürburbring and Magny-Cours were a dream. I was almost more impressed by our dominance at Hockenheim – winning with more than a minute’s lead doesn’t happen every day in Formula One. But apart from those successes, there are two more aspects that made 2003 such a good season in my book. Firstly, the fact that our engine was not only strong but also extremely reliable. Only once did the car have to cruise back to the pits before the end of the race due to a leak in the cooling system, not even the best engine can run without cooling water. Secondly, the fact that WilliamsF1 showed impressive prowess with the amazing progress they made during the course of the season. What’s on the BMW Motorsport agenda for 2004? Mario Theissen: We want to win the Formula One World Championship, that is clearly our number one priority – and the course is set for that. The BMW P84 engine has successfully undergone its first tests already, WilliamsF1 have announced yet another innovative chassis, and the networking of the factories in Munich and Grove is progressing apace. Our comprehensive, joint project management will bear further fruit in 2004. At the same time, BMW will also be involved with the national teams in next year’s European Touring Car Championship, will carry on promoting the international expansion of Formula BMW, and will also continue to support mass motorsport involvement as before. What’s your view on the 2004 Formula One calendar? Mario Theissen: We welcome the increase to 18 races because it is primarily the fans and spectators who stand to gain from that. Also, we want to continue racing in Montreal. North America is a key marketplace for BMW, and the Montreal Grand Prix has its own particular appeal. Besides, it is logistically well placed in the calendar because it can be combined with the Indianapolis race into one transatlantic trip. We look forward to the new venues, Shanghai and Bahrain, with curiosity and keen anticipation. To be able to display our technical competence in China and the Middle East is a highly attractive prospect for us as a car manufacturer. Are you happy with the regulations adopted for 2004? Mario Theissen: By and large, yes, and I’m not expecting any surprises in January this time around. Having to tackle the entire race weekend with just one engine is, of course, a major challenge. In terms of that regulation, for which we’ve prepared ourselves well ahead of time, the new schedule represents a good solution. In particular the requirement to commit to our race tyres as early as Saturday morning will ensure some intensive free practice on Friday. It makes both the Friday and the Saturday with its two successive qualifying sessions more interesting for the spectators.