BMW Sauber in an upward trend- Theissen

By BMW Sauber F1
May 11 2009

In this edition of "Track Talk", BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen analyses events at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Dear motorsport enthusiasts,

Before the start of European Formula One season in Spain, we were all very curious to see what effect our extensive new aerodynamic package would have in Barcelona. We now know one thing for definite: the modifications have improved the BMW Sauber F1.09. We have taken a big step forwards, and are back in business.

In the second round of qualifying, Robert managed to progress to the top ten with just one set of soft tyres. The fact that we then made a mistake when fitting the tyres is, of course, frustrating. Robert certainly had what it takes to start from a few rows further forward - particularly as the times of all the cars were so close. The field is still extremely close together. The top eleven places in Q2 were separated by just 6 tenths of a second - one small mistake and Q3 is a thing of the past. In the race, the pit team more than made up for their mistake. They worked brilliantly to manoeuvre Nick past his rivals during the pit stops.

While other teams have so far made several minor changes to their cars since the overseas races, we have concentrated on a major package. The nose, sidepods and rear wing on the F1.09 are all new. We have also further developed the front wing, engine cover and diffuser. In order to be able to concentrate on the new aerodynamic package, we did without KERS in Spain. Our goal is to use both a modified KERS and a multi-level diffuser in Istanbul. More development packages are in the pipeline for 2009.

It goes without saying that the team was extremely disappointed after the Bahrain result. However, this rapidly became a strong motivation in Munich and Hinwil. The fighting spirit and determination to get back to the top is there. Ultimately it all comes down to physics, and that must be tackled with physics.

Two points for Nick's seventh place is not exactly a huge haul, but they do demonstrate the car's improved performance. The measures are taking effect and the foundation has been laid. We have something we can build on. The result has, of course, lightened the mood in the camp, as there is now a recognisable upward trend. That gives me confidence for the races ahead.

Sincerely
Mario Theissen