BMW Sauber F1 Team rolls out in Valencia.
New beginning.
BMW Sauber F1 Team rolls out in Valencia.
 Munich/Valencia,
17th January 2006. The BMW Sauber F1 Team steps out onto the
Formula One stage. Just after nine o'clock this Tuesday morning
in Valencia, Spain, the BMW Sauber F1.06 was unveiled before
more than 500 journalists and guests in the futuristic Ciudad
de las Artes y las Ciencias (CAC).
At 13.00 hrs the first car of the BMW Sauber F1 Team will
make its debut on the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana
Ricardo Tormo.
Also ready to launch into the new team's maiden season in
the FIA Formula One World Championship are BMW Sauber F1 Team
drivers Nick Heidfeld (28, Germany), Jacques Villeneuve (34,
Canada) and newcomer Robert Kubica (21, Poland), who takes
on the mantle of test and substitute driver.
On the eve of the official media presentation, the team's
new look was already displayed during a major merchandising
fashion show with Brazilian top model Alessandra Ambrosio
and followed by a party in the CAC.
Test drives on the Valencia circuit will continue up to and
including 19th January, during which time the track is reserved
for the exclusive use of the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Between 23rd
and 26th January the team will rub shoulders with the competition
during testing in Barcelona.
Own team for the first time.
 Dawn
was just breaking on 22nd June 2005 when it was confirmed
that BMW would be sending its own team into Formula One for
the first time in 2006. A three-year contract with Nick Heidfeld
was announced on 16th September and the team name was revealed
on 14th November. Jacques Villeneuve was confirmed as the
second driver on 1st December, and on the 20th Robert Kubica
had been signed up as the team's test driver.
Alongside this, the first test drives with an interim Sauber
chassis and the BMW P86 engine were launched on 28th November.
Since January 1st 2006, BMW has owned a majority stake in
the Swiss Sauber Holding AG.
In his function as BMW Motorsport Director, Professor Mario
Theissen also directs the BMW Sauber F1 Team. In Valencia
he commented: "We have worked hard over the last seven
months. We've driven forward the integration of the two locations,
got an interim car up and running, signed up the drivers,
concluded contracts with our major partners Petronas, Intel,
Credit Suisse and O2 along with other sponsors, and negotiated
90 work contracts for new staff. That's not bad as an interim
progress report. But we are not under any illusions: we have
a long road ahead of us. 2006 is a year of transition, and
so would be premature to declare any sporting objectives.
The main thing is that everything is pointing in the right
direction."
According to Theissen, success can only be achieved with
a fully integrated team and all-encompassing procedures: "In
our first season we will mainly be gathering experience. In
2005, Sauber came eighth in the Constructors' World Championship.
That is our starting point. From there we aim to work our
way up as quickly as possible. You can't do that overnight,
needless to say. It requires patience and endurance. We have
both." He goes on: "For the BMW Group, Formula One
acts as a high-tech lab and a technology accelerator. With
its dynamism, premium image, sporting challenges and demand
for technical innovations, Formula One chimes in perfectly
with BMW's brand values - including driving pleasure. And
there's no other sporting event that generates so much attention
worldwide on such a regular basis."
The plans for expansion include boosting the workforce in
Hinwil by more than 100 new staff, many of whom will be reinforcing
the aerodynamics department. Theissen: "The wind tunnel
is outstanding and we want to run it on a multiple-shift basis
as soon as possible." As for the expansion plans for
new offices and development and production facilities, planning
permission is expected in spring of 2006. In parallel with
this, the networking of the two locations - Munich (responsible
for powertrain and electronics) and Hinwil (chassis and race
deployment) - is being driven forward along with an intensive
development programme for 2007. By the end of that year all
these measures will be fully implemented.
After 13 years in his role as Formula One team principal,
Peter Sauber has retired from the operational side of the
business. In Valencia he appeared for the first time in his
new role as a consultant to the team.
Two adoptive Swiss in the cockpit.
 They've
known each other for a long time, they have both driven for
Sauber before, they both live in Switzerland - but never before
have they been team-mates. Together, drivers Nick Heidfeld
and Jacques Villeneuve have a combined experience of 250 grands
prix.
Heidfeld made his Formula One debut at the start of the 2000
season. From 2001 to 2003, he drove for the Swiss racing team.
Two second places, which he gained for the BMW WilliamsF1
Team in season 2005, are his best results so far. At another
grand prix in 2005 he took pole position. The man from Mönchengladbach,
who became father to a daughter in July 2005, looks back on
98 F1 races. "I'm really looking forward to the new season
and the new team. I know most of the members from past years,
of course," says Heidfeld. "Besides, I can get to
Hinwil by car in quarter of an hour, which is also an advantage.
As a racing driver one is naturally impatient when it comes
to seeing success. But we have to stay realistic. For me the
most important thing is for us to work hard and make steady
progress."
No other driver to date has been as quick to seize the World
Championship title as Jacques Villeneuve. In 1996, his debut
year, the Canadian made it into the runner-up slot in the
World Championship behind his Williams-Renault team-mate of
the time, Damon Hill. The following year, 1997, he beat Michael
Schumacher to the title for Williams-Renault. In a total of
152 grand prix races, he has claimed eleven wins and 13 poles.
After five years with the BAR team, Villeneuve's F1 career
appeared to be over in 2003. But then he was given the chance
to contest the last three races of the 2004 season for Renault.
For season 2005, the son of the famous Ferrari driver Gilles
Villeneuve was signed up by Sauber.
"Setting up a new team is a very complex task,"
says Villeneuve looking ahead to the 2006 race season. "I've
been through it before. But I believe that the prerequisites
that have come together here are good. I want to do my best
to help the BMW Sauber F1 Team achieve success."
Youngster on board.
With Robert Kubica from Krakow, BMW has taken on a highly
promising young driving talent as a test and replacement driver.
The Pole will also be driving the third BMW Sauber F1.06 deployed
during the Friday free practice sessions. Kubica drew attention
to himself with a commanding title win in the 2005 World Series
by Renault formula class. Theissen: "He has worked hard
to achieve his successes without major backing, and that is
worthy of respect." Kubica also reaped plaudits in 2003
when he debuted in the Formula 3 Euro Series and won his very
first race in this class, held at the Norisring in Nuremberg.
New engine.
Revolution, not evolution was the watchword when it came
to the Formula One engines for the new season. The 3-litre
V10 units of the past are being replaced by 2.4-litre V8 engines.
This switch calls for totally new concepts. The new V8 engines
are heavier, shorter and, due to a 600 cc reduction in capacity,
have lower output and fuel consumption. "Lap times,"
estimates Theissen, "will go up by around two to three
seconds, though spectators will hardly be aware of it. The
drivers, on the other hand, need to adapt their driving style.
To put it simply, they will have to attack corners less sharply
to get the most out of the power available."
The different firing sequences and intervals compared to
the V10 have led to a completely new situation in terms of
vibrations. With a speed range that exceeded 19,000 rpm, the
V10 hit a critical zone between 12,000 and 14,000 rpm. However,
the engine spent very little time in this problematic band
and smoothed itself out again as the revs were stepped up.
But it is precisely here that the V8 encounters problems.
Its vibration curve enters challenging territory later than
the V10, starting at around 16,000 rpm and becoming more critical
from there, which can impact on the stability of vehicle components.
And, like its predecessor with two extra cylinders, the BMW
P86 V8 engine also has to last for two grand prix weekends.
New chassis.
The BMW Sauber F1.06 is an all-new concept. The shorter and
more fuel-efficient V8 powerplants exert a decisive influence
on the architecture of the car. Due to the minimum dimensions
for the design of the chassis as decreed by the FIA, the overall
dimensions of the car remain almost unchanged. "For the
designers this means more scope in the design of the car thanks
to the more compact engine," explains Willy Rampf, Technical
Director Chassis at the BMW Sauber F1 Team. The lower tank
capacity of the BMW Sauber F1.06 impacted on both the design
of the monocoque and the position of the engine. The shorter
powerplant, moreover, allowed the engineers to extend the
titanium casing of the 7-speed transmission, which favoured
the construction of a decidedly slimline rear end.
The engineers turned their focus primarily on aerodynamics,
where it was not only a question of optimum downforce but
enhanced efficiency as well. The construction, arrangement
and design of all sub-assemblies and components followed this
premise.
The front section of the new car came in for some striking
treatment. The chassis has been significantly lowered at the
front, which means the lower wishbones are no longer attached
below the monocoque but directly to the side of the chassis.
The nose of the car has also been lowered further to the ground
and features an underside that curves slightly upwards. The
front wing has been adjusted to the other changes through
numerous optimisation measures. The aim of all these measures
has been to improve the air flow to the underbody and the
sidepods.
The reduced cooling requirement of the V8 engine allows not
only for more compact radiators but for smaller apertures
in the sidepods as well, which also benefits the car's aerodynamics.
The same goes for the rollover bar with its integral air intake,
which has been reduced in size as a result of the engine's
lower air throughput. Complex finite-element calculations,
furthermore, have enabled a significant reduction in the weight
of the rollover bar while at the same time complying with
stringent safety requirements.
A completely new feature on the BMW Sauber F1.06 is the design
of the front and rear suspension. On the front axle, the layout
is significantly determined by the higher attachement points
of the lower wishbones, as dictated by efficient aerodynamics.
The rear axle is similarly a new construction. At the heart
of the deliberations here, however, were modified kinematics
to match the demands of the Michelin tyres. Lowering the front
section, moreover, has made for a corresponding drop in the
position of the pedals and the inboard front-axle components,
along with a lower position for the driver's legs. All these
factors help to bring down the car's centre of gravity.
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