Malaysian Grand Prix - 17-19 March 2006 - Preview.
Munich/Hinwil, 12 March 2006. After the initial stocktaking
at the season opener in Bahrain, there's no opportunity for
the Formula One teams to catch their breath. The second of
18 races in the FIA Formula One World Championship - the "PETRONAS
Malaysian Grand Prix" - is lined up for this coming Sunday,
19 March. The BMW Sauber F1 Team is looking forward to the
home race of its main sponsor Petronas and bracing itself
for the rigours of a race in tropical conditions.
On Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the PETRONAS Malaysian Grand
Prix, drivers Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve as well
as BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen and Peter Sauber
will have several PR appearances. For Wednesday, the 15th
of March, interview sessions with the media is scheduled for
10:00 am at level 41 of Tower 1 of the Petronas Twin Towers
in Kuala Lumpur. For further information please contact: Farah
Aziz, Communication and Resource Management, Petronas Motorsports,
phone +60 3 2331 3970 / +60 12 398 1145.
Nick Heidfeld:
"The Malaysian Grand Prix is unusual mainly for its high
temperatures and extreme humidity. Basically I don't have
a problem with that. Last year I started from tenth place
and made it onto the podium - for me it was one of the most
exciting races ever. I had some tough duels and a lot of fun.
We have experienced some incredible cloudbursts in Sepang,
but I can live with that as I basically enjoy driving on a
wet track. So far, I've managed quite well in Malaysia whatever
the conditions. I also know the country quite well by now.
To get acclimatised I have often taken a brief holiday there
before the race, and there has also been plenty on the Petronas
agenda - that's Malaysia's oil and gas company, who were also
our sponsors back in the years when I was driving for Sauber.
When you see the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, you
get some idea of how important this company is for the country."
Jacques Villeneuve:
"Malaysia will be a very busy grand prix for the BMW
Sauber F1 Team because it's the home race of our main sponsor
Petronas. The track is quite interesting and physically very
demanding because of its long high-speed corners that generate
high lateral g-forces. All this takes place in high ambient
temperatures with an extreme humidity, which means that you
really need to be physically well prepared. I am confident
for the race."
Robert Kubica:
"Sepang is another circuit I don't yet know, but after
the positive experiences in Bahrain I hope I'll have this
race track sussed just as quickly. My aim is, of course, to
support the team as best I can, and it will be important for
me to clock up plenty of laps and run through the planned
schedule completely. The Bahrain race weekend has demonstrated
very clearly that it is important to gather extensive data
already on the Friday. I have never driven in such an extreme
climate as in Malaysia, and so I will also gain valuable experience
in that respect. I can't wait to see Kuala Lumpur, and especially
the Petronas Twin Towers that I've heard so much about. It's
going to be another interesting weekend for me in many ways."
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
"Having taken initial stock following the first race
of the season, we are now looking forward very much to visiting
the home of our main sponsor Petronas. There can't be many
cities as closely associated with a company as Kuala Lumpur,
watched over as it is by the Petronas Twin Towers. As part
of its Asian strategy the BMW Group has raised its involvement
in Malaysia, which includes a sales subsidiary, a parts distribution
centre and an IT centre. In Sepang the engines have to put
up with huge thermal loads, and fuel temperatures also rise
to critical levels. Every team prepares for the heat with
extra or larger engine air-cooling intakes in the sidepods
as well as apertures in the form of slits, flues or exhaust
vents. The aerodynamics and engine experts always have to
aim for a compromise."
Willy Rampf, Technical Director Chassis:
"Sepang is an interesting track with a good mix of slow
corners that require optimum grip and fast sections demanding
maximum stability. Turns 9 and 11 in particular are tricky,
with drivers braking into the corner with heavy lateral g-forces.
It means you have to take great care with the car's set-up,
which requires a lot of work on the electronics. As a result
of the lower output of the V8 engines, the aerodynamic settings
have taken on even greater importance. The two long straights
allow an opportunity for overtaking, so you have to find the
right compromise between sufficient downforce and an optimal
top speed. The combination of fairly abrasive asphalt and
high temperatures means the tyres are subject to extreme loads."
History and background:
This is the eighth time that Formula One stops off at the
Sepang circuit. The extensive, modern race track designed
by German architect Hermann Tilke is about half an hour's
drive south of the city of Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur was founded in the middle of the jungle by tin
miners in 1857. Under British rule, the Malay Sultanates formed
the Federation of Malaya in 1896 with Kuala Lumpur as its
capital city. In 1957 Kuala Lumpur became the capital of the
newly independent country.
Kuala Lumpur translates as "muddy estuary" due
to its location at the mouth of the rivers Gombak and Klang.
"KL", as the city is generally referred to today,
is the pulsating hub of modern Malaysia. The capital is also
the country's biggest city with a population of around 1.5
million (52 percent Chinese, 39 percent Malay, 6 percent Indian,
plus other minority groups) living in an area of 244 square
kilometres. KL offers vibrant Asian culture alongside British
colonial architecture and famous high-tech edifices such as
the Petronas Twin Towers in the city's "Golden Triangle".
With their 88 storeys, the Petronas Twin Towers soar above
the city skyline. They are the tallest twin towers and the
seventh-highest structure in the world and home, among others,
to the Petronas Philharmonic and Petronas Performing Arts
Group.
A week after the start of the Formula One season, Formula
BMW Asia also launches into 2006. As part of the support programme
of the Formula One event in Sepang, aspiring young racing
drivers from Asia and Oceania will measure up against each
other in small Formula race cars built by BMW. One young driver
in the running to win against his home backdrop is Aaron Lim:
the 20-year-old Malayan made it into third place in last season's
final Formula BMW race in Shanghai. The first two of 19 Formula
BMW Asia races take place on Saturday at 16:45 hrs and Sunday
at 11:00 hrs.
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