BMW Sauber F1 Team - Bahrain Grand Prix - Preview
3rd of 17 World Championship Rounds
Only one week after the Malaysian Grand Prix the World Championship
holds its third round, the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 15.
In Manama the first overseas group of races of the season
comes to an end. In May the first stop in Europe is in Barcelona.
Nick Heidfeld:
"The track lay-out and all the facilities in Bahrain
are nice. The fact the circuit lies in the middle of the desert
makes it somewhat special. If it is windy the track becomes
very sandy, and this has an influence on our driving because
it means loss of grip and it is also hard on the machinery.
This year almost every team has current data from Bahrain
because we had this double test at the end of February.
"Besides this, it is always something unusual for us
to see the locals in their long robes and the veiled women.
However, I generally like something out of the ordinary."
Robert Kubica:
"The Bahrain race in 2006 was my first outing during
a GP weekend as a Friday driver. It was a really great feeling.
There was little grip on the circuit, especially because of
the sand blown in on the desert wind, but the circuit is certainly
easier with the V8 engines than it used to be with the V10s.
Now you can take two or three of the corners flat out. With
new tyres and reduced grip, however, the 2007 race promises
to bring new challenges. Overall Bahrain is a really nice
circuit and I recently had two very productive days of testing
there."
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
"After a strong start to the season in Australia and
the hot race in Malaysia, in Bahrain the first overseas journey
of the season comes to an end. We want to take a positive
result with us back home to Europe.
"For years BMW has had an association with Bahrain.
Part of the Kingdom's state of the art facility is the BMW
Performance Center, with the BMW Driver Training and the Formula
BMW Racing Drivers' School. For BMW especially, as a premium
car manufacturer, the region is of high interest.
"In Bahrain our race drivers, Nick and Robert, will
take part in all free practice sessions. Sebastian Vettel
has his debut on the same weekend in the World Series in Monza.
Timo Glock, our second test driver, also goes racing that
weekend for the first time in 2007. He will compete in the
GP2 race in Bahrain."
Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
"After most of the teams took part in the pre-season
test in Bahrain, we have a solid basis for the set-up of the
car. Because of the sand on the track, the tyre use can be
pretty high. As regards the aerodynamics, we have to make
a compromise - in the slow corners high downforce would be
ideal, but at the same time you have the long and wide straights
where the drivers need a high top speed for overtaking. I
expect we should be able to strengthen our position as the
third force in Formula One."
History and background:
The desert state of Bahrain will see its fourth Formula One
Grand Prix this year. The state of the art circuit is located
to the south of the capital Manama and belongs to the city
area of Sakhir. The extensive complex of the Bahrain International
Circuit (BIC) covers an area of 170 hectares and was designed
by German architect Hermann Tilke. It has five circuit variants,
the longest being the GP course at 5.412 km.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has been an Arab Emirate since gaining
independence from the British in 1971. With a geographical
area of 665 square kilometres, the country is spread across
36 islands off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The capital city
of Manama is on the main island (578 square kilometres).
Oil has been pumped in Bahrain since 1932, but resources
are dwindling. The processing industry as well as rich gas
fields and international banking have taken on a growing economic
role.
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