BMW Sauber F1 Team - Malaysian Grand Prix- Preview
2nd of 17 World Championship rounds
Following a good start to the season in Australia and another
four-day test, the BMW Sauber F1 Team is looking forward to
round two of the 17-race 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship
- the PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix on 8th April in Sepang.
In the sweltering heat the BMW Sauber F1 Team has an eventful
week ahead of it leading up to the race which is held outside
Kuala Lumpur. Here, in the home country of premium partner
PETRONAS, being close to the fans will play a particularly
prominent role. On Saturday and Sunday (31st March/1st April)
the team will visit the city of Malacca. On Saturday the F1
drivers and their teams will all meet up in the historic old
town. Sunday will see demo runs on the Malacca trade fair
site, which will include Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica in
the BMW Sauber F1.07.
Over the course of these two days and the following week,
there will be numerous interview opportunities for the media
and autograph signing sessions with those taking part. The
drivers will take time out to play with school children, visit
BMW dealers and - at 15.00 hrs on Tuesday (3rd April) - pose
for photos with the BMW Sauber F1.07 in front of the imposing
PETRONAS corporate headquarters, the world's tallest twin
towers.
The climax of the GP lead-up programme will be on Wednesday
with the opening of the BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park,
which has been set up at the far end of the park behind the
PETRONAS Twin Towers. A press conference will take place there
at 11.00 hrs, and the media are also welcome to attend the
public opening that evening. The weekend will see test driver
Timo Glock take the F1.07 for a spin in the Pit Lane Park,
while junior drivers will also be in action in Formula BMW
cars and stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer is promising some acrobatic
thrills and spills with his BMW motorcycle.
It is no accident the home race of PETRONAS was chosen as
the venue for the official BMW Sauber F1 Team photo, with
the team assembling in the pit lane on Friday from 09.35 -
09.45 hrs.
A demanding circuit, tropical heat and the risk of unpredictable
monsoon-like downpours will be the main concerns occupying
the minds of the team in their preparations for the race.
The four-day test in Sepang was positive. Kubica drove on
the first two days, while Heidfeld picked up the baton on
days three and four. Test and reserve driver Sebastian Vettel
will get his first taste of the track on Friday morning ahead
of the GP - weather permitting, of course.
Nick Heidfeld:
"So far I've never really had a problem with racing in
the heat. But it is good to take some time to acclimatise
to the conditions, especially as the high humidity takes a
bit of getting used to for us central Europeans. I arrived
in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, and our test was very helpful.
I think we're in pretty good shape for the race and hope that
we can get both cars to the finish this time. I've experienced
some incredible downpours before in Sepang. Driving in the
rain always holds an element of risk due to the lack of visibility
- even more so here, where the rain is far from normal. When
the heavens open, everything disappears under water in no
time. But I'm still a fan of wet weather. It's a lot of fun
hanging on to 700 horsepower in these conditions. Either way,
I've always got on quite well in Malaysia. And that includes
2006, even though a problem with the car cost me fifth place
shortly before the finish.
"For me, one of the nice things about my job is the
travel, and I've got to see quite a lot of Malaysia. Petronas
was a Sauber partner in my earlier spell with the team as
well, and came up with new ideas each year. For the Malaysian
people, the state-owned company is like an icon. They greet
us with such pride, because we are taking the company name
around the world. It's really impressive."
Robert Kubica:
"This will be my second visit to the Malaysian GP, but
the first time I will be lining up for the race. I'm really
looking forward to it. The circuit is very interesting, but
has a very different character to Melbourne. It was good to
have the chance to test in Sepang, so we could find out how
the car behaved in the heat, how the temperatures affected
the tyres, and so on. And the test was also very useful for
me personally to acclimatise to the conditions.
"I hope that we will be as strong in Malaysia as we
were in Australia. After retiring from the race in Melbourne,
the most important thing for me is to finish this time around
and to collect some points."
Sebastian Vettel:
"I have never been to Malaysia and am looking forward
to getting to know another new track. I've heard a lot of
good things about the circuit. It has some fast corners and
the high temperatures also make driving here very physically
demanding. But I'll be arriving a week beforehand and have
enough time to get used to the climate. For the team, I hope
that we are also strong in Malaysia after our good start to
the season in Australia."
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
"We put in a solid start to the new season in Melbourne
and made an early case for ourselves to be the third-strongest
team on the grid. That was really good to see and gave the
motivation of the whole team an extra boost. We're heading
in the right direction and will stick to the same path. We've
analysed the shift problem in Robert's car and implemented
the relevant measures.
"After the grand prix at the Nürburgring, Sepang
is our second home race. In 2006 we saw for ourselves the
charismatic presence of our premium partner Petronas in Malaysia.
It was a fantastic experience to witness the euphoria with
which our team was received in this country. The events at
the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers made a
truly magic impression and are sure to pull in the crowds
again this year. I'm looking forward in particular to the
debut this year of the Pit Lane Park in the shadows of the
Petronas Twin Towers. This will bring Formula One right up
close to the fans and attract a lot of people.
"The BMW Group has stepped up its involvement in Malaysia
in recent years as part of its Asia strategy. Sepang is an
important grand prix for both companies - and the race is
sure to provide a keenly fought contest."
Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
"Melbourne was a good start for the BMW Sauber F1 Team,
and we can be happy with our competitiveness in the first
race of the season. But the particular characteristics of
the Albert Park circuit mean you can't read too much into
how things went there, and we know that. I would say Sepang
is a lot more representative.
"Sepang has a really interesting mix of different corners,
and these ask a variety of questions. The slower sections
require good grip for accelerating out of the turn, whereas
high stability is essential - particularly in the combination
just before the back straight. In addition, the course calls
for good aerodynamic efficiency, as you have to be quick along
the two straights here to make the most of the overtaking
opportunities. The tyres - the rears in particular - come
in for a lot of punishment, as the asphalt is quite abrasive
and temperatures are normally very high. That will represent
one of the main challenges for the engineers and have a significant
influence on the outcome of the race."
History and background:
This is the ninth time that Formula One visits the Sepang
circuit, located just under an hour by car to the south of
the pulsating centre of Kuala Lumpur.
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 hub of modern Malaysia. The capital is also the country's
biggest city with a population of around 1.5 million, of which
half are Chinese. The city is spread over an area of 244 square
kilometres. KL offers vibrant Asian culture alongside British
colonial architecture and famous high-tech edifices such as
the 88-floor, 452-meter-tall PETRONAS Twin Towers.
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. This year will see numerous events
commemorating the 50th anniversary of the country's independence.
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