BMW Sauber F1 Team - Canadian Grand Prix - Preview
6th of 17 World Championship rounds
The BMW Sauber F1 Team and its Formula One rivals will be
embarking on the second of five back-to-back race weekends
during the 2007 season when they line up on the grid at the
picturesque Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on 10th
June. A week later, they will be limbering up for the next
race on the calendar at the world-famous Indianapolis Motor
Speedway in the US.
The BMW Sauber F1 Team will arrive at the Canadian Grand
Prix full of confidence. Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica are
aiming to add to their points totals at the demanding high-speed
track and to further strengthen the team's third place in
the constructors' championship. The team has scored points
in every race so far in what is only its second season on
the grid.
Nick Heidfeld:
"Like most drivers, I really like travelling over to
Montreal. The race circuit occupies an incredibly beautiful
location on the island in the St Lawrence river, which makes
for an unmistakable atmosphere. And the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
itself has a very special character. It is a high-speed track
with long straights, but also some tight chicanes and a couple
of slow corners. To start with, the asphalt always has very
little grip. When the track starts to get really grippy and
the car is working perfectly, though, you can run hard over
the kerbs in the second chicane. This chicane also goes downhill,
and you get seriously close to the wall on the exit.
"Away from the track itself, I also like the city of
Montreal a lot. There is always a great atmosphere there and
the people get really excited about the grand prix. I usually
travel to Montreal a few days before the race and have time
to do some shopping in the city. I also like to stop by at
a few galleries in the old part of town. Patricia and I have
several pictures at home which I bought there."
Robert Kubica:
"I am really looking forward to Montreal as it is one
of my favourite tracks in the Formula One calendar. It means
driving with lower downforce for the first time this season.
Last year on the Friday I was quite good there. I am looking
to repeat that performance and I think our car can perform
very well there because of the downforce configuration. I
like the track because it is a street circuit and has pretty
low grip, improving during the weekend.
"It will be interesting to see how I can cope with the
Bridgestone tyres compared to the Michelins of last year,
and how I have to change my driving style. I will see how
big an influence it was for me to change to the different
tyres. Montreal was the track where my driving style of last
year gave me an advantage. As I am not driving the same as
in 2006 we have to see how it will be this year."
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
"The two races in North America represent not only the
next challenge for us as a team in terms of collecting more
World Championship points - they also carry a lot of weight
for the BMW Group. The USA was the most important single market
for the BMW Group in 2006, with sales of some 314,000 BMW
and MINI cars. Canada is the Group's second largest market
in America after the USA. BMW, therefore, has a large fan
base in the country, and we also feel the strength of this
popularity as a team.
"Last year, we crossed the Atlantic in fifth place in
the standings. In 2007 we will be arriving in Canada as the
third best team. In 2006 we were only able to take two points
away from the pair of races in North America. This is something
we are naturally looking to improve on, and we are aiming
to collect as many points as possible on the back of our good
result in Monaco in order to further strengthen our position
in the championship.
"The atmosphere at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on
the island in the St Lawrence river, with its paddock running
along the side of the former Olympic rowing basin, is simply
captivating. With the colourful hustle and bustle in the city
and a race circuit on the waterfront there are certainly parallels
in terms of atmosphere with the Monaco Grand Prix. However,
the type of challenge presented by the Montreal track could
hardly be more different. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve places
totally different aerodynamic demands on the cars and pushes
both the brakes in particular, and the engines, to the limit.
In line with the F1 regulations, our cars will continue with
the same engines as we used in Monaco. Sebastian Vettel will
be with us in America in his capacity as test and reserve
driver."
Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
"The combination of long straights and chicanes makes
Montreal what we call a 'medium downforce' circuit, and we
have developed a special aero package that takes this into
account. The long straight leading up to the final chicane
offers the drivers the best overtaking opportunity if top
speed allows. Montreal is harder on the brakes than any other
circuit on the F1 calendar, so maximum brake cooling and high-performance
specifications for discs and pads are the order of the day.
"This is a circuit that punishes even the slightest
error, as the crash barriers are largely extremely close to
the track and there are not many run-off areas. We were very
competitive in Canada last year, and I am extremely confident
that we will be able to come away with good results again
this year."
History and background:
With a population of 1.6 million, the eastern Canadian city
of Montreal is the country's second-largest city and the capital
of the 80-percent French-speaking province of Quebec. 3.7
million people live in the greater Montreal area. The city
lies on the Île de Montreal at the confluence of the
Ottawa and St Lawrence rivers. The 233-metre-high Mont Royal
- located in the centre of the island - gave its name to the
city, which was founded by French explorers in 1642 as Ville-Marie-de-Montreal.
The Port de Montreal remains an important stop-off for ships
on their way to the Great Lakes. The region's climate is dominated
by extremely cold winters and short, sunny summers.
From 12.00 to 18.00 hrs on Saturday 9th June, BMW drivers
will gather with a selection of exceptional cars for a concours
in the park grounds of the downtown Bell Centre. The finest
examples in various categories will be selected as part of
the event. Needless to say, representatives of the media are
also very welcome to attend.
The complex on Notre Dame island where the non-permanent
race track is located was the site of the 1967 World Expo
and hosted the 1976 Olympic Games. The Formula One paddock
runs along the side of the former rowing basin.
2007 marks the 39th Canadian Grand Prix and the 29th held
in Montreal. The first Canadian Grand Prix took place in 1967
in Mosport, which went on to host a further seven GPs. Mont-Tremblant
was the venue for two GPs. Formula One moved to Montreal in
1978, where it has been held ever since on the circuit named
after the winner of the inaugural race, Gilles Villeneuve.
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