BMW Sauber F1 Team - French Grand Prix - Practice
Weather: Overcast and dry, 19-20°C Air, 30-32°C Track
Robert Kubica was back in his car again for the BMW Sauber
F1 Team in the first free practice sessions of the French
Grand Prix, and was ninth and 12th respectively. Nick Heidfeld
was seventh in the morning, but stopped early in the afternoon
as he did not want to aggravate his back following a recurrence
of the pain that had bothered him at the Silverstone test
last week.
Robert Kubica:
BMW Sauber F1.07-03/BMW P86/7
1st Practice: 9th, 1.16.441 min/2nd Practice: 12th, 1.16.236
min
"After starting the day with some steering problems,
which meant missing the first hour of running, everything
went smoothly this afternoon. We have nearly completed our
programme with quite a lot of set-up work. I am happy to be
back in the car, we have to work for tomorrow, but generally
the car's balance is not too bad. "
Nick Heidfeld:
BMW Sauber F1.07-05/BMW P86/7
1st Practice: 7th, 1.16.338 min/2nd Practice: 19th, 1.16.968
min
"The practice sessions have been okay so far and, anyway,
I like driving on this circuit. I stopped early because I
wanted to save my back. Last week at the Silverstone test
I had some problems. I can still feel it and as a precaution
I want to have it checked today."
Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
"Unfortunately we couldn't complete our programme in
its entirety, neither in the first nor in the second session.
Today we have been focussing on the race preparation, did
the tyre comparison and tried different aerodynamic settings.
We will use the third practice session to prepare for qualifying."
In Magny-Cours BMW uses the rear wing to promote rear wheel
drive - the traditional driving concept of the make. The address
www.rear-wheel-drive.com offers information about the concept's
driving characteristics and advantages. At the Spanish Grand
Prix the BMW Sauber F1 Team was running with the message "active
steering" on the rear wing.
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