Interview with BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen.
How would you rate the BMW Sauber F1 Team's second
season?
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen:"It
was a strong season at the end of which we even managed to
crack the 100 points barrier. We went into the season having
finished fifth in the World Championship on 36 points in our
debut year. We set ourselves the goal of fourth place and
a much bigger points total this year, so third was a great
bonus. The powers that be then promoted us even further, but
it is a pretty empty second place in our eyes. After all,
we're well aware that four cars have been faster than us,
and we want to beat them on the track, not in the corridors
of power. It was surprising that we were the third-best team
from the outset and were able to reinforce this position in
practically every race. On occasions we were even able to
break into the territory of the two leading teams, meaning
that we recorded the podium positions we were aiming for on
merit. To sum up, we can be proud of what we have achieved,
both as far as our development work over the winter is concerned
and in terms of our pace of development during the course
of the season. We have managed to meet our targets in both
of our development years so far, so the engineers can see
that our ideas are working. That breeds confidence in our
strategy, and as a result they can see that we are heading
in the right direction."
What were the highlights of 2007 for you?
Theissen: "For me the highlight of
the season was Montreal. Nick's second place gave the team
its best result so far. And the fact that Robert was able
to emerge from his crash practically unhurt was a great advert
for the strength and outstanding construction of the car.
When you look at it this way, the weekend felt like a victory
on two fronts for the team."
Were there also some low points?
Theissen: "Yes, there were a few of
those as well, most significantly the shock that went through
us all when Robert had that accident in Montreal. We had an
agonizing few minutes before we received the welcome news
that he was practically uninjured. Other, less dramatic, low
points were the retirements due to technical problems. You
can never rule out these kinds of issues entirely, but it
hurts the whole team when one of the drivers takes nothing
away from a race on Sunday, because they have received no
reward for all their hard work. Having said that, we finished
in the points in every race this season, which meant we didn't
go away from any of the 17 race weekends empty-handed."
Where have you seen the greatest progress since 2006?
Theissen: "In 2006 we still had a weakness
on low-speed circuits, but that was no longer the case in
2007."
Were you happy with the performances of your drivers?
Theissen: "Yes, Nick and Robert were
very impressive on and off the track and we will, therefore,
be sticking with both drivers for next year. That is something
we were agreed on very early in the season. We extended Robert's
contract with the team after his serious accident in Canada,
even before he had got back into a car. We had also reached
agreement with Nick at an early stage, and that allowed us
to sort out the contractual formalities calmly during the
course of the season."
In what areas does the team have most work to do
in order to bridge the gap to the leading
teams?
Theissen: "Improvements can always
be made across the board, but the greatest scope for progress
clearly lies in aerodynamics. It's not a question of eliminating
a specific weakness for 2008, but of finding the extra three
to five percent in all areas which can bring us up to the
level of the top teams. It's really a matter of fine-tuning,
evolution rather than revolution.! Is the team's development
phase now completed"
Theissen: "That will be the case at
the turn of the year, as planned. We now have 420 employees
on board in Hinwil, while the workforce in Munich remains
unchanged at just under 300. The move into the extension at
Hinwil is in full swing."
Did the further enlargement of the team make life
difficult during the season?
Theissen: "275 people were employed
in Hinwil when we acquired the majority stake in Sauber. It
was a great feat to integrate the new people into the team
during the course of the season and with the development of
next year's car already underway. Added to which, it is more
pleasant for everybody to be working in a permanent office
rather than a temporary portacabin."
To what extent are you still directly involved in
technical development?
Theissen:"I keep myself regularly informed
on all development processes. We have regular meetings and
I also talk with the engineers on the shop floor, so to speak.
The decision on which direction to take with our development
work is made by Willy Rampf and Markus Duesmann. If we are
not sure which way to go on a particular issue, then I will
be involved in the decision-making process as well. I see
myself primarily as a coach, setting targets, making sure
the necessary elements are in place and giving direction."
When did the technicians begin work on the 2008 car?
Theissen: "The design process got underway
in May 2007. We had secured our third place in the constructors?
championship as early as midway through the season. Catching
the two teams ahead of us in the points was unrealistic by
that point, and we had a comfortable cushion to those below
us in the standings. This meant we could shift the focus of
development to 2008 at an early stage. We completed the further
development of the F1.07 at the Jerez test in mid-September
and subsequently switched our attentions to 2008."
BMW is a leader in the area of electronics. What
do you think of the introduction of a standard ECU?
Theissen: "We voiced various objections
to the introduction of standard electronics. The process of
converting cars, engines, gearboxes and, indeed, test rigs
has generated considerable extra costs. And there is an even
more important argument against the standard ECU going forward.
Nowadays not just the car as a whole, but every single technical
system is equipped with complex control electronics tailored
specifically to the function of that particular system. The
electronics represent the nerve centre, without which the
system would only be capable of limited functionality or would
not be able to function at all. Our aim is to make Formula
One a pioneer in drive technology for the series-produced
road cars of the future. Looking further ahead, a system is
under development which regenerates energy under braking,
stores that energy and, when the driver accelerates, puts
it back on tap alongside the power from the combustion engine.
Highly sensitive control electronics are required to coordinate
these processes efficiently and ensure driving safety under
all circumstances. So tailored electronics are essential if
we really want to develop the potential of this system, for
example."
The success the team enjoyed in 2007 has increased
the weight of expectation for the 2008 season ? how do you
deal with that?
Theissen: "It is natural that expectations
increase the more successful you become. That brings pressure
from the outside, of course, but also raises the standards
we set ourselves. The end of this season has seen us wrapping
up the development phase of the BMW Sauber F1 Team. This phase
has run according to plan and has seen us make it into the
top three in a short space of time. Next year we will be looking
to record our first win. We know that this will not happen
automatically. The great progress we have made this year,
in particular, has shown that we have got the direction of
our development work and our working processes spot on. Motivation
within the team is extremely high as a result."
Next year there will be 18 races on the calendar,
one more than this season. In the future that number may rise
to as many as 20 grands prix. What do you think of these plans?
Theissen: "20 races is a lot and will
place a heavy burden on the whole team, especially those who
travel to the races and tests, and are therefore often away
from home. However, this is something we can live with. At
the end of the day, we put a huge amount of resources into
racing in Formula One. And if we do end up with another two
races on the programme, it will mean that these resources
are actually being used more efficiently. Having said that,
we do need to think about how we organise such a packed season
and, from a logistics point of view, how the travelling schedule
can be structured as efficiently as possible."
How would you like to see the Formula One calendar
shape up in the future?
Theissen: "There should be a mixture
of tradition and the future. The fact is that Formula One
still needs a European core, with historical race tracks like
Monza, Silverstone, Spa and the Nürburgring. And that
has not been seriously called into question. However, you
also have to ask yourself where the greatest opportunities
lie for Formula One. The answer is in the rapidly developing
new markets, primarily Asia of course. There is a vast amount
of potential waiting to be unlocked in these countries, and
if Formula One can put down roots there it will secure its
status as the blue-riband category of motor racing into the
future."
Who is going to be your test driver for 2008?
Theissen: "We will shortly be giving
some young drivers the chance to test for us and then we will
decide. Timo Glock, at any rate, will not be driving for the
BMW Sauber F1 Team next year. We invited him to be our test
driver, but he has been offered a race seat by another team.
We wish Timo every success for his career in Formula One.
He is one of the highly promising drivers to have come out
of Formula BMW with good future prospects and we are confident
that he will establish himself in Formula One. I don't want
to exclude the possibility that we might be working together
again some time in the future."
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