Australian Grand Prix
14th – 16th March 2008
1st of 18 World Championship races
Preview.
Things are hotting up. This weekend sees man and machinery
embarking on the long trip to Australia. Everyone is on tenterhooks
in anticipation of the first trial of strength in 2008 between
the Formula One teams due to take place the following weekend,
14th – 16th March, in Melbourne’s Albert Park.
For the BMW Sauber F1 Team, 80 people – from top brass
to hostesses – will be flying down under. Around 32
tonnes of air freight will also be sent on its way from Munich.
Among other items, this includes three chassis, the engines,
several sets of spares, 160 alloy wheels, 100 radio sets,
headphones, tools, computers and pit lane equipment. Everything
is packed onto three ten-foot pallets and into five “igloos”,
or walk-in packing containers.
Standardised electronics and extended-life gearboxes were
the technology issues over the winter, as dictated by the
regulations. Striking aerodynamic solutions on the BMW Sauber
F1.08 were another. During testing in Valencia, Jerez and
Barcelona, the team notched up a total distance of 11,233
test kilometres with the first two chassis of the F1.08.
The BMW Sauber F1 Team has ambitious plans for its third
season. The young squad, which emerged as the third-strongest
team in 2007, is looking to notch up its first win in 2008.
Nick Heidfeld: “I’m really looking
forward to the curtain-raiser in Australia – to a couple
of free days to acclimatise and then for everything to get
going at last! This time round I found it particularly difficult
to gauge how the teams measure up against each other. We made
progress between the roll-out in Valencia and the final test
in Barcelona, but none of us will know where we stand until
Melbourne. Autumn in Australia brings the possibility of rain,
which would make driving without traction control and engine
braking control a real challenge. I did some testing on a
wet track and it was great fun. The Albert Park circuit doesn’t
provide much grip even in dry conditions, especially at the
start of the weekend.”
Robert Kubica: “In Australia all the
speculating will finally come to an end. I just can’t
wait for the season to start in Melbourne. The whole team
has been working incredibly hard over the past weeks, the
F1.08 has steadily improved and I think there’s even
more potential lurking inside it. I like the circuit in Melbourne.
If it were up to me, I’d have all the races on street
circuits. Overall, precise driving skills have become even
more critical in 2008 because there’s no more traction
control to help if you stray onto the dirty side of the track.
That’s going to cost time because you then have to ease
off the throttle to correct yourself. Then there’s the
great atmosphere in Melbourne with the fans and the beautiful
city, all of which lends a special charm to the season-opener.”
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