Bahrain Grand Prix. 4th – 6th April 2008
3rd of 18 World Championship races
Preview.
Two races, two consecutive second places, a tally of 19
points, second in the constructors’ championship –
the BMW Sauber F1 Team has made a textbook start to the 2008
season. The plan is to continue this positive trend at the
Bahrain Grand Prix.
Nick Heidfeld: “I really like the track layout and
the whole complex in Bahrain. Everything there is very modern
and spacious. For me one of the best sections of the entire
season is the stretch between turn 5 and the penultimate turn
at the Bahrain International Circuit. The climate tends to
be pleasant there, although being in the middle of the desert
means that sand keeps blowing onto the track and into our
equipment. Last year we came very well prepared after our
double test there, and I had a great race. This year some
of the teams tested their new cars there before the start
of the season. On Friday our first priority is to close this
gap through our set-up work.”
Robert Kubica: “I’m looking forward to the race
in Bahrain, for one thing because last year it was where I
picked up my first points of the 2007 season, and for another
because we have had a strong start to the season in Australia
and Malaysia. The circuit in Bahrain is quite different from
Melbourne and Sepang. It has long straights with hard braking
zones. Plus there are hardly any fast turns. The wind could
play a major role here, but I hope it isn’t too strong
because our car reacts quite sensitively. Of course we’ll
have to just see how the F1.08 performs on this circuit, but
I’m confident that we can be very competitive here as
well.”
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director: “Our bottom
line after the first batch of overseas races looks pretty
good: we’re very happy with our two second places in
Melbourne and Sepang, our first fastest race lap in Malaysia
and 19 points in the championship. So, after a brief pit stop
back home, we will be heading for Bahrain well motivated.
We aim to keep up the same level of performance as we’ve
shown so far. BMW feels at home in Bahrain, and for good reason:
this hypermodern complex also houses the BMW Performance Center
with its BMW Driver Training and Formula BMW racing school.
Furthermore, BMW enjoys a strong position in the Middle East
among the premium carmakers.”
Willy Rampf, Technical Director: “Our two strong performances
in Australia and Malaysia confirm that we are on the right
track with our development of the F1.08 and have taken a leap
forward. But I wouldn’t like to commit myself to any
hierarchical order at the moment. For that we will have to
wait for another race or two. The circuit in Bahrain features
several slow turns and the very long start/finish straight
with a tight chicane at the end. The track design calls for
a compromise in terms of aerodynamic set-up. On the one hand
the many slow corners require high downforce, on the other
hand top speed is very important. Good traction also has a
high priority, especially along the narrow section after the
start/finish line. In Bahrain we will be driving with relatively
soft tyre compounds, which plays an important role in the
race strategy.”
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