BMW Interview With Mario Theissen

Interview with BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen

“Taking a bold concept leap has paid off”

How do you review the situation after the first two races of the season?

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen: “Naturally we’re extremely pleased with the way the season has started off for us. Two second places by Nick and Robert in Melbourne and Sepang, Robert on the front row of the grid in Australia, Nick claiming the fastest race lap in Malaysia, plus 11 points in one race and 19 in the championship – that’s an outstanding achievement and a strong basis for the coming races. It demonstrates we have been making steady progress since the roll-out in mid-January. I wasn’t just gratified by our good results, but above all by the performance and pace we managed in both races.”

The BMW Sauber F1.08 didn’t come up to expectations in the first tests. How did the engineers deal with that?
Theissen: “It was the first real acid test for our young team. Since the first outing in Valencia the day after the launch, we refused to be diverted at any stage and systematically continued along our planned path. Measured data and driver feedback were compared, causes analysed and a whole package of measures adopted – with success. In the weeks following the launch of the F1.08, we not only brought the car up to speed but also learnt a great deal in the process. In retrospect these were extremely productive and motivating weeks. Willy Rampf and the entire team deserve a huge compliment for never once losing sight of the goal even under extreme pressure.”
 
You mentioned a package of measures. What precise modifications have been made to the car?
Theissen: “During the first tests we very quickly established that the F1.08 is a far more complex car than its predecessor. It wasn’t a case of an individual component in the car not working. The key factor was that, in the first tests, individual elements weren’t interacting with each other perfectly. We rectified that step by step. It was a matter of fine-tuning the overall package, which we managed to improve through dozens of minor alterations. On the aero front we optimised the interplay of the front wing, deflectors and underbody, and in terms of mechanics, for example, we modified the front suspension slightly. These are all changes you can’t see but which all add up to a significant improvement in performance. And, of course, with each test we were able to gather new data that now enables us to find the right set-up for varying conditions.”
So will you be pitching your season target higher now?
Theissen: “There’s no call for that really. Our goal is to close the gap to the leaders and win our first race. That’s a fairly ambitious goal and we’re sticking to it. In the first two races we managed to open up the two-way battle. We were faster than one of the two top teams on each occasion. But one shouldn’t draw any premature conclusions. We’re still not on a par with Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes. However, the latest results are certainly a great incentive for everyone. The clear message to the workforce is: we can make it.”

How much potential remains inside the BMW Sauber F1.08?
Theissen: “We’ve still got several arrows in our quiver and certainly haven’t exhausted our entire potential yet. The next major step is planned for the European curtain-raiser in Barcelona. For us one thing is clear: risking a major concept leap in the winter has paid off. Now it’s up to us to systematically continue along the path we’ve embarked on.”

How do you rate the performance of your two drivers?
Theissen: “Both of them have delivered what we expect of them. Not just in the two races, but prior to that during the important testing work over the winter. Both of them have prepared single-mindedly for the new season. And both of them have got what it takes to claim the first win for our team. They also know that it takes more than just a few fast laps. The drivers are leaders within the team and have a huge impact on the team spirit and the ongoing development of the car. Both of them are bringing this awareness into play, and I am very happy with the results so far.”

How did you fare with the standard electronics in the first two races of the season?
Theissen: “There was the occasional hiccup, but that was down to the fact that the application had not yet been perfected and was unrelated to the basic software. There were no malfunctions that might have threatened to end the race or compromise driver safety.”

Best Of The Rest Is Dead! BMW Out Class Mclaren At Bahrain

At the start of the season (even the start of the weekend) many people were talking about two teams contending for podiums and the title. Now it seems that there is no longer only two teams contending but in fact three. BMW have had an excellent weekend with Robert Kubica gaining another Podium and Nick Heidfeld driving solidly to finish in fourth.

The entire weekend sore BMW beat the Mclaren boys for pace and all important traction which shows Mclaren are not that far ahead of BMW at all.  This has led me to the question ‘is the best of the rest category dead?’  Time will most definetly tell but one thing that is sure is the championship will be a more exciting place from now on.

One aspect that we must not forget is that Heiki Kovalainen set the fastest lap of the race. This shows that with a few tweaks before Barcelona they should be right back on track.

Torro Rosso To Be Sold Before 2010

Torro Rosso the junior team of Red bull racing is set to be sold off before the start of the 2010 formula 1 season. The teams owners are hoping to have a buyer for the team before the end of next season, the team have assured fans that they will not sell unless the team will be put into safe hands. Here is a quote from Dietrich Mateschitz, the co owner of red bull racing.

“I see the necessity that we continue with one team only for 2010 but we will not sell Toro Rosso during 2008. We will only sell the team if it is put into safe hands. But it will be before 2010.”

Ferrari F2008 F1 Racing Car Photo

This photo shows the brand spanking new Ferrari Formula 1 car – the F2008. The car is obviously in the trade mark red and features a whole host of new features. The main updates include advances in aerodynamics, electronics, suspension and all important updates to the gearbox to make it more hardy for the new 2008 season rules.  This should result in the car being even quicker with razor sharp handling. This is one hot car.

Williams Launch New 2008 Livery And We Love It

The Williams formula 1 team have been testing in six different paint jobs since January and we have liked a lot of the designs. In fact we mentioned that we quite liked the darker livery a few weeks ago and wished that Williams would stick with a darker design for the actual race car.

Well it seems they have listened, here are some pictures of the hot new williams formula 1 car:

Force India Begin Testing In Barcelona

The new kids on the block Force India gave their formula 1 racing car (the VJM01) a run during their first tests at Barcelona today.

The VJM01 Racing car was named as a tribute to the owners of Force India Dr.Vijay Mallya, an and Michiel Mol. The car has made huge technological advances compared to it’s predessesor (the spyker that launched in 2007).

“We have carried the chassis over from 2007 to 2008, but the car we run at the Australian Grand Prix will have numerous aerodynamic and mechanical updates, which we will be testing from 25 – 27 February at Barcelona before the first race,” explained chief technical officer, Mike Gascoyne.

Mechanically, as well as aerodynamically, the chassis has also been updated. Last season the rear suspension geometry was significantly revised, with the rotary dampers replaced with linear ones, and a new gearbox design targeted at complying with the new 2008 gearbox rules where each ‘box must be used for four races. The engine installation was also reviewed to make cooling resources lighter, more compact and much more efficient.

Despite only road testing the new car just two weeks before the start of the ’2008 formula 1 season, Gascoyne believes the team will not be a disadvantage during this seasons races. “We’ve been testing new parts and looking at reliability,” he added. “It’s just one update we have coming along for the last test and it will be mostly aerodynamic and will have no real impact on reliability.

“I am not worried that we are just testing them for the first time a very short while before the season as this has been done to give us the maximum time possible in the wind tunnel.

“Over the winter we have really been working with the new drivers, and we’ve certainly shown a new level of competitiveness, which is something that will benefit us going forward. There has been a lot of work going on in the background and we should look to go to Australia and be very reliable, especially in the first few races and pick up whatever we can.”

BMW Sauber F1.08 Launch Video

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This video shows the launch of this seasons BMW Sauber F1.08 Formula 1 racing car car. This video contains a lot of flashing lights. The video shows the unveiling of this years racing car.

BMW Sauber Confident In New F1 Car

The new BMW Sauber F1.08 is a whole different animal than it’s predecessor and has been described as a radical evolution during a press conference last week.

Last years car (the F1.07) racked up an impressive 101 points during the last F1 season and BMW are confident the new car will outshine it’s older sibling.

BMW saubers Willy Rampf Said “There is no doubt that the F1.08 is considerably quicker that the F1.07, but it is more difficult to exploit its full potential at any given time and condition,” he said. “We still need a better understanding of the car, and we are learning every day. However, I have no doubt that we are getting there”.

All the additions to this years cars certainly sound exciting to me and should result in hard fought races during 2008 f1 races – I can’t wait!

Williams Test In Commemorative Livery

Williams have been testing in special commemorative colours since January and today switched colours again to a cool looking black finish.

The latest livery is designed to celebrate Williams 30 year involvement in formula one. The new design is the fith colour/livery change of the planned six and I have to say this is one of my favourites. I think the black paint job is a refreshing change from their usual white and blue and I am hoping they choose to keep the design (although this is hughly unlikely).

Williams plan to make their final livery change for the final testing phase that starts next week. Watch this space.

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