BMW Sauber – Bahrain GP – Race

After a difficult qualifying the BMW Sauber F1 Team was heading for points in the opening round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, but the Bahrain Grand Prix ended in disappointment with both drivers retiring due to hydraulic failures.

Weather: Sunny and dry, 35-36°C air, 36-40°C track

Pedro de la Rosa: DNF (lap 29, position 12, hydraulic problem)
BMW Sauber C29.03 / Ferrari 056
“I actually had a good start, but then lost positions when I had to go off the track to avoid colliding with other cars. On the grass I lost acceleration and some cars were able to pass, so when I arrived at turn four I had lost several positions. Then I felt we had a car that was good enough to fight for points, and there still was a chance to achieve this when I was called into the pits on lap 29 because of an hydraulic problem.“

Kamui Kobayashi: DNF (lap 12, position 13, hydraulic problem)
BMW Sauber C29.02 / Ferrari 056
“Unfortunately it was a short race for me because on lap 12 I lost the power steering and from then on I wasn’t able to shift anymore due to a hydraulic problem. I had quite a good start when I made up four positions, but then I flat-spotted a tyre and, in hindsight, I also believe it would have been better to start on the softer compound. Pedro was faster on them.”

Peter Sauber, Team Principal:
“I obviously had different hopes for how I would return to Formula One as a team principal, particularly after our promising winter testing. But even before the race our grid positions were disappointing. The race itself was okay from a performance point of view, with both drivers fighting for positions before they both stopped with a hydraulic problem. We have to analyse and to solve this problem very quickly.”

Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
“The race pace was okay. Pedro drove an intelligent race and managed his tyres really well. Kamui, who was on the harder compound, was forced to stop before his first scheduled pit stop, therefore there is not much to say. Neither car finished the race due to a hydraulic problem which we have to analyse.”

BMW Sauber – Bahrain GP – Qualifying

Both BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers made it into the second qualifying session, but neither of them moved up into the top ten qualifying. Still struggling with the car on the winding and bumpy new part of the circuit, Pedro de la Rosa qualified 14th for the first race of the season in Bahrain and Kamui Kobayashi qualified 16th.

Weather: Sunny and dry, 31-36°C air, 41-47°C track

Both BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers made it into the second qualifying session, but neither of them moved up into the top ten qualifying. Still struggling with the car on the winding and bumpy new part of the circuit, Pedro de la Rosa qualified 14th for the first race of the season in Bahrain and Kamui Kobayashi qualified 16th.

Pedro de la Rosa:
BMW Sauber C29.03 / Ferrari 056
Qualifying: 14th / 1.56.237 min (in Q2) / 3rd Practice: 13th / 1:56.063 min (14 laps)
“I can’t say I’m satisfied because before we came here we expected to be a bit higher up. But we already knew yesterday this is a bad track for us with the new infield. I have to blame myself for losing a couple of tenths, because I made mistakes on my very last lap when I just pushed too hard because at this time there wasn’t much to lose. So this was not good and it will be a tough race tomorrow for the drivers and teams, especially in terms of tyre management. I’m afraid they will overheat from lap one. Well, despite not being happy with the result, in a way I have to say I still enjoyed my first qualifying after three years.”

Kamui Kobayashi:
BMW Sauber C29.02 / Ferrari 056
Qualifying: 16th / 1.56.270 min (in Q2) / 2nd Practice: 17th / 1:56.530 min (14 laps)
“After winter testing we thought we would be quicker, but we are really struggling with the bumpy new part of the track. Of course the temperatures are much higher here, which is also something new as we now see what the effect is between the car and the tyres. We have to work really hard for improvements. Tomorrow’s race will be hard but I still hope our car will not be hard on the tyres and we can move up a bit. There is always a chance for points.”

Peter Sauber, Team Principal:
“After our promising testing I expected more from the first qualifying of the season. The problems with this track, which we had already seen yesterday, could not be solved for qualifying.”

Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
“Based on the results in winter testing our goal was to get one car into Q3. However, we missed that by a big margin. We will now try to make up positions in the race using the right strategic options which are now allowed by the new rules. Before the next races we have to improve the car significantly.”

Glock ‘n Roll

A ten-part F1 Big Picture series celebrating the return of F1 in Bahrain. Timo Glock leads Pedro de la Rosa, Virgin ahead of Sauber during Free Practice today. We saw several cars overtaking others as the teams got used to slower drivers on the grid. The field spread was vast. Glock has admitted he’s frustrated with the lack of running he got today, he just wants to get on with it.

Credit: Virgin Racing

BMW Sauber – Bahrain GP – 1st/2nd Free Practice – Friday

After the first two practice sessions of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, on the modified and lengthened Bahrain International Circuit, neither of the BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers was completely happy with the set-up of the C29. Pedro de la Rosa came tenth in the afternoon session, Kamui Kobayashi was eleventh. The new section in the circuit’s infield makes the set-up work more challenging.

Weather: Sunny and dry, 28-34°C air, 36-48°C track

After the first two practice sessions of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, on the modified and lengthened Bahrain International Circuit, neither of the BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers was completely happy with the set-up of the C29. Pedro de la Rosa came tenth in the afternoon session, Kamui Kobayashi was eleventh. The new section in the circuit’s infield makes the set-up work more challenging.

Pedro de la Rosa:
BMW Sauber C29.03 / Ferrari 056
1st Practice: 17th / 2.00.250 min (18 laps) / 2nd Practice: 10th / 1:57,255 min (24 laps)
“Well, it was not easy. We managed to make the car feel better during the day, but we definitely need to improve the set-up for tomorrow as much as we can. The overall grip level is very low out there and the new part is really bumpy. One bump especially before turn seven I find dangerous because the cars are bottoming there a lot. The heat is no issue at all. I don’t regard this circuit as physically very demanding anyway.”

Kamui Kobayashi:
BMW Sauber C29.02 / Ferrari 056
1st Practice: 18th / 2.01.388 min (11 laps) / 2nd Practice: 11th / 1:57.352 min (27 laps)
“After we lost some track time this morning because of a puncture, we were able to complete our programme in the afternoon. We now have to look at the set-up again. I have the impression the bumpy new infield is pretty difficult for us, but we will work on that. I have no complaints about the heat either, as I definitely prefer it compared to the winter in Europe.”

Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
“We mainly concentrated on race preparation today, so consequently we were running on a high fuel load for most of the time. We want to be sure to find a set-up which is acceptable for the race distance. We will work on the qualifying set-up tomorrow. It’s the first time this year we are running in climate conditions like this, so we still have a lot of work to do. Kamui suffered a puncture, which was caused by a piece of debris, but apart from that the cars ran reliably.”

BMW Sauber – Bahrain GP – Preview

One thing is certain: after it has slimmed down and transformed into a private team the BMW Sauber F1 Team is very happy to line up with two C29s for Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi at the season’s opening race. But just turning up is far from what the team is aiming for. The car’s development has been pushed forward non stop and the tests in February were on the whole positive. So to score points is what the team wants to achieve on March 14 in the Kingdom of Bahrain at the first of the 19 rounds that make up the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship.

1st of 19 Championship Rounds, 12th – 14th March 2010

Pedro de la Rosa: “I have good memories of Bahrain. In 2005 when I had to jump in I scored the fastest race lap. In 2007 I was there for two days of testing. However, I think the new section which is added to the infield will make it an all new track, because it means we have to adapt the downforce level. The best aspect of the circuit is that you can overtake. There are three long straights with each followed by a corner where you have to brake really hard. We will have good racing there, I think, and all I want is to fight because this is what I missed most. It is difficult to tell yet which track will be good for our car. In any case it will be very interesting to see how the strategies unfold, and how the teams will react to each other’s strategy in the race. Due to the fact that refuelling isn’t allowed anymore, the team can influence the outcome a lot more. After we have had four good tests on three different circuits I feel very confident for the season’s start. I covered a lot of mileage with the team and we learnt a lot. Bahrain will mark my return to racing and I can’t wait.”

Kamui Kobayashi: “I won two GP2 Asia races in Bahrain in 2008 and 2009 and I have been testing there in Formula One in 2009. I like the fact that the season starts on a circuit I know so well. The track is quite nice, I like every corner and now we get some more of them. The track has a lot of stop-and-go corners and I really enjoy that style, while I also think it will suit our car. During the tests I learnt a lot and I’m training hard. I definitely feel ready for the start of the season and I’m also looking forward to the usual good weather in Bahrain, as I really like it warm.”

Willy Rampf, Technical Director: “The kick off for the coming season promises extra excitement because very few of the teams showed their full potential during the tests. Due to the refuelling ban the fuel cells have become much larger and, therefore, we’ve got radically different cars. It is an engineer’s task to find a set-up which provides a good balance for the cars, although they will now be a hundred kilos heavier at the start of the race. Race strategy also provides totally new challenges. Pit stops will be mainly dictated by the tyre performance. Both tyre specs still have to be run. The circuit lay-out in Bahrain has changed significantly as it is now dominated by a narrow section in the infield with eight additional corners. The downforce level will be a compromise. On the one hand the many low speed corners require high downforce, but on the other the extraordinary width of the track encourages overtaking and this means you can’t disregard the need for top-speed.”

BMW Sauber – Barcelona Test – Day Three

The BMW Sauber F1 Team’s second race simulation was run under changing weather conditions with light rain on and off. After the lunch break Kamui Kobayashi continued to do some set-up work.

Weather
Overcast with some light rain showers,
air 8 – 15 °C, track 10 – 16 °C

Circuit length
4.655 km

Driver
Kamui Kobayashi (JP)

Chassis / engine
BMW Sauber C29-01 / Ferrari

Kilometres today
488.775 km (105 laps)

Fastest lap
1:26.216 min

Kamui Kobayashi:
“Certainly it would have been more convenient to do the race simulation with ideal track conditions. However, on the other hand it was an even better practice because we had to do additional tyre changes due to the weather, and every pit stop helps to improve our skills in communications and procedures. So I think it was a very productive day, and anyway tomorrow we expect better weather.”

Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
“Today the main task was another race simulation, so we could practice all the routines and procedures for pit stops and various instructions for the crew and, of course, Kamui. We did this before the lunch break in inconsistent weather conditions, which explains today’s lap times. In the afternoon we carried out some further set-up work.”

What comes next
Tomorrow, Sunday, will be the final day of 2010 pre-season testing with Kamui Kobayashi being at the wheel again.

BMW Sauber – Barcelona Test – Day two

The BMW Sauber F1 Team and Pedro de la Rosa enjoyed a very busy second day of testing. The team ran a simulation of free practice, qualifying and a race distance in one day with excellent track conditions and zero technical problems for the C29.

Weather
Sunny and dry all day, air 12 – 20 °C, track 13 – 28 °C

Circuit length
4.655 km

Driver
Pedro de la Rosa (ES)

Chassis / engine
BMW Sauber C29-01 / Ferrari

Kilometres today
530.670 km (114 laps)

Fastest lap
1:20.973 min

Pedro de la Rosa:
“Today was a very good preparation for the season’s start in Bahrain. The reliability of the car was perfect and I think the performance was also good, especially in the race simulation. It was a very good exercise and I feel we have now done everything possible to get ready for the first Grand Prix. It was also a big day for me because it has been a while since I last completed a race distance. I feel very well and also really confident now.”

Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
“Overall it was a good test day for us. We improved the car’s balance significantly compared to yesterday by doing some set-up changes. We then simulated an entire race weekend with free practice, qualifying and a full race distance without any technical problems. We are quite happy with the overall pace and reliability.”

What comes next
Tomorrow, Saturday, Kamui Kobayashi will be taking over driving duties in Barcelona for the remaining two days.

BMW Sauber F1 Team supports Esteban Gutièrrez

The BMW Sauber F1 Team is taking 18-year-old Esteban Gutièrrez under its wing. The Mexican driver will attend a number of the Grands Prix in 2010, observe the goings-on in the pits, listen in to the radio communications and be present at meetings. Added to which, he will be incorporated into the team’s driver development programme. This means that he will follow the same training regime as race drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi, and his physical condition will be monitored and evaluated in the same way.

“We view this link-up as a kind of sponsorship arrangement,” explains team boss Peter Sauber. “Nowadays you can only give young drivers a very limited amount of help in gaining a foothold in Formula One. With the limited number of testing opportunities, it is important for the teams to have the race drivers in the cars during those sessions. However, the world of Formula One is so complex that you can learn a great deal just by watching and listening to what’s going on. That’s the opportunity we’re giving Esteban. And we will also help him to get himself in F1-trim physically.”

Gutièrrez also gave his thoughts: “I felt very comfortable at the young driver test at Jerez in December and enjoyed every second, but I also saw that I still have a lot to learn before I’m ready to be a good Formula One driver. Experience behind the wheel is, of course, the most important thing, but I’m under no illusions. I’m happy that the BMW Sauber F1 Team has shown so much confidence in me by giving me the chance to look behind the scenes and learn about the sport. And at the same time, I will be training hard with an instructor, which will definitely help me achieve my goals in the GP3 series.”

Gutièrrez will line up for the ART Grand Prix Team in the new GP3 race series this season. Seven of the eight GP3 races in 2010 will take place on the Formula One support programme.

BMW Sauber – Barcelona Test – Day One

Pedro de la Rosa was at the wheel on the first day of the final 2010 pre-season test, held on the driver’s home ground in Barcelona. The BMW Sauber F1 Team carried out a lot of set-up work today.

Weather
Dry with some cloud, air 12 – 19 °C, track 10 – 23 °C

Circuit length
4.655 km

Driver
Pedro de la Rosa (ES)

Chassis / engine
BMW Sauber C29-01 / Ferrari

Kilometres today
339.815 km (73 laps)

Fastest lap
1:23.144 min

Pedro de la Rosa:
“We did an aero test for Bahrain and were trying to get the car’s balance right for the Circuit de Catalunya, which is a demanding track with lots of bumps. I think we learned a lot today and are looking forward to tomorrow.”

Willy Rampf (Technical Director):
“Today we have been concentrating on different mechanical set-ups and different downforce levels in preparation for the Bahrain Grand Prix. We are not satisfied with the car’s balance yet, but we have recorded a great deal of useful data which will help us further improve it.”

What comes next
Tomorrow, Friday, Pedro de la Rosa will be driving again before handing the car over to Kamui Kobayashi for Saturday and Sunday.

BMW Sauber – Jerez Test – Day 3

Due to a problem with the fuel system, BMW Sauber F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi completed just 28 laps today.

Weather
Overcast in the morning, sunny in the afternoon, air 9 – 16 °C, track 9 – 25 °C

Circuit length
4.428 km

Driver
Kamui Kobayashi (JP)

Chassis / engine
BMW Sauber C29-01 / Ferrari

Kilometres today
124 km (28 laps)

Fastest lap
1:22.228 min

Kamui Kobayashi
“It was obviously not a perfect day, but I prefer to have a technical problem now rather than in the first race. Although I could only complete a limited number of laps, we learned a few things on which we can build tomorrow.”

Thomas Hunsicker (Test Engineer)
“The conditions were good today, but unfortunately we weren’t able to make the best use of them. We lost a lot of time with a fuel system problem. However, the weather forecast is fine for tomorrow, so we should still be able to complete the main part of our planned programme for this test.”

What comes next
Tomorrow Kamui Kobayashi will be on duty for the final day of testing in Jerez.

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