BMW Sauber

Sauber had a horrid season in 2005 after a rather respectable campaign the year before. Peter Sauber had always resisted colaborating with a big manufacturer ever since he formed the team in 1993. However, the need for financial muscle was inevetible - both on and off the track and the Swiss finally had to give-in to a buy-out offer from BMW.

In their first season as a full team, BMW had employed Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve with Robert Kubica as the test driver. It wasn't the best season, but for a debut year, 36 points and fifth in the Constructors' championship was not too bad either. Having Villeneuve on the team paid off when he scored the teams first points in Malaysia. In the same race, the team a radical aerodynamic attachment that has since been dubbed the 'twin towers' as homage to the Petronas Towers (Petronas are the team's principal sponsors) in Kuala Lumpur. The attachment has since been banned by the FIA as it could prove to be obstructive to drivers.

While there were initial troubles in the first half of the season, they performed substantially better in the second half. Heidfeld and Kubica both managed a podium finish and allowed a strong end to the year. Kubica was racing thanks to Villeneuve not being fit after an accident in Germany.

For 2007, Heidfeld and Kubica will be the main drivers for BMW with Sebastian Vettel and Timo Glock as the test drivers. The car's reliability that was one of the main issues going into winter testing, seems to have been ironed out.

Whatever the case, BMW has done well enough to keep fans and competition interested in how they shape up. And at a time when F1 needs someone to challenge the four dominant teams, BMW Sauber could well be the team.


Team Boss: Mario Theissen

Races: 246

Race Wins: 0

Constructor's Championships: 0

Engine: BMW P86 (V8)

Chassis: F1.06 Carbon-fibre monocoque

Suspension: Upper and lower wishbones (front and rear), inboard springs and dampers, actuated by pushrods

Brakes: Six-piston callipers (Brembo), carbon pads and discs

Tyres: Bridgestone

Transmission: Longitudinally mounted 7-speed transmission, carbon-fibre clutch


Other:
Engine power: Over 18,500 rpm
GearBox: 7-speed BMW Sauber, semi-automatic, longitudinally mounted, carbon casing
Weight: 605 kgs (including driver, camera and ballast)
Dimensions: 4610mm x 1800 mm x 1000mm
Valves: 4 valves per cylinder; pneumatic valve system
Total displacement: 2.4 litres


Team Personnel:
Team manager: --
Designer: Jorg Zander
Chief engineer: -
Drivers: Nick Heidfeld (Germany), Robert Kubica (Poland)
Test driver: Sebastian Vettel, Timo Glock

New designer for struggling Honda

The Honda team have signed BMW Sauber's chief designer Jorg Zander as they attempt to improve their poor form.

Honda, who won their first race of the modern era last year, have slumped this season and scored only one point in the first nine Grands Prix.

Their fortunes contrast with BMW Sauber, who have progressively improved and have this year's third fastest car.

Named deputy technical director, Zander is part of a recruitment drive aimed at improving Honda's performances.

Honda's senior technical director, Shuhei Nakamoto, said: "This is the latest in a series of key appointments that we have made in order to bolster our team.

"With the steady performance improvements we have made over the past few races and a strengthened technical team, I am sure the difficulties we have seen in the first half of 2007 are now behind us."

Zander is the second of those major appointments. The first was Frenchman Loic Bigois, who joined as head of aerodynamics last month. Bigois and Zander previously worked together at the Williams team.

Jenson Button won last year's Hungarian Grand Prix for Honda - but the victory came in an unpredictable wet-dry race and only after Fernando Alonso's leading Renault retired.

The win came towards the end of what had been a troubled season, and only after a major development programme aimed at improving a struggling car.

This year, Honda's form was even worse than at the beginning of last year, and so far they are showing scant evidence of being able to repeat the improvements they made in 2006.

The British Grand Prix Preview

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton firmly believes that he can win this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone - the first time he will ever race a Formula One car in front of his fellow countrymen.

That is despite Ferrari’s speed here in recent testing and sudden return to form in Magny-Cours - and in spite of all the scandal that has blown up following allegations that a senior McLaren engineer received stolen intellectual property from Ferrari and the ensuing suspension of that engineer.

Both of these factors will add to any pressure Hamilton feels racing at home, but he is convinced that he can join a long list of Britons who have won the British Grand Prix: Sir Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks, Peter Collins, Jim Clark, David Coulthard, Sir Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell, John Watson, Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert.

“You can’t win every race, and the most important thing is to be consistent, which I think we are,” he said after finishing third at Magny-Cours. “Both the Ferrari drivers said they made a good step forward, but when you are behind people, as we were in Magny-Cours, it’s a lot harder to show your true pace. I don’t think they were as quick, as much faster than us, as it looked today. Traffic and strategy had a lot to do with that, so I still think we can bounce back at Silverstone, without a doubt.

“I don’t think Ferrari’s sudden speed is worrying. It just shows they’ve made a great step forward and had a slightly better strategy than us. We were always on a three-stop strategy but what happened at the start affected that. After I had made my third pit stop I was a long way behind Felipe so there was no point in me wrenching the neck out of the engine trying to catch him. Throughout the race we were quite consistent on speed, but we need a little more. I am sure that we will make another improvement before Silverstone.

“To be honest, in France I was not disappointed. I don’t like to be overtaken, but that’s the same for everyone. But I was on the podium again and we are the most consistent team and I think we are doing a better job. I have extended my lead in the World Championship, so I couldn’t be happier.

“It is a great feeling to go to Silverstone as the World Championship leader. To do so certainly seemed unimaginable at the start of the season. I’m very, very happy with the job I’ve done and the team have done and I go into my first British GP with the team I always wanted to drive for, and that’s one of the greatest feelings a driver can have.”

After scoring his (and Honda’s) first point of the season, Jenson Button is also feeling a little more upbeat ahead of his home race. “Silverstone will be fun because I have a lot of friends and family coming and the fans treat you the same way even when things are tough. The fans at Silverstone have always been fantastic and there are four Brits to cheer on, so the lead-up will be hectic.”

David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson (in his first British Grand Prix) are both seeking points finishes for Red Bull and Super Aguri respectively, while BMW Sauber and Renault will re-engage their battle for third place overall as Williams look to do well on home ground, Toyota hope to reproduce the speed Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher displaced in the test here in June, and Toro Rosso hope their seamless shift gearbox will translate into Red Bull-matching lap times. With their factory just over the road from the circuit, Spyker would also like to take something good home from this one.

On paper, however, Ferrari are looking very strong. “We are back where we expect to be. You could feel the improvement in the car everywhere, really. In every corner,” Raikkonen said after his second win of the season, which brought the score to two apiece for the four leading contenders.

One thing that may well bring in a degree of uncertainty to the overall equation is the weather, with rain forecast for each day.

Kubica fit to race in French GP

BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica has passed a medical following his massive crash in the Canadian Grand Prix and will return this weekend in France.

"I''m 100% fit," said the 22-year-old driver, who missed the US Grand Prix after the 180mph crash on 10 June.

"I''m looking forward to this race and happy that I missed only Indianapolis."

Kubica was replaced at Indianapolis by 19-year-old German Sebastian Vettel, who scored a point on his debut, but now reverts to test and reserve driver.

Kubica suffered mild concussion and a sprained ankle when his car ploughed head-on into a wall in Canada.

He was lucky to escape without further injury, especially as his feet could be seen through the sheared off front end of the vehicle.

Kubica added: "Although I wasn''t allowed to test (at Silverstone last week), I''ve used the time to focus intensively on preparing for the next race.

"Now I can''t wait to get back into the car."