BMW Sauber in the dumps?!

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Juan Powerblow

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I have been following the pre-season news on F1 and it seems that BMW Sauber has been languishing in testing. Their last test showed they were on 14th and 17th in terms of best lap and for the past months, the drivers have been complaining about handling problems. On the other hand, Williams, Renault and even Red Bull have been progressing very well and are predicted to take over as the Third Force. The lead is still with Ferrari and McLaren. Any insights on what has happened to BMW Sauber? Is there cause for concern?
 
...hopefully the situation is they dun want to show their cards yet.
 
XXX;298082 said:
...hopefully the situation is they dun want to show their cards yet.

Yes, that's one version of what's happening as Alonso thinks so cos he observed BMW's always testing with a high load. I sure hope so too!
 
purposely done so they'll be the dark horse instead of the low-achieving-but-testing-bukan-main-laju kind.
 
Usually if they are slow in the winter test with the new chassis, its a sign of problems... Look at Honda's problems from 2nd in 1 year all the way in the dumps the next. Sometimes, its inherent design flaws with the new chassis which is impossible to trace and fix within the season to bridge the gap of top teams who started with a great chassis base and continue to improve from that as the season progresses. I think BMW Sauber is in trouble this coming season...
 
Mannn...praying hard dat it would be another way round. :63: It would break my heart if the team fail this season after a good result last year. :12:
 
E46Fanatic;298123 said:
Usually if they are slow in the winter test with the new chassis, its a sign of problems... Look at Honda's problems from 2nd in 1 year all the way in the dumps the next. Sometimes, its inherent design flaws with the new chassis which is impossible to trace and fix within the season to bridge the gap of top teams who started with a great chassis base and continue to improve from that as the season progresses. I think BMW Sauber is in trouble this coming season...

That's my fear as I also had drawn reference from Honda's dismal performance last year. The tell tale signs were there throughout pre-season testing and BMW's recent experience is a bad case of deja vu. The BMW camp is already making all kinds of excuses surrounding the 100% new chassis being a "risky" play. There's only one week of testing left but I'll be quite surprised if they are back even to 5th and 6th position from this week's 14th / 17th.
 
sauber never can mount a serious threat to the major teams IMHO. they just don't have that extra bit of experience and capabilities. F1 isn't road cars..it's spaceships on 4 wheels.
 
Speculation on the eve of the new season in Melbourne is that BMW Sauber sandbagged its way through the winter test period.

Correspondents in the Australian city for European publications including Blick, Bild and Auto Motor und Sport claim that the Hinwil built F1.08 could even be a match for Ferrari and McLaren this year.

The publications say Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica conducted nearly no winter testing alongside their key rivals with low levels of fuel on board. At Valencia for an exclusive session last month, meanwhile, it emerges that BMW Sauber released only partial lap-time data.

For instance, Auto Motor und Sport reveals that BMW's qualifying simulations at Valencia show that Heidfeld and Kubica logged several laps that were quicker than Heikki Kovalainen's best time set at the end of January.

The Swiss newspaper Blick asked technical director Willy Rampf if BMW sandbagged and concealed in winter tests.

"No comment," he answered, before coyly stating "we will see" when asked if the F1.08 might be in the hunt for pole position on Saturday.

Team boss Mario Theissen, however, told reporters on Thursday that BMW's victory target might have to wait until later this year.

"If you ask me about that, I would say we are not there yet," he said.

EA @ Capsis International; Source: GMM
 
Nico Rosberg on Thursday suggested that he does not agree that countryman Nick Heidfeld will be pushing for just fifth place in the Australian Grand Prix.

Several specialist European publications have revealed that German driver Heidfeld's 2008-spec BMW Sauber is actually better than the team is claiming, having sandbagged at tests and not divulged the lap times of secret qualifying simulations.

But BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen played down the Melbourne paddock rumour, insisting that the F1.08 is not yet on the same level as Ferrari and McLaren.

Theissen suggested that, instead, BMW will be among the lesser battle with teams like Williams, while Heidfeld told the press in Australia on Thursday that fifth place would be a good result for him on Sunday.

But Rosberg, who drives for the aforementioned Toyota-powered British team, is quoted by the German news agency DPA as saying in reference to BMW Sauber: "I can't imagine that they could have done such poor work."

D.B. © CAPSIS International
Source: GMM
 
Wow I am surprised! However looks like the top teams opted not to do simulated quali runs as the Fri times are better. They were conservative for the Sat practice runs which is kinda strange.
 
jst left hse to off.....Mr Kubica in 2nd poll start for tomorrow main race, if not because of his last twitch at sector 3, he could easily beat Hamilton. He as agrresive as he always been, great racer. I think heidfeld in 5 or 6th. So guyz.....not bad at all............For TODAY!! i guess......
 
http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2008/787/6479/
http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2008/787/6480/
http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2008/787/6481/

Based on fasted lap,
1:26.461 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
1:26.948 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
1:26.958 Felipe Massa Ferrari
1:27.114 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes

1:26.559 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
1:27.473 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
1:27.640 Felipe Massa Ferrari
1:27.683 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes

1:25.613 Robert Kubica BMW
1:25.950 Nick Heidfeld BMW
1:26.082 Fernando Alonso Renault
1:26.171 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota


Wow, what a Qualifying. Look like BMW is doing really well.
1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
2. Robert Kubica BMW
3. Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari
5. Nick Heidfeld BMW
6. Jarno Trulli Toyota

Lewis Hamilton is incredible. He is like Tiger Woods , and Micheal Jordan.
What happen to Ferrari ?
 
I was quite surprised too. Looks like BMW has been sandbagging all this while! Keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow's race. Some of us are catching the race tomorrow at Bernard's @ Centrepont, Bandar Utama at 12.00 noon. Y'all are free to join us.
 
Check out what Robert Kubica had to say about his qualifying:-

Q: Robert, congratulations to you too. For some unbelievable slides too. What a spectacular lap that was. Talk us through that quickest lap of yours.
Robert KUBICA: For sure, I think a made a mistake in the corner of turn 12 where I went off over the artificial grass and lost more than a couple-of-tenths there. But you know this is the new style. We know we can make some good results in qualifying and I took quite a lot of risk which in the end didn’t pay off because I lost more and I could maybe stay in front of Lewis but, anyway, I think it is a great achievement for the whole team especially that the beginning of the season, the beginning of testing, was quite hard for the people who have designed this car and built this car. But we have done a very good job. All the people in Munich and Hinwil have worked very hard to be here and thanks to them I am here.
 
Impressive!!!Im quite surprised too with this qualifying round. They sandbagged its way through their winter test period. This is amazing though. I hope they can get a podium finish tomorrow. Fingers crossed man!! Go! Go! BMW Sauber! :top:
 
What a race! I'm happy with BMW Sauber's 2nd position finish but would rather it be achieved by dogfight rather than lucky strategy. It pisses me off though that Nakajima who took out Kubica would only be penalised at the next race while retaining 3 points for Williams in the Aussie GP. This resulted in Williams being 1 point ahead of BMW Sauber in the Constructors' Points!
 
Now they finally have a competitive car.

And drivers who know how to drive w/o TC.

Should be an interesting season.
 
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