Brazil GP: Final Stretch for BMW-Sauber Before Their Withdrawal

The BMW-Sauber team experienced more lows than highs in the year 2009. Completely out of the loop with the new regulations, it took a great deal of work for the team to score a few points since the summer. Another major piece of news, BMW decided to withdraw from Formula 1 after the last Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

However, the drivers are not giving up because Robert Kubica is the new Renault driver and Nick Heidfeld still scores some points in the races. Nevertheless, a final push will be needed after two slightly more restrained races (Singapore and Suzuka).

Robert Kubica – Racing Driver

« Brazil has been the end-of-season meeting place over the past years. With Abu Dhabi new to the calendar, the situation is different this year. The Interlagos track is very enjoyable to drive, especially Sector 1 with the first three turns which are very challenging. Turn 1 is taken blindly, making it difficult to find the ideal braking point. The last sector climbs a huge hill and consists of several left turns. In Brazil, we race counterclockwise, which is physically tough because we are used to driving the other way. If it rains at Interlagos, the Grand Prix will be very tricky, as there’s a lot of standing water on the track. So I hope the weather will be nice. »

Nick Heidfeld – Race Car Driver

« Interlagos is a fantastic track because you drive counterclockwise, which puts real pressure on the neck muscles. The circuit is full of bumps. After modifying the track surface before the 2007 edition, which made a huge difference by the way, in 2008, the layout wasn’t as good. I will be interested to see what condition it is in. Over the past two years, we’ve had suspenseful finishes in the championship. In 2009, that could happen again even though Brazil is no longer the last race of the season. I am looking forward to seeing Felipe (Massa) back in the paddocks. »

Mario Theissen – Director of BMW Motorsport:

« It’s the home stretch of the 2009 edition of the Formula 1 championship. Brazil is another traditional circuit on the calendar, while the last race will be in Abu Dhabi, a new playground. If in 2008, BMW-Sauber was in the running for both world championship titles until the penultimate race of the season, in 2009, we just wish to score as many points as possible. The results in the last Grand Prix races show that our development work is paying off: We have been in the points for five consecutive races. Nevertheless, in Singapore and Japan, our potential was no longer present. Interlagos is at about 800 meters above sea level. Due to the atmospheric pressure, all engines will lose about 8% of their capacity. This somewhat reduces engine wear. »