Friday: BMW struggling with its tires

The day had started well for BMW-Sauber since Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in the first practice session. The second session fell far short of expectations as both drivers found themselves at the back of the grid.

The suffocating heat seems to particularly affect the F1.09 in terms of adapting the tires to the car setup. The Polish driver also has to manage a KERS system he is less familiar with than his teammate. The team therefore has work to do tonight to prepare for tomorrow’s qualifications. The goal is to secure the best possible position since the gaps on the track are very tight.

Nick Heidfeld – 2nd and 20th:

« Of course, the morning session was better than the afternoon one. The difference in balance between the Soft and Medium tires is quite significant, making the car very difficult to drive. I also had a lack of stability under braking and the track didn’t have much grip, but that’s quite normal for a Friday in Bahrain. We will now look into all the data collected and see what we can do tomorrow. »

Robert Kubica – 3rd and 17th:

« It was a typical Friday for us. We compared tire compounds and worked on the car’s balance. Additionally, we evaluated a setup involving KERS, which poses a challenge with such high temperatures. We will now analyze the data and try to improve for tomorrow. »

Willy Rampf – Chief Engineer

« We finished our Friday program without any issues. As usual, we focused on race preparation, tire comparison, and adapting to KERS. The data will be analyzed. Last year, the difference between the first and last in a practice session was around 4.3 seconds; today, it’s only 1.4 seconds! So, we can expect very tight qualifying tomorrow. »