Singapore GP: An updated single-seater for BMW

The news is recent, but BMW-Sauber has been bought by a Swiss company. The team can now breathe a little, and the drivers can look to the future with optimism even if they are not sure of staying with the team. In any case, there are four races left this season to enjoy and try to climb a few positions in the two championships.

Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld arrive at a track they greatly appreciate. They even talk about it as the highlight of the season because the Grand Prix has a special flavor. A night race, an urban circuit that delights the Pole, a raucous crowd, a festive atmosphere—these are all elements that make up the recipe for success. Finally, from a technical standpoint, the F1.09 will be different from Monza (Italy) as BMW is implementing their last major update of the season.

Robert Kubica – Racing Driver

« I am very excited about the Singapore Grand Prix. Everyone knows I am a big fan of street circuits. The track is very challenging, especially the last sector which is very twisty, with lots of turns. Since the circuit is not permanent, the grip level is very low at the beginning of the weekend but increases day by day. The drivers and engineers have to anticipate the constantly evolving grip level of the track. The team will bring a major update to Singapore. I hope our car will be more competitive and that we will be able to surprise the competition with our pace. Last year, the surface was very bumpy, maybe a bit too bumpy in some places. Before the first night practice session, there were a lot of concerns about visibility. In fact, I was very surprised by the exceptional brightness. »

Nick Heidfeld – Racing Driver

I’m looking forward to the race in Singapore in a few weeks because I know we have some updates for the weekend. Our simulation work has been very promising and the car should be competitive. As I found out last year, it’s practically impossible to overtake in Singapore. After a penalty, I had to start from ninth on the grid instead of sixth and even though I had the speed, finishing sixth was the best I could hope for. Grid position is crucial in Singapore just like in Monaco. Last year, the unique nature of this GP and the atmosphere around the weekend was the highlight of the season for me. It was something new and truly exciting for everyone. It was wonderful to see the TV images and photos. It wasn’t difficult for me to stay on the European time schedule. It’s a bit strange to find the whole team still around until three in the morning to keep the body clock adjusted.

Mario Theissen – Director of BMW Motorsport:

The first night race in Formula 1 history in 2008 was a fascinating event and generated spectacular images and an electric atmosphere. Indeed, from an ambience point of view, I would say that the Singapore Grand Prix was the highlight of the season. The feeling all around this GP was unprecedented. We are delighted with the significant revisions made to our car. The cause of our engine problems in qualifying at Monza is a quality issue with the valve systems, which means you cannot reuse one of these engines. Both drivers used their Spa engines for the Monza race, leaving them with a new engine plus those used since the start of the season for the last four races. The key question now is whether this will be enough. If not, we will be forced to use a ninth engine and take a ten-place grid penalty as a sanction.