Saturday: BMW drivers discontent with honorable positions!

Strange reaction from Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica who might have been expecting even more from this qualifying session at the Singapore Grand Prix. After very good practice sessions earlier in the evening in the Asian megacity, the drivers achieved the 8th and 9th fastest times in the session and even benefited from Rubens Barrichello’s penalty to move up a place on the starting grid.

Irony of fate, the BMW drivers would have preferred that the Brazilian not be involved in an accident because they believe they could have performed better with their last set of tires. It’s still a good result considering the season BMW-Sauber has had!

Nick Heidfeld – 6th and 7th (8th time):

« Although it may seem pleasant to be in the top ten because we had worse results this season, I am really disappointed. The car improved and everything seemed to go well in Q1 and Q2. But in Q3 I couldn’t use the advantage of the soft tires due to the red flag. I had just started my fast lap and from the first corners, it was clear to me that it would be a huge improvement. But as everyone knows, Rubens Barrichello crashed into the wall and the session was stopped. It would have been better to use the soft tires earlier, but of course, you don’t want to sacrifice the advantage you have on the track in the last minutes of the session. It’s bad luck. »

Robert Kubica – 5th and 8th (9th time):

« Of course, our performance in qualifying was influenced by the red flag caused by Rubens Barrichello’s accident. I think most drivers are in a similar situation. We used the hardest tires in our first qualifying stint. It cost us a lot of lap time. The tires were about two-tenths slower in the first two corners compared to the softer compound. It will be a very difficult race tomorrow. The track is very reactive. It requires a lot of traction and braking stability. Physically, the circuit is very demanding because there are a lot of corners, and you are constantly fighting with the car. Tomorrow, the race could be decided on tire degradation and possible overheating. »

Mario Theissen – BMW Motorsport Director:

« The qualifying sessions brought some surprises. In Q1 with 20 cars on the track, it was difficult to complete a lap without traffic. Both our drivers only managed to complete their laps at the right moment to progress. Then, in Q2 and Q3, it was anything but easy. The positions five to ten were decided by mere fractions of a second. In Q3, we saved our last set of soft tires for the race. Today we are one of the three teams with both cars in the top ten. For us, it was only the second time this season that we achieved this. It confirms the positive trend and the work we are doing in new developments. »