BMW Sauber Preparing for Monaco Grand Prix
As the Monaco Grand Prix approaches, Formula One teams are already making their preparations for the most prestigious Formula One race. The fifth race of the 2007 Formula One season is scheduled to be held at the Circuit de Monaco on May 27 One of the teams bid for the top spot, the BMW Sauber, although they are currently behind McLaren and Ferrari teams. The team has so far four fourth place finishes were in the four races this season with Nick Heidfeld recording of the first three quarters place team finishes at the Australian, Malaysian and Bahrain Grand Prix. At the Spanish Grand Prix, it was his teammate, Robert Kubica, who secured the fourth place finish behind Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who both McLaren. For the Grand Prix of Monaco, the smallest track in every race this season, is said to power a car is not enough to get a victory. Skills and the set up of the car play an important role in the outcome of the race. That is why BMW Sauber at the efforts to get the car to prepare for the demands of the track in Monaco. Willy Rampf, technical director of the team, said traction plays an important role in the race due to the nature of the course. He said: "Monaco is a track you just can not compare with another. It’s always some surprises in store. The latest team rankings can easily be shaken here. Maximum downforce is important. More downward pressure takes precedence over efficiency and coming out of the many slow corners require good traction above all. "Knowing the requirement that the track will ask the Formula One cars on race day, BMW Sauber has already made significant changes to their cars to give them better traction. "It is crucial that the car responds with absolute precision and predictability, because the smallest of errors means hitting the guardrails and the end of the race. The car will go to Monaco with aerodynamic modifications, and we are using a front axle specially developed just for this race to ensure that enough steering angle in the tight corners, like the former Loews Corner "explains Rampf . In addition to preparing the cars for maximum traction, the team includes time spent in the gearbox problem that prevented Heidfeld finish the Spanish Grand Prix problems. "We managed to get to the bottom of the gearbox problem in Nick’s F1.07 in Barcelona to get to the race day was over, and corrective measures have been used during the test in Paul Ricard," said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen . "We also worked through the failed-up Nick’s pit stop and the lessons learned for future incidents." Meanwhile, team owner Peter Sauber has this to say about the pit stop incident: "Obviously it’s a shame that Nick unhappy. If you take the time to analyze the pit stop, but we must admit that these things can happen. Unfortunately we can not change. "Sauber was already excited by the performance demonstrated by the young driver Robert Kubica. The driver is the first pole for a Formula One car and drive to the Spanish Grand Prix, he certainly shows why he deserves that distinction. Sauber has this to say about the performance of the team so far and their four quarters instead: "It would be great if it remained this way. At the start of the season, we did not expect to be able to four races in fourth place. McLaren and Ferrari, the two teams we have four drivers between them, so you always have to leave behind one of them. "For his part, Kubica is focused on the task at hand and shares his thoughts on the most prestigious race of the season. "From the perspective of a driver’s view of the Grand Prix of Monaco is really something special in the Formula One calendar," says the young driver. "There is very little room for error and you are driving on the limit almost all the time. You can not afford to slip up on these narrow streets. I’ve raced in Monte Carlo in the World Series by Renault, but this year will be an experience for me to appear for the first time in a Formula One race. In 2006 I drove on Friday to the doctor, but not very much because of technical problems. "He also echoed Rampf thoughts on the importance of traction in the next race. "For the first time since the start of the season in Melbourne, high downforce is needed again, and that’s one reason why I look forward to Monaco. It is a real challenge and I can not wait to see how well we do. In the past I have always managed all right on the street circuits. "Meanwhile, Nick Heidfeld, whose car suffered from a gearbox problem, is looking forward to continue what he started the season at the Monaco Grand Prix. "The ratio of narrowness to accelerate just indescribable, and it is something I really enjoy," he said. "Two years ago I came second in Monaco. Last year we had a mistake in qualifying, which meant I started from the 16th, but still managed to get two points for the championship by finishing seventh. It goes to show that the most important thing in Monaco is not any errors. "His car gearbox may have failed in the Spanish Grand Prix, but to other components such as the BMW coil springs and other suspension parts are not shaken. These components are important for maintaining good traction.
Tags: Alonso, BMW, Cars, Drivers, Hamilton, Kubica, Mclaren, sport, Team