Zoom Tricky conditions prevailed in the 2007 event

Following the night race in Singapore –as glamorous as the BMW Sauber team’s points haul was modest, Formula One now heads for the Japanese Alps to race at the foot of the sacred volcano of Mount Fuji. There are still three races on the agenda, including the Japanese Grand Prix on 12th October.

Rarely has a season proved as diverse and unpredictable as this one. The battle for the top places in the World Championship rankings is about to enter its decisive phase.

Robert Kubica is third in the championship with 64 points with Nick Heidfeld fifth on 56 points. BMW Sauber is a safe third in the constructors' championship with 120 points, 14 behind Ferrari and 15 behind McLaren.

Robert Kubica
"This season we go to Fuji for the second year in a row. I guess everybody remembers last year’s Japanese Grand Prix as the weather conditions were crazy. It was extremely wet and visibility was poor. From a driver’s perspective the track is very interesting. There are some challenging corners with different radii and also some blind corners. Under dry conditions it was very enjoyable to drive, although the last sector is quite slow as there are a lot of tight corners."

"As always in Japan, I think the fans will bring a unique atmosphere to the Formula One track. Usually they come to the track early in the morning and leave it after us. "

Nick Heidfeld
"Firstly, I’m hoping Fuji won’t bring the kind of torrential rain we had in 2007. Basically I enjoy driving in the rain, but with last year’s deluge it was just impossible. Visibility was zero, which led to a number of collisions. Somebody drove into my car as well and damaged it. Even so, shortly before the end I was in sixth place, but then an engine problem put me out of the race. “It’s a fun circuit. There are lots of uphill and downhill gradients and several blind corners. But I’m a bit hard on it as Suzuka was always my favourite GP track. One feature of the Fuji circuit that stands out is its extremely long straight."

"It’s a beautiful landscape, and the road from the hotel to the track could serve as an excellent rally special stage. I hope Mount Fuji is going to show its face again. Overall there doesn’t seem to be much going on in the area, but that’s fine after all the hustle and bustle of Singapore."

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
"The spectacular night-race premiere in Singapore is over. For the next two races we will be stopping off in Asia as well, first in Japan and just a week later in China. Some team members flew back to Munich and Hinwil from Singapore, while others stayed on in Asia for a few days’ relaxation. Others, in turn, are travelling to South Korea, where Nick will be doing some demo drives with the Formula One car on Saturday and Sunday."