Zoom After Monaco, the only way is up for Kubica and BMW

After showing well and aiming for second position in Australia before being eliminated by Sebastian Vettel, BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica has yet to score after six rounds of the championship.

While rival teams quickly introduced double diffuser packages as long ago as the Spanish Grand Prix following the green light from the FIA, the Hinwil-based team has been unable to run the previously controversial component until this weekend in Turkey.

Having dropped KERS from the F1.09 package in Monaco, both Kubica and team-mate Nick Heidfeld struggled massively in qualifying and were never a factor in the main race itself. Kubica is hoping for better this Sunday with the latest aero developments.

"I think how to be better than Monaco," said the deadpan Pole. "I think this will be easy. Now we have to see how much gain the double diffuser will bring and how our performance will be better than in the last races. In Barcelona it was not so bad. Unfortunately in two very important moments of the weekend we had two problems. But Monaco was quite difficult. I am expecting, of course, better performance but I don’t know how much. "

Kubica explained that the reason for not running KERS this weekend is down to the new aero package on the BMW Sauber.

“As we have the double diffuser we have to concentrate on it,” he continued. “It can have quite a big influence on the car balance and on the set-up, so we have to work as much as possible on this tomorrow and try to extract the maximum from it. I think this track will fit our car better and I hope the double diffuser will bring the expected results and we will at least be able to qualify in Q3. But it is very difficult to predict, so we will have to wait and see.”

The team are eighth in the constructors’ championship with six points.

Earl ALEXANDER
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