Zoom BMW not giving up on the F1.09

The BMW Sauber F1.09 is clearly not a podium contender this season, the result of the sweeping changes to the technical regulations which came into effect this year – changes for which the team did not have the correct answer amid speculation that too much time and effort were spent on the now-abandoned KERS.

After nine races, Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica have recorded a grand total of eight points for their team, failing to score on six occasions. Heidfeld took points at three races while Kubica did so only once, leaving BMW Sauber in eighth position in the constructors' championship.

Now that the season's midpoint has been reached, and in view of the large performance gap between the team and its many rivals, it could easily be expected that BMW will reduce development work on this year's car in order to focus on the next model instead.

However that will not be the case, insists BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen: "We are already working on a new car, but it makes absolutely no sense to stop developing this car."

"Firstly, there are no dramatic changes to regulations regarding aerodynamics. This means that everything we learn from what is still a new concept can be carried over to next year," Theissen pointed out.

"Secondly, there is a ban on testing. If we stop developing this car in order to concentrate on the new one, then we can only develop behind closed doors," he added, referring to factory-based simulations and wind tunnel work.

The people at BMW Sauber obviously know that any chance of a Grand Prix victory this year is very slim indeed - let's say impossible - leaving podium results the only somewhat realistic goal to attain before the 2009 championship is complete.

The team therefore greatly need to build strongly on whatever they can learn this year in order to prepare a much better 2010 campaign.

"It makes sense to continue to further develop this car as much as possible," Theissen said. "The race weekends are our only tests, so we must use these opportunities."

Daniel BASTIEN
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