BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen reviews the 2007 season and looks
ahead to the future
Q: How would you rate the BMW Sauber F1 Team's second season?
 |
|
BMW Sauber F1 Team group picture. Photo by xpb.cc.
|
 |
Mario Theissen: It was a strong season at the end of which we
even managed to crack the 100 points barrier. We went into the season
having finished fifth in the World Championship on 36 points in our
debut year. We set ourselves the goal of fourth place and a much bigger
points total this year, so third was a great bonus. The powers that be
then promoted us even further, but it is a pretty empty second place in
our eyes. After all, we're well aware that four cars have been faster
than us, and we want to beat them on the track, not in the corridors
of power.
It was surprising that we were the third-best team from the
outset and were able to reinforce this position in practically every
race. On occasions we were even able to break into the territory of the
two leading teams, meaning that we recorded the podium positions we were
aiming for on merit. To sum up, we can be proud of what we have achieved
-- both as far as our development work over the winter is concerned and
in terms of our pace of development during the course of the season. We
have managed to meet our targets in both of our development years so
far, so the engineers can see that our ideas are working. That breeds
confidence in our strategy, and as a result they can see that we are
heading in the right direction.
Q: What were the highlights of 2007 for you?
MT: For me the highlight of the season was Montreal. Nick's
second place gave the team its best result so far. And the fact that
Robert was able to emerge from his crash practically unhurt was a great
advert for the strength and outstanding construction of the car. When
you look at it this way, the weekend felt like a victory on two fronts
for the team.
Q: Were there also some low points?
MT: Yes, there were a few of those as well -- most significantly
the shock that went through us all when Robert had that accident in
Montreal. We had an agonizing few minutes before we received the welcome
news that he was practically uninjured. Other, less dramatic, low points
were the retirements due to technical problems. You can never rule out
these kinds of issues entirely, but it hurts the whole team when one
of the drivers takes nothing away from a race on Sunday, because they
have received no reward for all their hard work. Having said that, we
finished in the points in every race this season, which meant we didn't
go away from any of the 17 race weekends empty-handed.
Q: Where have you seen the greatest progress since 2006?
MT: In 2006 we still had a weakness on low-speed circuits, but
that was no longer the case in 2007.
Q: Were you happy with the performances of your drivers?
MT: Yes, Nick and Robert were very impressive on and off the
track and we will, therefore, be sticking with both drivers for next
year. That is something we were agreed on very early in the season. We
extended Robert's contract with the team after his serious accident in
Canada -- even before he had got back into a car. We had also reached
agreement with Nick at an early stage, and that allowed us to sort out
the contractual formalities calmly during the course of the season.
Q: In what areas does the team have most work to do in order to bridge
the gap to the leading teams?
MT: Improvements can always be made across the board, but the
greatest scope for progress clearly lies in aerodynamics. It's not a
question of eliminating a specific weakness for 2008, but of finding the
extra three to five percent in all areas which can bring us up to the
level of the top teams. It's really a matter of fine-tuning -- evolution
rather than revolution.
Q: Is the team's development phase now completed?
MT: That will be the case at the turn of the year, as planned.
We now have 420 employees on board in Hinwil, while the workforce in
Munich remains unchanged at just under 300. The move into the extension
at Hinwil is in full swing.
Q: Did the further enlargement of the team make life difficult during
the season?
MT: 275 people were employed in Hinwil when we acquired the
majority stake in Sauber. It was a great feat to integrate the new
people into the team during the course of the season and with the
development of next year's car already underway. Added to which, it is
more pleasant for everybody to be working in a permanent office rather
than a temporary portacabin.
Q: To what extent are you still directly involved in technical
development?
MT: I keep myself regularly informed on all development
processes. We have regular meetings and I also talk with the engineers
on the shop floor, so to speak. The decision on which direction to take
with our development work is made by Willy Rampf and Markus Duesmann. If
we are not sure which way to go on a particular issue, then I will be
involved in the decision-making process as well. I see myself primarily
as a coach, setting targets, making sure the necessary elements are in
place and giving direction.
Q: When did the technicians begin work on the 2008 car?
MT: The design process got underway in May 2007. We had secured
our third place in the constructors. championship as early as midway
through the season. Catching the two teams ahead of us in the points
was unrealistic by that point, and we had a comfortable cushion to
those below us in the standings. This meant we could shift the focus
of development to 2008 at an early stage. We completed the further
development of the F1.07 at the Jerez test in mid-September and
subsequently switched our attentions to 2008.
Q: BMW is a leader in the area of electronics. What do you think of the
introduction of a standard ECU?
MT: We voiced various objections to the introduction of standard
electronics. The process of converting cars, engines, gearboxes and,
indeed, test rigs has generated considerable extra costs. And there is
an even more important argument against the standard ECU going forward.
Nowadays not just the car as a whole, but every single technical system
is equipped with complex control electronics tailored specifically to
the function of that particular system. The electronics represent the
nerve centre, without which the system would only be capable of limited
functionality or would not be able to function at all.
Our aim is to
make Formula One a pioneer in drive technology for the series-produced
road cars of the future. Looking further ahead, a system is under
development which regenerates energy under braking, stores that energy
and, when the driver accelerates, puts it back on tap alongside the
power from the combustion engine. Highly sensitive control electronics
are required to coordinate these processes efficiently and ensure
driving safety under all circumstances. So tailored electronics are
essential if we really want to develop the potential of this system, for
example.
Q: The success the team enjoyed in 2007 has increased the weight of
expectation for the 2008 season -- how do you deal with that?
MT: It is natural that expectations increase the more successful
you become. That brings pressure from the outside, of course, but also
raises the standards we set ourselves. The end of this season has seen
us wrapping up the development phase of the BMW Sauber F1 Team. This
phase has run according to plan and has seen us make it into the top
three in a short space of time. Next year we will be looking to record
our first win. We know that this will not happen automatically. The
great progress we have made this year, in particular, has shown that we
have got the direction of our development work and our working processes
spot on. Motivation within the team is extremely high as a result.
Q: Next year there will be 18 races on the calendar, one more than this
season. In the future that number may rise to as many as 20 grands prix.
What do you think of these plans?
MT: 20 races is a lot and will place a heavy burden on the whole
team, especially those who travel to the races and tests, and are
therefore often away from home. However, this is something we can live
with. At the end of the day, we put a huge amount of resources into
racing in Formula One. And if we do end up with another two races on the
programme, it will mean that these resources are actually being used
more efficiently. Having said that, we do need to think about how we
organise such a packed season and, from a logistics point of view, how
the travelling schedule can be structured as efficiently as possible.
Q: How would you like to see the Formula One calendar shape up in the
future?
MT: There should be a mixture of tradition and the future. The
fact is that Formula One still needs a European core, with historical
race tracks like Monza, Silverstone, Spa and the Nürburgring. And that
has not been seriously called into question. However, you also have
to ask yourself where the greatest opportunities lie for Formula One.
The answer is in the rapidly developing new markets, primarily Asia of
course. There is a vast amount of potential waiting to be unlocked in
these countries, and if Formula One can put down roots there it will
secure its status as the blue-riband category of motor racing into the
future.
Q: Who is going to be your test driver for 2008?
MT: We will shortly be giving some young drivers the chance to
test for us and then we will decide. Timo Glock, at any rate, will not
be driving for the BMW Sauber F1 Team next year. We invited him to be
our test driver, but he has been offered a race seat by another team.
We wish Timo every success for his career in Formula One. He is one of
the highly promising drivers to have come out of Formula BMW with good
future prospects and we are confident that he will establish himself in
Formula One. I don't want to exclude the possibility that we might be
working together again some time in the future.
-credit: bmw sauber
