BMW Sauber F1 Team - Bahrain Grand Prix - Preview
Bahrain Grand Prix
13th - 15th April 2007
3rd of 17 World Championship Rounds
Only one week after the Malaysian Grand Prix the World Championship holds its third round, the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 15. In Manama the first overseas group of races of the season comes to an end. In May the first stop in Europe is in Barcelona.
Nick Heidfeld:
“The track lay-out and all the facilities in Bahrain are nice. The fact the circuit lies in the middle of the desert makes it somewhat special. If it is windy the track becomes very sandy, and this has an influence on our driving because it means loss of grip and it is also hard on the machinery. This year almost every team has current data from Bahrain because we had this double test at the end of February.
“Besides this, it is always something unusual for us to see the locals in their long robes and the veiled women. However, I generally like something out of the ordinary.”
Robert Kubica:
“The Bahrain race in 2006 was my first outing during a GP weekend as a Friday driver. It was a really great feeling. There was little grip on the circuit, especially because of the sand blown in on the desert wind, but the circuit is certainly easier with the V8 engines than it used to be with the V10s. Now you can take two or three of the corners flat out. With new tyres and reduced grip, however, the 2007 race promises to bring new challenges. Overall Bahrain is a really nice circuit and I recently had two very productive days of testing there.”
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
“After a strong start to the season in Australia and the hot race in Malaysia, in Bahrain the first overseas journey of the season comes to an end. We want to take a positive result with us back home to Europe.
“For years BMW has had an association with Bahrain. Part of the Kingdom’s state of the art facility is the BMW Performance Center, with the BMW Driver Training and the Formula BMW Racing Drivers’ School. For BMW especially, as a premium car manufacturer, the region is of high interest.
“In Bahrain our race drivers, Nick and Robert, will take part in all free practice sessions. Sebastian Vettel has his debut on the same weekend in the World Series in Monza. Timo Glock, our second test driver, also goes racing that weekend for the first time in 2007. He will compete in the GP2 race in Bahrain.”
Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
“After most of the teams took part in the pre-season test in Bahrain, we have a solid basis for the set-up of the car. Because of the sand on the track, the tyre use can be pretty high. As regards the aerodynamics, we have to make a compromise - in the slow corners high downforce would be ideal, but at the same time you have the long and wide straights where the drivers need a high top speed for overtaking. I expect we should be able to strengthen our position as the third force in Formula One.”
History and background:
The desert state of Bahrain will see its fourth Formula One Grand Prix this year. The state of the art circuit is located to the south of the capital Manama and belongs to the city area of Sakhir. The extensive complex of the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) covers an area of 170 hectares and was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke. It has five circuit variants, the longest being the GP course at 5.412 km.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has been an Arab Emirate since gaining independence from the British in 1971. With a geographical area of 665 square kilometres, the country is spread across 36 islands off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The capital city of Manama is on the main island (578 square kilometres).
Oil has been pumped in Bahrain since 1932, but resources are dwindling. The processing industry as well as rich gas fields and international banking have taken on a growing economic role.
