BMW Motorsport - Formula One Season Review 2006
Season 2006 in review | On the right track.
Munich/Hinwil, 22nd October 2006.

16 months to the day after BMW announced a major shift in its Formula One involvement – the Munich company disclosed its takeover of the majority stake in Sauber on 22nd June 2005 – the first season with a BMW led team is already history. As its maiden year in motor sport's top-echelon event draws to a close, the new BMW Sauber F1 Team can report a positive final outcome.
The German-Swiss team finished fifth in the constructors' championship.
In the duel with Toyota, the BMW Sauber F1 Team managed to secure
a narrow 36 : 35 victory. In the season's 18 races, Mönchengladbach driver
Nick Heidfeld made it into the points ten times, collecting a tally of 23
and finishing ninth in the drivers' championship. Robert Kubica of Poland, who
replaced Jacques Villeneuve (7 points) from round 13 on, contributed six
points and finished 16th. Heidfeld secured the first podium place of the season
in Budapest when he crossed the finishing line in third place. Kubica likewise
came third at Monza in only his third Formula One GP.
The BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers made the third round of qualifying
19 times in all. Jointly they got into the top ten qualifying seven times.
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen draws a commensurately positive
conclusion: "All in all, this is more than the motor sport world could have expected
of a newly established team. But far more important than that is the fact we
managed to make steady progress throughout the season and narrowed the gap
to the competition. The grand prix stage is gradually revealing all the hard graft
and determined effort that go on behind the scenes."
A car for winter testing was already up and running in 2005, strong partners
were welcomed on board and the wind tunnel has been on a two-shift
operation since the start of the season. That is ramped up to three shifts at the
end of October, ahead of schedule. The expansion of the team base in
Hinwil is making good progress. Of 150 planned new workplaces, two thirds
have already been taken up. The new building in Switzerland is underway
with completion expected by the end of 2007. That will also conclude the twoyear
development period for the team, which will have come into its full
strength. "We are on a good path", Theissen is convinced.
BMW Sauber F1 Team

Interview with BMW Motorsport Director
Mario Theissen.
What is your verdict on the BMW Sauber F1 Team's debut season?
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen: "We've exceeded our expectations
with what we've achieved. In our first year we made it onto the podium
twice, and that wasn't necessarily to be expected. But far more important was
the way we consistently improved our performance throughout the season,
and that shows we are on the right track. But we'll only be happy when we
close the gap on the top teams."
What were the highlights of the season for you?
Theissen: "We've made a lot of progress. We already had a car up and running
last year for winter testing, we added extra reinforcements on the personnel
front and we got the wind tunnel working on a two-shift system. Indeed, we're
on course to introduce a third shift by the end of October, which puts us ahead
of schedule. A lot of work has gone into turning these plans into reality, but
this has all taken place away from the public eye. From an outside perspective,
the podium finishes would most probably represent the highlights of
the season. What makes me even happier, though, is that the new team has
become stronger in relation to the competition over the course of a
season, rather than dropping back. And that's the best possible evidence
that the measures I've mentioned so far have been taking effect."
And what about the low points?
Theissen: "Those came in the races where we were looking strong going into
the GP, but were then taken out of the race by collisions or accidents.
That's what happened in Indianapolis, Istanbul und Shanghai, and incidents
like these cost us a heap of points. Of course, it isn't great either when
you have to retire with technical problems or the car just isn't quick enough on
a particular circuit. Those are the sort of setbacks which you can learn
from and which give you pointers for the further development of the cars."
What were the team's greatest strengths?
Theissen: "There are many areas I could single out here. Back in 2005
the management needed to put forward an outline plan for the next few years.
Then, over the winter we were able to hook up with some strong partners
which gave the young team the necessary expertise and budget background.
As the season progressed, an extremely promising driver line-up took shape.
And ultimately we were able to see the first fruits of the work which had begun
a year earlier behind the scenes in terms of results out on the track."
BMW Sauber F1 Team

And where do improvements still need to be made?
Theissen: "We are only mid-way through a two-year plan aimed at matching
the power of the leading teams. As things stand we are not yet at that level in
terms of development. That applies to both our speed of development and the
number of projects we have running. With all the necessary people on board
and the factory completed, we'll be able to close this gap by the end of 2007."
Did you ever have any doubts about the decision to form this new team?
Theissen: "No."
How is the building work in Hinwil progressing?
Theissen: "At the moment there's a big gap between the existing factory
and the wind tunnel. Work on the new building will get underway in the next
few weeks and it should be ready to move into by the end of 2007."
How many new team members have you recruited – and how many
more are you still looking for?
Theissen: "So far we've managed to integrate 100 of the 150 new people we
had in mind into the team, which means we're on schedule."
When did work begin on the BMW Sauber F1.07?
Theissen: "We came up with the initial ideas for the new car in May 2006,
and the aerodynamics department in Hinwil has been concentrating on
development work for next year's F1.07 since August. The bulk of the design
work began in Hinwil in September."
Looking back, how would you assess the switch to V8 engines?
Theissen: "There was not enough time to prepare for the switchover.
All the manufacturers suffered reliability problems in the first half of the season
because development work spilled over into the season. The transfer is now
complete and, in terms of reliability and specific power output, the V8 engines
have reached the level of the V10s."
Are you happy with the engine you have submitted to the FIA for homologation?
Theissen: "Yes, over the second half of the season the engineers in
Munich managed to hit on a good combination of power and reliability,
which should stand us in good stead for the next few years."

Is BMW reaping greater rewards as a company from the Formula One
project by virtue of having its own team?
Theissen: "We have always seen Formula One not only as a marketing
platform but also as a technology accelerator within the company – more so than
any other team. Up to 2005 we had mainly focused on engine technology
and electronics, but in the new team we're also looking at all the other areas,
especially aerodynamics. Here as well, there will be a close interaction
between the Formula One activities and road car development."
What will the BMW Sauber F1 Team driver line-up be for 2007?
Theissen: "We will go into 2007 with Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica as our
race drivers.19-year-old Sebastian Vettel has been promoted as the team's
regular test driver." How do you rate the three drivers?
Theissen: "We are very happy with our drivers and can look forward to the
future optimistically in this regard. Nick is the experienced figure in the team,
both as far as his career in Formula One is concerned and in terms of his
relationship with the team. He has driven for Sauber in the past and will be
lining up for his third season for BMW in 2007. And so he's very familiar with
the team and its way of working. Nick put in a number of strong performances
in the season just gone, especially in the wet. He collected the majority of the
team's points, which took us up from eighth in the constructors' standings last
year to fifth place in 2006. Robert was something of an unknown quantity
when he was named as our test driver less than a year ago at the age of 21.
He was impressive from day one, though, both in testing and during Friday
practice, and earned his reward of a race seat in Budapest. He then went on to
justify this promotion with a podium finish in only his third grand prix.
His performances convinced us to confirm him as one of our race drivers for
2007. Robert's promotion saw an even younger driver knocking at the
door. 19-year-old Sebastian Vettel started out in motor sport at the age of six
and has enjoyed huge success in junior categories of motor racing. He had
no more than a few kilometres of testing in a Formula One car under his belt
prior to his first outing on an F1 race weekend. However, that didn't stop
him from immediately taking up where Robert had left off in Friday practice.
And that applies not only to his lap times, but also his set-up work with
the team. The way he's stepped up to the challenge gave us all the reasons
we needed to confirm him as our test driver for next season."

Season's soundbites.
"It's still quite an unfamiliar experience for our team to be cheering our own driver during the podium ceremony. But it's a great feeling!" (Theissen in Monza) "I can't imagine the writer was having his readers on, so I guess somebody was having the writer on." (Theissen on an article in August claiming that Ralf Schumacher was going to switch to BMW) "A few years ago in Indy an usher at the gate looked at my pass and asked me if every team had its own doctor." (Theissen on his experiences in the land of unlimited opportunities) "I really don't like the feeling you're in the wrong film. So I prefer to concentrate on real life." (Theissen) "Early morning exercise is not a duty but pure pleasure. And you shouldn't deny pleasure to anyone." (Sports fan Theissen) "With a fasting monk." (Theissen when asked who he would definitely not want to dine with) "If there's a crack in the plate." (Theissen when asked what he would forgive any chef) "If the plate is empty." (Theissen when asked what sins he would never forgive the chef) "On Sunday I can tell you the winning lottery numbers." (Willy Rampf on people who claim to know after the race which would have been the best strategy) "Nothing comes to mind immediately." (Rampf after the race in Monza when asked in what way Kubica could improve) "Our catering!" (Rampf when asked what was the best thing about Formula One) "He's taller than 1.80 metres. They didn't tell me the truth." (Peter Sauber's first impression of Kubica) BMW Sauber F1 Team

"I can still remember drivers who would have preferred just one button on the steering wheel – to sound the horn." (Sauber on drivers who are marginally technophobic) "Anyone who claims they could have foreseen back then the way things would develop is telling fibs." (Sauber on Michael Schumacher's first tests in the Sauber-Mercedes sports racer early in 1990) "He was very surprised he didn't have to share the hotel room with a team-mate." (Sauber on the same test) "I wasn't into cars at all." (Sauber on the beginnings of his career) "It's a unique mix of sport, high-tech and circus." (Sauber on the success of Formula One) "It gets my heart rate up." (Sauber on watching Formula One on television) "It was very touching. I wasn't expecting it at all. A lot of these things are done just for the media, but it was simply a very nice gesture and it touched me. In a world where there's so much money involved it doesn't often happen that sponsor space is used for something like that. It means a lot to me. A very human touch, not something you expect in Formula One." (Jacques Villeneuve after the team had written the words "Just Married" on his rear wing for a day) "If you're lucky it'll blow up on you here." (Heidfeld consoling Villeneuve, who was lamenting before the Barcelona race that he would have to use the same engine in Monaco) "For me Jacques was the first team-mate who handled tyres even more gently than me." (Heidfeld) "I was more nervous than at any other previous rollout. My heart was in,my mouth." (Heidfeld on the first few kilometres in the F1.06) "As long as they're on their own the Chinese seem quiet, almost shy. But as soon as you get them in a group, and that means just two or three people, things suddenly hot up. I've witnessed it several times. They mob you and you end up with your shirt full of signing pen marks. It's similar in Japan." (Heidfeld's experience with Chinese fans)

"They're things you don't actually need but that men get a kick out of. For example, I've got a TV at home that swivels at the press of a button. Who needs that? But I think it's cool." (Heidfeld's definition of gadgets) "Patricia seems pretty satisfied." (Heidfeld when asked whether he was sexy enough for an F1 driver) "I really enjoy them, but because of the poor visibility they are the most dangerous situations in Formula One." (Heidfeld on racing in the rain) "I cut myself while shaving." (Kubica's standard response when asked how he got the huge scar on his arm) "There's no go-kart track in Krakow. We always had to drive 150 kilometres away. That cost my father a lot of time and money." (Kubica on his early career days) "Those five years were a good training for life." (Kubica, who went to Italy alone as a 13-year-old) "Formula One couldn't be my goal. It was my dream." (Kubica) "Maybe I shouldn't be a Formula One driver at all. I don't look like one." (Kubica at the FIA press conference in Shanghai) "At the beginning the cockpit was a bit too small for me, uncomfortable. But of course I jumped in and swore it was a perfect fit! I wanted the job, after all." (Kubica's problems with his height) "I'm on holiday all year! I travel around the world and do what I enjoy." (Kubica when asked when he goes on holiday) "Yeah, yeah, take a holiday in Poland, your car's already there, and so on. I know all the Polish jokes. If they're good I laugh at them too." (Kubica) "Speeding in the F1 pit lane twice in a row." (Vettel on the most frustrating moment of his career) "It's a serious matter. It can cost you up to 20,000 dollars! I got away with 3,500 dollars." (Vettel when he was told how high the fines were)

"After I had paid my Formula One fines, I had to sell my favourite clothes." (Vettel when asked about his favourite item of clothing) "A ride in a Formula One car!" (Vettel on his best present ever) "I didn't say much, but nobody understands me here anyway." (Vettel on walking through downtown Shanghai) "I don't know yet where I'll be racing in 2007. But I definitely don't want to withdraw from Formula One. We already have a German who is doing that." (Vettel when asked what he will be doing next season) "No, I missed class too often because I was working on my golfing career." (Vettel when asked whether he had gained any distinctions at school) "He's my hero, but the cars will still drive around in circles." (Vettel when asked what the future of F1 will be like after Michael Schumacher's retirement) "You could run through the paddock stark naked and nobody would notice." (Vettel in Monza when everyone was awaiting Schumacher's announcement)

GP Bahrain.
When the season kicked off in Bahrain in March, the newly established
BMW Sauber F1 Team looked back on a tough winter. An interim car had
been built to house the BMW P86 V8 engine, sponsors had been signed
up and a comprehensive test schedule had been completed before the
BMW Sauber F1.06 was rolled out in Valencia on 17th January 2006. After
highly promising practice sessions and the first qualifying based on the
new, exciting three-stage format, the debut race in Bahrain failed to live up to
expectations. Starting from tenth and eleventh on the grid, neither Heidfeld
nor Villeneuve made it into the points. After an incident in the first turn in which
he was struck by Nico Rosberg, Heidfeld finished the first lap in 19th place and
subsequently only regained ground up to twelfth. On lap 30 of 57 Villeneuve
had to abandon the race with a blown engine caused by a faulty crankshaft
drive.

GP Malaysia.
Delight and disappointment were close allies at this GP. Starting from
tenth in Sepang, Villeneuve scored the first two championship points for the
BMW Sauber F1 Team. The Canadian finished the race in seventh place,
while Heidfeld dropped out from fifth with seven laps to go – he too a victim of
engine failure. He had started from eleventh place on the grid, but both
drivers had benefited from relegations on the grid after a total of seven
unscheduled engine replacements. The BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers only
managed 14th and 15th places in qualifying, but drew attention with their
good starts off the grid, as they had already done in Bahrain.

GP Australia.
In one of the most turbulent races in F1 history, peppered with safety car
phases, the German-Swiss team not only got both BMW Sauber F1.06 cars
across the finish line but into the points as well. After a good start from
eighth on the grid, Heidfeld kept up with the front runners over the entire race
distance and finished fourth in Melbourne's Albert Park. Villeneuve had set
off from 19th place on a full tank and finished sixth. He was a long way down
the grid due to an unscheduled engine change, which cost him ten positions.
Analysis of the engine damage in the first two GPs had revealed a component
in the crank mechanism that had exceeded its tolerance threshold during
production. The supplied part had a fault in the realm of thousandths of
a millimetre. In the short time available it wasn't possible to manufacture new
components, and so both drivers were given engines with the best available
parts. These lasted the race in Melbourne as well as the subsequent
San Marino GP.

GP San Marino.
The BMW Sauber F1 Team headed for the European curtain-raiser with
striking new aerodynamic components and an attention-grabbing hospitality
area. After very promising free practice sessions, qualifying proved a
disappointment. Villeneuve came twelfth, while Heidfeld was desperate to get
into the top ten but ended up in the tyre barrier to take 15th place.
He and Villeneuve came away from the race empty-handed in 12th and
13th places respectively.

GP Europe.
BMW's home race at the Nürburgring began with the inauguration of the
BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park – and three unhappy drivers on Friday.
But as the weekend progressed, the team gradually got a grip on the
balance of their cars. Villeneuve started the race from ninth place, Heidfeld
from 13th. Both got away to a brilliant start and made up several places.
Villeneuve managed to stay in the points on his own merit for two thirds of the
race, but had to let a few rivals past during his second pit stop and ultimately
finished eighth. Heidfeld similarly came under pressure and crossed the finish
line in tenth place. Both BMW Sauber F1.06 cars had a new-spec BMW P86
engine and the weekend remained unmarred by any technical problems.
The single championship point was a hard-earned one.

GP Spain.
The BMW Sauber F1 Team picked up its next championship point in
Barcelona, where both cars made the distance in a trouble-free race.
Heidfeld got into the top ten qualifying again and advanced from grid place ten
to eighth in the race. This time he didn't get off to such a good start. The key
factors that led to the championship point were a successful manoeuvre to get
past Barrichello and a good pit stop strategy. Villeneuve had his work cut
out starting from 22nd on the grid. Though he had qualified in 12th place, his
unscheduled engine replacement threw him to the back of the grid.
The fault was down to a handling error by a mechanic on Sunday evening at
the Nürburgring, resulting in damage to the pneumatic system. In a race
conspicuously short on passing manoeuvres, Villeneuve – on a one-stopper –
managed to work his way up to 12th place.

GP Monaco.
In the seventh and most famous race of the season, the BMW Sauber F1 Team
again had something to show for its labours. A tremendous effort had
gone into the two points Heidfeld pocketed as the seventh man across the line. After the team had battled with electronics problems for days on end, Heidfeld had to make do with 15th place on the grid of Monaco's narrow city circuit. An excellent start, skilful passing manoeuvres, as well as retirements,
enabled him to claim seventh place. Villeneuve had a bad start from 14th on
the grid and later picked up a drive-through penalty for overtaking too soon
after the restart following a safety car phase. He finished the race in 14th place.

GP Britain.
Glorious summer weather was the only surprise element at Silverstone.
It was a trouble-free weekend from start to finish for the BMW Sauber F1
Team. The new aero package performed excellently, both drivers got into the
top ten qualifying, and the young team carried both cars into the points for
the second time after Australia, this time without profiting from any
retirements. Heidfeld (ninth on the grid) came seventh again, while Villeneuve
(tenth on the grid) finished in eighth place. Heidfeld had shot out of the
blocks at the start of the race to gain three places. He lost a place during his
first pit stop as he couldn't get into first gear. Thanks to the lightning-fast work
of the pit crew, newly-wed Villeneuve gained a place on his second stop.

GP Canada.
Before any wheels turned on Notre Dame Island in Montreal, Villeneuve was
being feted by his compatriots as he launched his first single and made an
appearance in the Pit Lane Park set up in Montreal's buzzing downtown area.
On its fourth stop after the Nürburgring, Barcelona and Silverstone, the hightech
theme park drew a record number of 41,000 visitors. At the halfway mark
of the season the BMW Sauber F1 Team secured a points haul for the fifth
time in succession and the seventh time in nine GPs so far. Heidfeld finished
seventh, even though he had started the race from 13th on the grid after a
bad showing in qualifying. The competition was extremely tight – Heidfeld was
just seven hundredths of a second short of the top ten, while Villeneuve in
11th place was a mere 18 thousandths adrift. Heidfeld was helped by a good
start and some courageous overtaking moves on lap 1. Villeneuve had also
got off to an excellent start and spent a long time ahead of his team-mate
before pit stop problems switched the order around. Driving in eighth place
with ten laps to go, Villeneuve skidded on a track made treacherous by
shorn rubber and drove into a wall. Kubica once again claimed best practice
times on Friday in what was becoming a familiar affair.

GP USA.
In the heat haze nestling in the concrete hollow of the Indianapolis Speedway,
the BMW Sauber F1 Team was hit by a temporary low. After positive
practice sessions and a strong qualify performance, the team left the race
empty-handed. Heidfeld was in seventh place after the start when he
became an innocent party in a collision in the first turn. The German rolled over
several times but emerged unscathed. Villeneuve, likewise in seventh place,
had to drop out of the race on lap 24 with a blown engine. Prior to that, the two
drivers had never before swept into the top ten qualifying with such
serene performances. A failure in his power supply meant Heidfeld was unable
to launch an attack within the top ten, and he remained in tenth position.
Villeneuve, on the other hand, was able to demonstrate the BMW Sauber F1.06's
true mettle to come sixth.

GP France.
After good practice sessions, qualifying took a disappointing turn for the team.
The race itself was typical of Magny-Cours: rather uneventful for the
spectators, but a field day for the strategists. Position changes were primarily
triggered by the pit stops. The strategy of the BMW Sauber F1 Team worked
well and both drivers also managed some good passing moves in the tropical
temperatures at the French track. Heidfeld had started from 11th but managed
to take home a point. It might have been more had he not erroneously been
shown the blue flag, prompting him to let Pedro de la Rosa past. Villeneuve,
starting from 16th on the grid, made up five positions and finished 11th.
The BMW Sauber F1.06 cars were the most photographed in France – they
sported two vertical wings at the front which, though not exactly flattering,
proved highly effective. These nose wings were banned from the next GP.

GP Germany.
Although the team arrived in Hockenheim with new side wings, the
aerodynamic restrictions which had banned both an innovative rear wing and
the eye-catching nose wings were making themselves felt. 14th and 16th in
qualifying for Villeneuve and Heidfeld were a setback. Although both drivers
advanced two places on the grid, there was trouble ahead in the race.
In the scrum after the start, Heidfeld's and Villeneuve's cars came into contact
and both had to return to the pits. As a result of the collision Heidfeld
had brake problems and had to abandon the race on lap ten. Villeneuve's car
suffered from oversteer after a nose replacement, and his race came to an
end shortly before the halfway mark when he slammed into the barriers. It was
his last outing for the team. Kubica had shone again on Friday with a fourth
best time in practice.

GP Hungary.
Things started looking up again in Budapest. In chaotic, wet conditions,
Heidfeld clinched the first podium place for the new BMW Sauber F1 Team.
Kubica had replaced Villeneuve in the second F1.06 and the team did
without a Friday driver. The first Polish driver in Formula One started from ninth
on the grid just in front of Heidfeld. Kubica skidded twice in extremely difficult
conditions and a repair stop put paid to his race strategy. He drove 51 laps on
intermediates, latterly on a dry track. The result was extreme and unexpected
rubber loss, which meant his car was ultimately two kilograms under the
stipulated weight. The Pole had fought his way up into seventh place but had
to relinquish his first two championship points. Meanwhile, wet race aficionado
Heidfeld had carved his way through the field, benefited from outstanding pit
stops and finished third, although his car was damaged after Michael
Schumacher needlessly drove into his rear in the final stages of the race.

GP Turkey.
Following the best qualifying result to date and fifth and eighth places on the
grid for Heidfeld and Kubica, the BMW Sauber F1 Team had set its sights on
earning some points in Istanbul. But Sunday saw the team leave with nothing
to show. In Kubica's case, the team regretted opting for the softer rubber
compound. With these tyres he was fighting a losing battle and ultimately
skittered across the line in 12th place. Heidfeld left the grid like a slingshot but
was hit by a spinning Giancarlo Fisichella. He had to return to the pits and
rejoined the race at the back of the field with a roundly battered car to cross
the finish line in 14th place. But it was celebration time for a third driver in the
team: Vettel, just 19 years old, was marking his debut as the youngest
participant in a GP weekend and snatched Friday's best practice time in the
third F1.06.

GP Italy.
When Heidfeld and Kubica came third and seventh respectively in qualifying at
Monza, the BMW Sauber F1 Team had surpassed its own best achievement
set up just two weeks earlier. Heidfeld clocked the fastest speed of all at
348.4 km/h. On the day of the race, when Michael Schumacher announced
his retirement, Kubica also wrote F1 history: he was the first Polish driver
to take third place on the podium. In what was only his third GP, he got off to a
brilliant start and serenely stood his ground, particularly under pressure from
Massa. Heidfeld also had a good start but ran into difficulty with dirty tyres and
lost several places. Later on he had to take a drive-through penalty for
exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane. Even so, he also managed to glean a point by coming eighth. It capped a fantastic weekend for the young BMW Sauber F1 Team, which managed to edge past Toyota again into fifth place in the constructors' championship. Good preparations during testing
in Monza, an excellent low-downforce aero package for the high-speed circuit,
a new engine evolution, the perfect tyre choice, flawless pit stops and another
outstanding showing by Vettel on Friday (best time again) all contributed to the
success.

GP China.
Expectations were reserved, though performance turned out to be impressive,
but the results were nothing to write home about. In Shanghai Heidfeld and
Kubica gained eighth and ninth places on the grid, bringing both cars into the
top ten qualifying for the sixth time overall and the third consecutive time.
In the race, Kubica came back from the first lap in 21st place after a collision at
the start. Some impressive catching-up work saw him advance all the way to
fifth place behind Heidfeld, but then he made a rash decision to switch to dry
tyres on his first pit stop. He had to change back again and ultimately crossed
the line in 13th place. Heidfeld turned onto the final lap in fourth place with five
points as good as won. But then the German was blocked by cars who were
being lapped, which led to him being rammed by Barrichello. That put him into
seventh place. With two further championship points, the BMW Sauber F1
Team firmed up its fifth slot in the constructors' championship ahead of Toyota.

GP Japan.
After a largely rain-sodden Friday put paid to any meaningful comparison
between the two Michelin tyre compounds and the detailed set-up work by
Vettel, Heidfeld opted for the softer rubber while Kubica chose the harder.
In qualifying Kubica went off the track and missed out on the top ten for the
first time. Heidfeld started the race from ninth place. In a dry race in Suzuka –
its last GP for the foreseeable future – the two drivers finished eighth and
ninth. Heidfeld had picked up another point, allowing the BMW Sauber F1 Team
to defend its fifth place in the constructors' championship with a one-point
lead over Toyota.

GP Brazil.
With both drivers making it through to the top ten qualifying session, achieving
this for the seventh time in its debut season, the BMW Sauber F1 Team was
in confident mood for the race. While it was disappointing that Heidfeld ended
up eighth and Kubica ninth, the team knew the reason for this – Kubica locked
his tyres and could not use a second set while Heidfeld had only just managed
to sort out the balance of his car. Fifth place in the constructors' championship
was the prize for beating Toyota in São Paulo so when both the Japanese
team's cars retired after just ten laps the team was able to celebrate early.
However, the rest of the race didn't go according to plan. While at one point
Kubica's car was in the points, the end result was ninth for the Pole.
Heidfeld retired six laps from the chequered flag after his car crashed into the
barriers. Nevertheless, the BMW Sauber F1 Team was very satisfied with its
debut year.