Username
Password
A Race to forget for BMW-Sauber
By BMW Sauber F1 Team October 1 2007
In our "Track Talk" following an eventful Japanese Grand Prix, Mario Theissen talks about the key moments of the race held at Fuji, and also looks ahead to the forthcoming World Championship round: the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai. .
Dear motor racing enthusiasts,

We always loved to travel to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix, however, we also truly looked forward to racing at Fuji, the new venue for the event. I took a look at the Fuji Speedway as early as last year and I was impressed by the facilities. The circuit is located in the picturesque Japanese Alps, with the majestic Mount Fuji representing a wonderful backdrop. On Friday, in sunny conditions, the holy mountain represented arguably the most photographed scene. Then, unfortunately, it disappeared behind a dense wall of fog and rain and wasn't seen again for the remainder of the weekend.

Consequently, the weather had a major impact on the programme throughout the race weekend. On Friday we succeeded in acquiring a good set-up for dry conditions. The third free practice session, however, supposed to be held on Saturday morning, had to be virtually cancelled due to poor visibility and we were only able to complete two installation laps. However, this was enough for us to find a competitive wet-weather set-up for qualifying and once again we achieved top-ten grid positions with both our cars. The race on Sunday was also massively affected by the weather.

As is often the case, this wet race also proved to be dramatic, with our two drivers being involved in several incidents. Nick lost his chance of securing a good result in a first-lap collision. Later in the race, Robert also had a collision and a subsequent drive-through penalty dropped him further. Nevertheless, Robert and Nick both successfully battled their way back up to points scoring positions. On the penultimate lap, however, Nick was stopped by a mechanical failure. For our team, the Japanese GP turned out to be a race to forget. At the same time, I want to congratulate Lewis Hamilton who delivered in dominating style. By winning in Japan he made a major step towards securing the World Championship title.

Following the race in Fuji, a disappointing event for us, the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai will be held as early as next Sunday. Back-to-back events like this put quite a strain on the whole team - all the more so when the two consecutive races take place in Asia. It's the logistics personnel above all who feel the pressure. We look forward to the penultimate round of the season and want to compensate for the points we lost at Fuji.

The sheer size of the Shanghai complex is unmatched and the track layout is challenging. From the point of view of BMW as a car producer, as well as all our partners, the Chinese Grand Prix holds tremendous commercial interest. It's a market with massive growth potential. In 2006 BMW recorded over 40 percent growth compared with the previous year. BMW also has its own production plant in China where BMW 3 Series and 5 Series models are built

Sincerely
Mario Theissen

Bookmark or share this story with: