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Image credits: BMW
The Target for 2007: More Podium PlacesThey're certainly on the right path, but there's still a way to go. After a promising debut year in Formula One, the BMW Sauber F1 Team is gearing up for the next step in 2007. In the coming season, the newly established team will continue to pursue its development agenda as planned. The sporting target is clear: more podium places in 2007. At the same time, staff expansion at Hinwil is scheduled to be completed, bringing the total workforce in Switzerland to 430. By the end of the year the new building complex will also be finished, and the BMW Sauber F1 Team will have reached its full complement.
Pit Stop in Munich
Ensconced in the production facilities and offices of BMW AG and in the vicinity of the BMW Research and Innovation Centre in Munich, almost 300 staff spanning a wide range of departments are busy working on BMW's Formula One involvement.
The headquarters of BMW Motorsport is at Anton-Ditt-Bogen in the north of Munich. Here the Formula One engines are developed, built and tested. The move to the new complex, which features state-of-the-art test benches and laboratories for powertrain development, took place at the end of 2005.
BMW's Formula One electronics are developed and manufactured under the same roof, and right next-door is the Formula One component manufacturing facility with its in-house quality control department.
BMW Sauber F1.07 – A Cast of Experts
Work on the BMW Sauber F1.07 concept began in April 2006 and took shape as part of a close cooperation between the chassis experts in Hinwil and their colleagues in Munich responsible for the powertrain, i.e. the engine and transmission, and the electronics. Priorities were set out from day one and all the aspects of the project brought together to create a harmonious overall package.
'We have channelled our experience with the F1.06 into the new car, but at the same time focused on the new challenges presented by the 2007 regulations', explained Willy Rampf, Technical Director of the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
To this end, the most significant change is the switch to a single tire supplier in Bridgestone. In accordance with the stipulations of the FIA, the Japanese company has produced tires which offer less grip as a means of lowering cornering speeds.
'It's clear that the cars are going to slide around more. It was therefore important for us to build a car that is easy to drive and that our drivers can trust sufficiently to go on the attack', added Rampf, giving an insight into the team's development strategy. 'We should also expect the cars to run with rather greater downforce as a rule, in order to make up for the loss of grip.'
The Nose has it
As always, the key is to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. However, almost as important this year is the need to develop a package that functions as well as possible through corners.
Here, the front wing has an influential role to play, largely dictating the flow of air around the front tires. It has been completely newly developed and forms a harmonious unit with the likewise totally new nose section, which is shorter and sits higher than its predecessor. This results in a reduction in its weight, but also places extra demands on the engineers when it comes to passing the FIA crash tests. The most important aspect of this development, though, is that the wing channels a large amount of air under the car, allowing the underbody and diffuser to work to their full potential.
Engine: V8 Reloaded
Following the fundamental conceptual shift from V10 to V8 engines ahead of the 2006 season, the focus is now on the development of clever details for the Formula One powerplants of the future. In 2006 the decision was taken to freeze large areas of engine development until after the 2010 season.Source - BMW Sauber
Pit Stop in Munich
Ensconced in the production facilities and offices of BMW AG and in the vicinity of the BMW Research and Innovation Centre in Munich, almost 300 staff spanning a wide range of departments are busy working on BMW's Formula One involvement.
The headquarters of BMW Motorsport is at Anton-Ditt-Bogen in the north of Munich. Here the Formula One engines are developed, built and tested. The move to the new complex, which features state-of-the-art test benches and laboratories for powertrain development, took place at the end of 2005.
BMW's Formula One electronics are developed and manufactured under the same roof, and right next-door is the Formula One component manufacturing facility with its in-house quality control department.
BMW Sauber F1.07 – A Cast of Experts
Work on the BMW Sauber F1.07 concept began in April 2006 and took shape as part of a close cooperation between the chassis experts in Hinwil and their colleagues in Munich responsible for the powertrain, i.e. the engine and transmission, and the electronics. Priorities were set out from day one and all the aspects of the project brought together to create a harmonious overall package.
'We have channelled our experience with the F1.06 into the new car, but at the same time focused on the new challenges presented by the 2007 regulations', explained Willy Rampf, Technical Director of the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
To this end, the most significant change is the switch to a single tire supplier in Bridgestone. In accordance with the stipulations of the FIA, the Japanese company has produced tires which offer less grip as a means of lowering cornering speeds.
'It's clear that the cars are going to slide around more. It was therefore important for us to build a car that is easy to drive and that our drivers can trust sufficiently to go on the attack', added Rampf, giving an insight into the team's development strategy. 'We should also expect the cars to run with rather greater downforce as a rule, in order to make up for the loss of grip.'
The Nose has it
As always, the key is to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. However, almost as important this year is the need to develop a package that functions as well as possible through corners.
Here, the front wing has an influential role to play, largely dictating the flow of air around the front tires. It has been completely newly developed and forms a harmonious unit with the likewise totally new nose section, which is shorter and sits higher than its predecessor. This results in a reduction in its weight, but also places extra demands on the engineers when it comes to passing the FIA crash tests. The most important aspect of this development, though, is that the wing channels a large amount of air under the car, allowing the underbody and diffuser to work to their full potential.
Engine: V8 Reloaded
Following the fundamental conceptual shift from V10 to V8 engines ahead of the 2006 season, the focus is now on the development of clever details for the Formula One powerplants of the future. In 2006 the decision was taken to freeze large areas of engine development until after the 2010 season.Source - BMW Sauber
BMW Sauber: The Potential for More?
At the start of last season there were many questions surrounding the new BMW Sauber alliance. The question everyone, in and around Formula One, had was, 'How good could they be?' The question was asked with a genuine amount of doubt and an unsure feeling. This year, however, the same question remains but with a noted excitement, impatience, and expectation, 'How good could they be?!' BMW Sauber took the first step in building that excited anticipation when it literally blew the veil of its new F1.07 chassis in Valencia, Spain.
After a short light display to get the excitement to build, a globe-like veil was pulled away to reveal BMW Sauber's latest commitment toward the Formula One championship. Motorsports Director for BMW, Mario Theissen, admitted, however, the team was still a couple of years away from making a real run at the championship. But to compete in Formula One, and to be successful, there has to be commitment.
Only a few years ago there were only three teams truly battling for the top points scoring positions. Last year, gave further proof those days have changed and BMW Sauber's F1.06 was right in the middle of the mix. So, could the new F1.07 have what it takes to be a race winner? Mario Theissen made it clear that was the focus and aim this year. Though perhaps unable to win outright, the plan is that the F1.07 would be in close enough contention to take advantage of any mistakes or misfortunes. Undoubtedly, the BMW powerplant has what it takes to get the job done. Time will tell whether the new .07 combines the necessary aero revisions to effectively take advantage of its powerplant and be in a position to win races. And due to the new homologation rules in effect this year, more emphasis has been placed on aerodynamic tweaks and component efficiency to make up the necessary performance losses.
Building off of last year's basic design, this year's F1.07 touts refined designs of the nose, cooling inlets, and rear diffuser. This year's design, however, also incorporates advances in chassis strengthening and design, gearbox technology, suspension and steering technology, as well as, electronics upgrades.
The F1.07's nose has been raised compared to last year's design allowing increased airflow through to the diffuser. The nose is also shorter than the F1.06 extending only a couple of inches past the vertical front wing supports. The suspension members incorporate refined aerodynamics and improved steering feedback. This year's .07 does, however, retain the zero-keel design that was employed on last year's .06.
BMW Sauber made some minor modifications to the mid-section of the car's design. Some of the modifications include larger radiator cooling inlets though they are still bearing the side-turned V-style inlets as existing on the F1.06. The barge boards in front of the radiator cooling inlets sport a couple of sets of turning vanes to help direct the flow of air around the car. Of course some of the biggest modification changes from last year's design include the sidepod flicks that are appearing on almost every car design, and the introduction of chimneys. While the flicks are meant to control the flow of air around the sidepod, this year's design incorporates the chimney/T-wing design into one piece. This year's .07 uses fewer shark-gill style cooling slots. So, to overcome potential overheating problems chimneys have been added into the design to help with cooling while minimizing the impact on the flow of air around the car and toward the rear wing. The T-wing remains to help stabilize the middle of the car.
The F1.07 uses a slightly smaller and less pronounced dorsal style vertical board than that found on the F1.06. However, the rear end of the engine cowling is more tightly-fit. The exhaust stacks on the F1.07, as well as, the design of the rear flicks have been modified. The rear diffuser has been slimmed down as well due to the impact of the longer, but slimmer, quick-shift gearbox design. Despite these changes, the front and rear wings remain largely unchanged. In fact, the .07 even incorporates the same slits in the endplates of the rear wing to help alleviate disturbed air built up around the endplates from upsetting airflow through the rear wing.
Some of the more important changes to this year's BMW Sauber maybe those located under its skin. The F1.07 will use the seamless shift gearbox which will allow gear-shifts without there being any break in traction. The new BMW Sauber will also incorporate a central electronics unit which will control engine parameters from one centralized location instead of at many points throughout the car.
All of these changes have encouraged the BMW Sauber team about the prospects of greater success. While the main thrust for the championship may not come for another couple of years, the changes incorporated in this year's F1.07 poise the team, they believe, on the verge of achieving some race victories.
Of course a lot of the potential for success will come down to the drivers. However, if BMW Sauber has been able to give their drivers a capable and competitive car, the team may be able to make doors of opportunity open up for themselves instead of having to wait for them. The state of competitiveness in Formula One is strong and that competitiveness includes BMW Sauber. The F1.06's success has proved team BMW Sauber to be real contenders for points in this year's championship. This fact begs the question, 'How good could they be?'Jeremy McMullen
At the start of last season there were many questions surrounding the new BMW Sauber alliance. The question everyone, in and around Formula One, had was, 'How good could they be?' The question was asked with a genuine amount of doubt and an unsure feeling. This year, however, the same question remains but with a noted excitement, impatience, and expectation, 'How good could they be?!' BMW Sauber took the first step in building that excited anticipation when it literally blew the veil of its new F1.07 chassis in Valencia, Spain.
After a short light display to get the excitement to build, a globe-like veil was pulled away to reveal BMW Sauber's latest commitment toward the Formula One championship. Motorsports Director for BMW, Mario Theissen, admitted, however, the team was still a couple of years away from making a real run at the championship. But to compete in Formula One, and to be successful, there has to be commitment.
Only a few years ago there were only three teams truly battling for the top points scoring positions. Last year, gave further proof those days have changed and BMW Sauber's F1.06 was right in the middle of the mix. So, could the new F1.07 have what it takes to be a race winner? Mario Theissen made it clear that was the focus and aim this year. Though perhaps unable to win outright, the plan is that the F1.07 would be in close enough contention to take advantage of any mistakes or misfortunes. Undoubtedly, the BMW powerplant has what it takes to get the job done. Time will tell whether the new .07 combines the necessary aero revisions to effectively take advantage of its powerplant and be in a position to win races. And due to the new homologation rules in effect this year, more emphasis has been placed on aerodynamic tweaks and component efficiency to make up the necessary performance losses.
Building off of last year's basic design, this year's F1.07 touts refined designs of the nose, cooling inlets, and rear diffuser. This year's design, however, also incorporates advances in chassis strengthening and design, gearbox technology, suspension and steering technology, as well as, electronics upgrades.
The F1.07's nose has been raised compared to last year's design allowing increased airflow through to the diffuser. The nose is also shorter than the F1.06 extending only a couple of inches past the vertical front wing supports. The suspension members incorporate refined aerodynamics and improved steering feedback. This year's .07 does, however, retain the zero-keel design that was employed on last year's .06.
BMW Sauber made some minor modifications to the mid-section of the car's design. Some of the modifications include larger radiator cooling inlets though they are still bearing the side-turned V-style inlets as existing on the F1.06. The barge boards in front of the radiator cooling inlets sport a couple of sets of turning vanes to help direct the flow of air around the car. Of course some of the biggest modification changes from last year's design include the sidepod flicks that are appearing on almost every car design, and the introduction of chimneys. While the flicks are meant to control the flow of air around the sidepod, this year's design incorporates the chimney/T-wing design into one piece. This year's .07 uses fewer shark-gill style cooling slots. So, to overcome potential overheating problems chimneys have been added into the design to help with cooling while minimizing the impact on the flow of air around the car and toward the rear wing. The T-wing remains to help stabilize the middle of the car.
The F1.07 uses a slightly smaller and less pronounced dorsal style vertical board than that found on the F1.06. However, the rear end of the engine cowling is more tightly-fit. The exhaust stacks on the F1.07, as well as, the design of the rear flicks have been modified. The rear diffuser has been slimmed down as well due to the impact of the longer, but slimmer, quick-shift gearbox design. Despite these changes, the front and rear wings remain largely unchanged. In fact, the .07 even incorporates the same slits in the endplates of the rear wing to help alleviate disturbed air built up around the endplates from upsetting airflow through the rear wing.
Some of the more important changes to this year's BMW Sauber maybe those located under its skin. The F1.07 will use the seamless shift gearbox which will allow gear-shifts without there being any break in traction. The new BMW Sauber will also incorporate a central electronics unit which will control engine parameters from one centralized location instead of at many points throughout the car.
All of these changes have encouraged the BMW Sauber team about the prospects of greater success. While the main thrust for the championship may not come for another couple of years, the changes incorporated in this year's F1.07 poise the team, they believe, on the verge of achieving some race victories.
Of course a lot of the potential for success will come down to the drivers. However, if BMW Sauber has been able to give their drivers a capable and competitive car, the team may be able to make doors of opportunity open up for themselves instead of having to wait for them. The state of competitiveness in Formula One is strong and that competitiveness includes BMW Sauber. The F1.06's success has proved team BMW Sauber to be real contenders for points in this year's championship. This fact begs the question, 'How good could they be?'Jeremy McMullen
BMW Sauber F1.07 – a cast of experts.Time was of the essence in the development of the F1.06, the first car developed by the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Indeed, BMW only took the decision to purchase a majority stake in the Sauber team in June 2005.
The components already in the midst of a lengthy development period (the chassis, engine and transmission) were moulded into an overall package – and with notable success, as the results over the course of the season just gone can testify. However, the shortage of time available meant that compromise was unavoidable in certain areas.
The BMW Sauber F1.07 started out from a very different basis. Work on the concept began in April 2006 and took shape as part of a close cooperation between the chassis experts in Hinwil and their colleagues in Munich responsible for the powertrain, i.e. the engine and transmission, and the electronics. Priorities were set out from day one and all the aspects of the project brought together to create a harmonious overall package.
'We have channelled our experience with the F1.06 into the new car, but at the same time focused on the new challenges presented by the 2007 regulations', explained Willy Rampf, Technical Director of the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
To this end, the most significant change is the switch to a single tyre supplier in Bridgestone. In accordance with the stipulations of the FIA, the Japanese company has produced tyres which offer less grip as a means of lowering cornering speeds.
'It's clear that the cars are going to slide around more. It was therefore important for us to build a car that is easy to drive and that our drivers can trust sufficiently to go on the attack', added Rampf, giving an insight into the team's development strategy. 'We should also expect the cars to run with rather greater downforce as a rule, in order to make up for the loss of grip.'
The nose has it.
Aerodynamics has been a key area in Formula One for a long time now, but the advent of the single tyre supplier format in 2007 will raise its importance even further. 'If you look at all the components which affect the performance of a Formula One car, aerodynamics represent – by a distance – the single most important factor', emphasises Rampf.
All of which explains why the BMW Sauber F1 Team top brass gave the expansion of the aerodynamics department top priority. The team's use of the wind tunnel in Hinwil was gradually increased, with a move initially from one to two shifts, and from there to a round-the-clock three-shift system in late October 2006. This has given the team parity in this area with its rivals – who have long had comparable systems in place – and fulfilled a central requirement in achieving its ambitious aims.
As always, the key is to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. However, almost as important this year is the need to develop a package that functions as well as possible through corners.
Here, the front wing has an influential role to play, largely dictating the flow of air around the front tyres. It has been completely newly developed and forms a harmonious unit with the likewise totally new nose section, which is shorter and sits higher than its predecessor. This results in a reduction in its weight, but also places extra demands on the engineers when it comes to passing the FIA crash tests. The most important aspect of this development, though, is that the wing channels a large amount of air under the car, allowing the underbody and diffusor to work to their full potential.
New cooling concept.
The cooling intakes are somewhat larger than those on the 2006 car and represent part of a new cooling concept which is more effectively integrated into the overall package and designed to ensure greater air throughput.
The air is diverted upwards to maximum effect, improving aerodynamic efficiency compared to last year's car, especially in high outside air temperatures. As Rampf explains: 'We took a lot of time in the conceptual phase to find the best possible solution in this area. This is an important point, as the air temperature at the first races of the season, in particular, are traditionally very high. The cooling concept of the F1.07 promises to deliver impressive efficiency in all conditions.'
Slimmed-down rear.
The designers built on the knowledge gained with the F1.06 in the development of the rear, giving the tail an even slimmer and lower profile in order to further optimise the air flow around the rear wing. The basis for these modifications is provided by the compact quick shift gearbox and cleverly positioned hydraulic elements. Also integrated into the design are the exhaust pipes, whose form was defined to maximise performance and fit harmoniously into the overall package. The section underneath the rear wing is a totally new development.
More stringent regulations governing rear-end collisions have meant that the rear crash element is now more voluminous overall and also has a modified form. The lower positioning of this element has required a totally revised design for the centre section of the diffusor.
The engineers were also instructed to reduce the car's weight, while maintaining its rigidity. The affects the monocoque, which is made up of up to 60 layers of carbon fibre in places, as well as individual components. 'It's always good if you can use a lot of ballast, but in the situation we have now it's particularly important, as it ensures outstanding flexibility in terms of weight distribution. And that plays a critical role in the optimum use of tyre potential', explains Rampf.
New suspension elements.
The construction of the suspension elements is totally new and, at the front axle, dictated primarily by aerodynamics. The raised nose section mean that the wishbones slant downwards at a striking angle. The kinematics have been modified in response to the introduction of the standard Bridgestone tyres.
'We were also very keen to give the steering a high level of feedback', says Rampf. 'This area has gained even further in importance as a result of the cars' reduced grip levels. The harder tyres will, by definition, cause the cars to slide around more, which means the drivers will have to do a lot more correcting as a result. And that makes good steering feedback indispensable.' The rear axle was also modified to further improve traction.
Greater comfort.
Comfort and Formula One make uneasy bedfellows. And yet, one of the focal points in the development of the F1.07 was an increase in comfort. This is expressed specifically in the seating position of the drivers, especially that of Robert Kubica. The Pole's 184-cm frame was a far from comfortable fit in the 2006 car, whose cockpit area was particularly tight. As Rampf points out: 'We only have restricted room for manoeuvre in this area, but we've done what we can to give Robert a pleasant seating position in the new car.'
There has also been progress in the area of electronics, which combine the workings of the chassis and powertrain in the interests of integration. The electronics for the chassis, engine and transmission have now been brought together into a single control unit, whose space-saving design allows it to be accommodated in the cockpit without taking up too much room.
'We created a solid basis for this year's car in our first season on the grid. The cooperation between the team members in Munich and Hinwil is now working well, and the additional resources give us extra potential. Our aim is now to further reduce the gap between ourselves and the top teams',
said Rampf, looking forward optimistically to the new season.
BMW Sauber F1.07 – technical data.
Chassis: carbon-fibre monocoque
• Suspension: upper and lower wishbones (front and rear), inboard springs and dampers, actuated by pushrods (Sachs Race Engineering)
• Brakes: six-piston callipers (Brembo), carbon pads and discs (Brembo, Carbone Industrie)
• Transmission: 7-speed quick shift gearbox, longitudinally mounted, carbon-fibre clutch (AP)
• Chassis electronics: BMW
• Steering wheel: BMW Sauber F1 Team
• Tyres: Bridgestone Potenza
• Weight: 605 kg (incl. driver, ready to drive, tank empty)
• Engine. V8 reloaded.
Following the fundamental conceptual shift from V10 to V8 engines ahead of the 2006 season, the focus is now on the development of clever details for the Formula One powerplants of the future. In 2006 the decision was taken to freeze large areas of engine development until after the 2010 season.
The homologation of the 2.4-litre V8 units requires technical monitoring and has been conducted in several stages.
The Formula One teams' engines started to appear at the FIA office in Chessington, England towards the end of the 2006 season. All the manufacturers were required to submit an engine which had come through two GP weekends. To be on the safe side, BMW decided to put aside the first P86 engine as early as Monza, with further development work continuing apace at the same time. Having met its obligations, the team had earned itself extra room for manoeuvre when it came to making improvements. The engines in Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica's cars completed the final races of the season in Japan and Brazil without a problem, and Kubica's unit was handed over to the FIA. The deadline for engines was 22nd October, but that didn't mean the engineers could go into hibernation for the winter.
The teams were able to submit a list to the FIA – by 15th December 2006 at the latest – containing modifications to the engine (except the pre-specified core) which they were intending to carry out by 1st March 2007 in order to adapt it to the rev limit of 19,000 rpm. In simple terms, while the block and crankshaft had to remain untouched, further tweaks were allowed to the cylinder head and peripheral components. Additional enhancements were permitted to details of the intake and exhaust piping, lubricant and fuel supply, pistons, valves and mounts. Alterations required to install the engines in the new cars were also given the green light.
A new central control unit for the engine, transmission and chassis replaces the previous engine electronics. The new development has been christened RCC, standing for Race Car Controller. The designation of the BMW power unit reflects the fact that the engine concept must remain unchanged: it will be known as the BMW P86/7, rather than the P87.
Fixed parameters for all.
The introduction of the V8 engines in time for the 2006 season was underpinned by a series of central parameters governing their construction. Displacement of 2,400 cc and a bank angle of 90 degrees were stipulated for the V8 engines. The powerplants had to tip the scales at no less than 95 kilo¬grams. This included the intake system up to and including the air filter, fuel rail and injectors, ignition coils, sensors and wiring, alternator, coolant pumps and oil pumps. It did not include liquids, exhaust manifolds, heat protection shields, oil tanks, accumulators, heat exchangers and the hydraulic pump.
The new regulations stipulate that the engine's centre of gravity must be at least 165 millimetres above the lower edge of the oil sump. The longitudinal and lateral position of the V8's centre of gravity has to be in the geometric centre of the engine (+/– 50 millimetres). The cylinder bore is limited to a maximum 98 millimetres. The gap between the cylinders is also set out in the rulebook – at 106.5 millimetres (+/– 0.2 mm). The central axis of the crankshaft must not lie any less than
58 millimetres above the reference plane.
Variable intake systems designed to optimise torque have also been banned since 2006. The power supply to the engine electrics and electronics is limited to a maximum 17 volts and the fuel pump has to be mechanically operated. Only an actuator may be used to activate the throttle valve system. With the exception of the electric auxiliary pumps in the petrol tank, all subcomponents must now be driven mechanically and directly via the engine.
In addition, a long list of exotic materials have been excluded and the team limits itself to working with the conventional titanium and aluminium alloys stipulated in the regulations.
Another restriction which will come into force for 2007 and the following years is a cap placed on engine speed at 19,000 rpm.
V8 development from November 2004 to February 2007.
Development work on the BMW V8 engine began in late November 2004. The champagne was flowing at BMW's Formula One engine factory at Anton-Ditt-Bogen in Munich in May 2005 after the first-specification V8 successfully completed its opening examination on the test rig. An updated specification made its track debut in Jerez on 13th July 2005. A further developed version was then introduced in time for winter testing, which began in Barcelona on 28th November 2005. The next stage of development was ready for the first rollout of the new car on 17th January 2006, and this was followed by another update for the first race of the season and a series of new specifications as the year went on. The later versions were developed with one eye on the homologation process to come.
As Theissen explains: 'A Formula One engine is never the finished article. It's like a painting that may already look finished to the onlooker but which the artist, knowing precisely where he can improve his work, will still touch up here and there. A single stroke of the brush can change the whole effect. Far from reducing development work to a standstill, the increased number of regulations has merely shifted the emphasis. It's important that Formula One remains at the cutting edge of technology, and that's what it will do.'
Power for longer.
The mileage a Formula One engine is required to cover has changed dramatically in the recent past. 2002 was the last season where a new engine could be fitted ahead of every race. Back then, qualifying saw the use of highly tuned engines which the teams would never have dared risk over a full race distance.
In 2003 the rules changed to force the teams to use the same engine for qualifying and the race itself, and that was followed by the introduction of the whole-weekend stipulation in 2004, doubling the mileage the engine had to cover. Since 2005 the engines – then still 3-litre V10 units – have had to hold it together for two full GP weekends. An unwanted side effect of this rule saw the GP drivers preserving their engines during Friday practice and staying in the garage as much as possible. In order to offer the fans more in the way of action, the Friday sessions have now been granted exemption from the engine regulations for the 2007 season. This will encourage the drivers to spend more time out on the track during what are now two 90-minute sessions.
Only from Saturday will the teams be obliged to fit the engines in their cars which must then last two GPs – under the watchful eye of the FIA.
Longer at full throttle.
The lower output of the V8 compared to the V10 engines means the cars spend longer under full throttle. BMW's figures show that the average proportion of the race spent at full throttle in 2005 was 56.67 percent, with that figure rising to 63.53 percent in 2006.
Practice behind closed doors.
Before a new specification reaches race readiness, it has to successfully complete an extended session on the dynamic test rigs. BMW first introduced the new-generation testing facilities, which stretch out over several floors and fill entire halls, in autumn 2005. The exacting challenge for the powerplant remains unchanged: 1,500 kilometres on a pre-programmed circuit profile based on Monza. No other GP venue can match the full-throttle percentage of the Italian track. Engines earmarked for transportation to the race venue complete a rather more gentle functioning check on the test rigs. This is followed by quality checks, with the oil undergoing spectrometer analysis to identify any metallic residue. Then it's time for action on the track.
Shifting faster.
One section of the new testing facility at Anton-Ditt-Bogen is used by the transmission development and testing department now based in Munich.
A Formula One race transmission needs to display maximum rigidity, yet at the same time be lightweight, have a low centre of gravity, be compact and boast extremely short shift times. The BMW Sauber F1.07 is fitted with a 7-speed gearbox. The main and auxiliary drive shafts are arranged longitudinally to the direction of travel. The driver can shift up a gear without breaking off tractive power to the rear axle. In a conventional Formula One transmission, engaging the clutch results in the flow of tractive power being interrupted for approximately 50 milliseconds during the shift process. In other words, during this time the car is deprived of propulsion and just rolls – in particular at high speeds against high wind resistance. In practical terms, the car is braked by around 1g during this suspension of tractive power. In a road car, this would come across as powerful braking.
This interruption of tractive power every time the driver shifts up a gear – which he will do some 2,000 times over the race distance of the Monaco Grand Prix – adds up to a significant loss of time or a deficit of several hundred metres by the end of the race. The new quick shift gearbox (QSG) fitted in
the BMW Sauber F1.07, however, totally eliminates this break in tractive power. The ingenious interplay of electronic and mechanical components is the key.
Both the development and production of the QSG takes place in Munich.
The transmission's extremely durable toothed gears – partly manufactured at BMW's Dingolfing plant – are made of high-strength steel, while the transmission housing consists of cast titanium. Converting torque and engine revs is just one of the transmission's jobs. It also has to pass on the forces generated in the suspension to the chassis via the engine.
Made for the track, benefits for the road.
One of the aims stated by BMW for its return to GP racing in 2000 was the creation of synergies between F1 and series production. The development of the Formula One powertrain and electronics has been integrated with impressive effectiveness at the Munich plant. The BMW Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ), a type of automotive think tank, plays a key role in this process. The F1 factory was built less than a kilometre away from the centre and the two facilities are interconnected.
'The FIZ represents the future of BMW, with elite engineers working in state-of-the-art research and development facilities', says Theissen. 'The FIZ is given vast resources, from which we benefit directly. At the same time, due to the extreme technical challenges and pace of development demanded
by grand prix racing, the company's involvement in F1 represents a unique proving ground for our engineers.'
BMW has made the vision of a seamless process chain a reality, following the development from concept to construction, casting, component production, assembly and testing all the way to race action on the track – and all under its own roof. Transportation of parts – and the quality problems this can cause – is no longer an issue, and the expertise acquired remains within the company, where it benefits the development of production cars.
Casting technology for Formula One and series production.
The casting quality of the engine block, cylinder head and gearbox plays a crucial role in determining their performance and durability. Advanced casting techniques, coupled with high-precision process management, enable lightweight components with impressive rigidity. To ensure that production models benefit from these developments, BMW has its own foundry in Landshut. In 2001, this was joined by a dedicated F1 casting facility.
The two departments are jointly managed and that ensures a constant exchange of information and expertise. The same sand-casting procedure as is used for the production of the Formula One V8 engine is also applied to oil sumps for the M models, the intake manifold for the eight-cylinder diesel engine and prototypes for future generations of engines.
Virtually at the same time as the F1 foundry went on stream, an F1 parts manufacturing facility based on the same template joined the series production facility. This is where the team make components such as the camshafts and crankshafts for the F1 engine.
Electronics for race day and every day.
With the backing of the electronics experts at the FIZ, BMW also had the confidence to develop its own F1 engine management system for its GP comeback. Turning to established motor sport specialists might have been the easier option, but such a move would have done little to augment the knowledge base in Munich. Engineers normally devoted to developing the electronics for the M models also created the engine management system for the F1 engines. The expertise they gained in the process filters back into series production. Top-of-the-range BMW cars, such as the 7 Series and
M models, have long featured two types of microprocessor which BMW has used and tested in Formula One. Added to which, data storage technology which had first proved itself in F1 was used to hone internet access and the navigation system for the BMW 7 Series. F1 technology is also used in monitoring systems for a variety of vehicle functions – another area which is gaining in importance in road car development. Early warning systems and automated electronic intervention technology can play an important role in enhancing safety and guarding against damage in production cars as well as racing machines.
The demands on the engine management system of a high-revving Formula One engine, which also has to run smoothly at low engine speeds, are immense. The ignition timing and fuel supply have to be perfectly coordinated millisecond by millisecond in order to achieve optimum efficiency – maximum output combined with low fuel consumption. Optimising fuel economy can enable both better lap times and greater flexibility in race strategy.
One of the electronics and transmission innovations from Formula One to have proved its mettle in the BMW M3, M5 and M6 is the 'Sequential M Gearbox – SMG with DRIVELOGIC'. The SMG drive concept delivers F1 transmission technology for everyday use. The driver changes gear electrically via paddles behind the steering wheel. As in Formula One, an electrohydraulic system replaces the mechanical clutch and shift process, and SMG users can similarly keep their foot on the accelerator while changing gear.
Material research for the future.
Despite the introduction of even more stringent regulations into GP racing, the materials used in today's F1 cars still have to be 'as lightweight as possible and as durable as necessary'. The materials research section at the FIZ provides crucial input for the development of BMW's F1 engines and transmissions, with aviation and aerospace technology frequently serving as a basis. Some highly promising developments, which as yet remain too expensive for use in production models, have already found their way into BMW's F1 project. This opportunity to introduce fresh technological blood helps the engineers to continue developing innovations for series production
Rapid prototyping – models in double-quick time.
From the new idea and the conception phase to the construction process, production of the necessary tools, manufacture of new parts and testing, new components are expensive and time-consuming to make. In Formula One, moving forward and addressing problems demands fast reaction times, while the number of design modifications made during a single season has been as high as for the entire BMW range of series-produced engines. The team is therefore constantly on the lookout for ways of shortening its processes. Here the BMW Formula One engineers can turn to the Rapid Prototyping/Tooling Technology department of the FIZ. Once the necessary parts have been designed – using a CAD system – computer-controlled machines use laser beams or three-dimensional pressure technology to create scale models made out of resin, plastic powder, acrylic, wax or metal. That enables installation and interactions to be simulated without delay, allowing any necessary modifications to be carried out before the final manufacturing process gets underway.Source - BMW / Sauber
The components already in the midst of a lengthy development period (the chassis, engine and transmission) were moulded into an overall package – and with notable success, as the results over the course of the season just gone can testify. However, the shortage of time available meant that compromise was unavoidable in certain areas.
The BMW Sauber F1.07 started out from a very different basis. Work on the concept began in April 2006 and took shape as part of a close cooperation between the chassis experts in Hinwil and their colleagues in Munich responsible for the powertrain, i.e. the engine and transmission, and the electronics. Priorities were set out from day one and all the aspects of the project brought together to create a harmonious overall package.
'We have channelled our experience with the F1.06 into the new car, but at the same time focused on the new challenges presented by the 2007 regulations', explained Willy Rampf, Technical Director of the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
To this end, the most significant change is the switch to a single tyre supplier in Bridgestone. In accordance with the stipulations of the FIA, the Japanese company has produced tyres which offer less grip as a means of lowering cornering speeds.
'It's clear that the cars are going to slide around more. It was therefore important for us to build a car that is easy to drive and that our drivers can trust sufficiently to go on the attack', added Rampf, giving an insight into the team's development strategy. 'We should also expect the cars to run with rather greater downforce as a rule, in order to make up for the loss of grip.'
The nose has it.
Aerodynamics has been a key area in Formula One for a long time now, but the advent of the single tyre supplier format in 2007 will raise its importance even further. 'If you look at all the components which affect the performance of a Formula One car, aerodynamics represent – by a distance – the single most important factor', emphasises Rampf.
All of which explains why the BMW Sauber F1 Team top brass gave the expansion of the aerodynamics department top priority. The team's use of the wind tunnel in Hinwil was gradually increased, with a move initially from one to two shifts, and from there to a round-the-clock three-shift system in late October 2006. This has given the team parity in this area with its rivals – who have long had comparable systems in place – and fulfilled a central requirement in achieving its ambitious aims.
As always, the key is to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. However, almost as important this year is the need to develop a package that functions as well as possible through corners.
Here, the front wing has an influential role to play, largely dictating the flow of air around the front tyres. It has been completely newly developed and forms a harmonious unit with the likewise totally new nose section, which is shorter and sits higher than its predecessor. This results in a reduction in its weight, but also places extra demands on the engineers when it comes to passing the FIA crash tests. The most important aspect of this development, though, is that the wing channels a large amount of air under the car, allowing the underbody and diffusor to work to their full potential.
New cooling concept.
The cooling intakes are somewhat larger than those on the 2006 car and represent part of a new cooling concept which is more effectively integrated into the overall package and designed to ensure greater air throughput.
The air is diverted upwards to maximum effect, improving aerodynamic efficiency compared to last year's car, especially in high outside air temperatures. As Rampf explains: 'We took a lot of time in the conceptual phase to find the best possible solution in this area. This is an important point, as the air temperature at the first races of the season, in particular, are traditionally very high. The cooling concept of the F1.07 promises to deliver impressive efficiency in all conditions.'
Slimmed-down rear.
The designers built on the knowledge gained with the F1.06 in the development of the rear, giving the tail an even slimmer and lower profile in order to further optimise the air flow around the rear wing. The basis for these modifications is provided by the compact quick shift gearbox and cleverly positioned hydraulic elements. Also integrated into the design are the exhaust pipes, whose form was defined to maximise performance and fit harmoniously into the overall package. The section underneath the rear wing is a totally new development.
More stringent regulations governing rear-end collisions have meant that the rear crash element is now more voluminous overall and also has a modified form. The lower positioning of this element has required a totally revised design for the centre section of the diffusor.
The engineers were also instructed to reduce the car's weight, while maintaining its rigidity. The affects the monocoque, which is made up of up to 60 layers of carbon fibre in places, as well as individual components. 'It's always good if you can use a lot of ballast, but in the situation we have now it's particularly important, as it ensures outstanding flexibility in terms of weight distribution. And that plays a critical role in the optimum use of tyre potential', explains Rampf.
New suspension elements.
The construction of the suspension elements is totally new and, at the front axle, dictated primarily by aerodynamics. The raised nose section mean that the wishbones slant downwards at a striking angle. The kinematics have been modified in response to the introduction of the standard Bridgestone tyres.
'We were also very keen to give the steering a high level of feedback', says Rampf. 'This area has gained even further in importance as a result of the cars' reduced grip levels. The harder tyres will, by definition, cause the cars to slide around more, which means the drivers will have to do a lot more correcting as a result. And that makes good steering feedback indispensable.' The rear axle was also modified to further improve traction.
Greater comfort.
Comfort and Formula One make uneasy bedfellows. And yet, one of the focal points in the development of the F1.07 was an increase in comfort. This is expressed specifically in the seating position of the drivers, especially that of Robert Kubica. The Pole's 184-cm frame was a far from comfortable fit in the 2006 car, whose cockpit area was particularly tight. As Rampf points out: 'We only have restricted room for manoeuvre in this area, but we've done what we can to give Robert a pleasant seating position in the new car.'
There has also been progress in the area of electronics, which combine the workings of the chassis and powertrain in the interests of integration. The electronics for the chassis, engine and transmission have now been brought together into a single control unit, whose space-saving design allows it to be accommodated in the cockpit without taking up too much room.
'We created a solid basis for this year's car in our first season on the grid. The cooperation between the team members in Munich and Hinwil is now working well, and the additional resources give us extra potential. Our aim is now to further reduce the gap between ourselves and the top teams',
said Rampf, looking forward optimistically to the new season.
BMW Sauber F1.07 – technical data.
Chassis: carbon-fibre monocoque
• Suspension: upper and lower wishbones (front and rear), inboard springs and dampers, actuated by pushrods (Sachs Race Engineering)
• Brakes: six-piston callipers (Brembo), carbon pads and discs (Brembo, Carbone Industrie)
• Transmission: 7-speed quick shift gearbox, longitudinally mounted, carbon-fibre clutch (AP)
• Chassis electronics: BMW
• Steering wheel: BMW Sauber F1 Team
• Tyres: Bridgestone Potenza
• Weight: 605 kg (incl. driver, ready to drive, tank empty)
• Engine. V8 reloaded.
Following the fundamental conceptual shift from V10 to V8 engines ahead of the 2006 season, the focus is now on the development of clever details for the Formula One powerplants of the future. In 2006 the decision was taken to freeze large areas of engine development until after the 2010 season.
The homologation of the 2.4-litre V8 units requires technical monitoring and has been conducted in several stages.
The Formula One teams' engines started to appear at the FIA office in Chessington, England towards the end of the 2006 season. All the manufacturers were required to submit an engine which had come through two GP weekends. To be on the safe side, BMW decided to put aside the first P86 engine as early as Monza, with further development work continuing apace at the same time. Having met its obligations, the team had earned itself extra room for manoeuvre when it came to making improvements. The engines in Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica's cars completed the final races of the season in Japan and Brazil without a problem, and Kubica's unit was handed over to the FIA. The deadline for engines was 22nd October, but that didn't mean the engineers could go into hibernation for the winter.
The teams were able to submit a list to the FIA – by 15th December 2006 at the latest – containing modifications to the engine (except the pre-specified core) which they were intending to carry out by 1st March 2007 in order to adapt it to the rev limit of 19,000 rpm. In simple terms, while the block and crankshaft had to remain untouched, further tweaks were allowed to the cylinder head and peripheral components. Additional enhancements were permitted to details of the intake and exhaust piping, lubricant and fuel supply, pistons, valves and mounts. Alterations required to install the engines in the new cars were also given the green light.
A new central control unit for the engine, transmission and chassis replaces the previous engine electronics. The new development has been christened RCC, standing for Race Car Controller. The designation of the BMW power unit reflects the fact that the engine concept must remain unchanged: it will be known as the BMW P86/7, rather than the P87.
Fixed parameters for all.
The introduction of the V8 engines in time for the 2006 season was underpinned by a series of central parameters governing their construction. Displacement of 2,400 cc and a bank angle of 90 degrees were stipulated for the V8 engines. The powerplants had to tip the scales at no less than 95 kilo¬grams. This included the intake system up to and including the air filter, fuel rail and injectors, ignition coils, sensors and wiring, alternator, coolant pumps and oil pumps. It did not include liquids, exhaust manifolds, heat protection shields, oil tanks, accumulators, heat exchangers and the hydraulic pump.
The new regulations stipulate that the engine's centre of gravity must be at least 165 millimetres above the lower edge of the oil sump. The longitudinal and lateral position of the V8's centre of gravity has to be in the geometric centre of the engine (+/– 50 millimetres). The cylinder bore is limited to a maximum 98 millimetres. The gap between the cylinders is also set out in the rulebook – at 106.5 millimetres (+/– 0.2 mm). The central axis of the crankshaft must not lie any less than
58 millimetres above the reference plane.
Variable intake systems designed to optimise torque have also been banned since 2006. The power supply to the engine electrics and electronics is limited to a maximum 17 volts and the fuel pump has to be mechanically operated. Only an actuator may be used to activate the throttle valve system. With the exception of the electric auxiliary pumps in the petrol tank, all subcomponents must now be driven mechanically and directly via the engine.
In addition, a long list of exotic materials have been excluded and the team limits itself to working with the conventional titanium and aluminium alloys stipulated in the regulations.
Another restriction which will come into force for 2007 and the following years is a cap placed on engine speed at 19,000 rpm.
V8 development from November 2004 to February 2007.
Development work on the BMW V8 engine began in late November 2004. The champagne was flowing at BMW's Formula One engine factory at Anton-Ditt-Bogen in Munich in May 2005 after the first-specification V8 successfully completed its opening examination on the test rig. An updated specification made its track debut in Jerez on 13th July 2005. A further developed version was then introduced in time for winter testing, which began in Barcelona on 28th November 2005. The next stage of development was ready for the first rollout of the new car on 17th January 2006, and this was followed by another update for the first race of the season and a series of new specifications as the year went on. The later versions were developed with one eye on the homologation process to come.
As Theissen explains: 'A Formula One engine is never the finished article. It's like a painting that may already look finished to the onlooker but which the artist, knowing precisely where he can improve his work, will still touch up here and there. A single stroke of the brush can change the whole effect. Far from reducing development work to a standstill, the increased number of regulations has merely shifted the emphasis. It's important that Formula One remains at the cutting edge of technology, and that's what it will do.'
Power for longer.
The mileage a Formula One engine is required to cover has changed dramatically in the recent past. 2002 was the last season where a new engine could be fitted ahead of every race. Back then, qualifying saw the use of highly tuned engines which the teams would never have dared risk over a full race distance.
In 2003 the rules changed to force the teams to use the same engine for qualifying and the race itself, and that was followed by the introduction of the whole-weekend stipulation in 2004, doubling the mileage the engine had to cover. Since 2005 the engines – then still 3-litre V10 units – have had to hold it together for two full GP weekends. An unwanted side effect of this rule saw the GP drivers preserving their engines during Friday practice and staying in the garage as much as possible. In order to offer the fans more in the way of action, the Friday sessions have now been granted exemption from the engine regulations for the 2007 season. This will encourage the drivers to spend more time out on the track during what are now two 90-minute sessions.
Only from Saturday will the teams be obliged to fit the engines in their cars which must then last two GPs – under the watchful eye of the FIA.
Longer at full throttle.
The lower output of the V8 compared to the V10 engines means the cars spend longer under full throttle. BMW's figures show that the average proportion of the race spent at full throttle in 2005 was 56.67 percent, with that figure rising to 63.53 percent in 2006.
Practice behind closed doors.
Before a new specification reaches race readiness, it has to successfully complete an extended session on the dynamic test rigs. BMW first introduced the new-generation testing facilities, which stretch out over several floors and fill entire halls, in autumn 2005. The exacting challenge for the powerplant remains unchanged: 1,500 kilometres on a pre-programmed circuit profile based on Monza. No other GP venue can match the full-throttle percentage of the Italian track. Engines earmarked for transportation to the race venue complete a rather more gentle functioning check on the test rigs. This is followed by quality checks, with the oil undergoing spectrometer analysis to identify any metallic residue. Then it's time for action on the track.
Shifting faster.
One section of the new testing facility at Anton-Ditt-Bogen is used by the transmission development and testing department now based in Munich.
A Formula One race transmission needs to display maximum rigidity, yet at the same time be lightweight, have a low centre of gravity, be compact and boast extremely short shift times. The BMW Sauber F1.07 is fitted with a 7-speed gearbox. The main and auxiliary drive shafts are arranged longitudinally to the direction of travel. The driver can shift up a gear without breaking off tractive power to the rear axle. In a conventional Formula One transmission, engaging the clutch results in the flow of tractive power being interrupted for approximately 50 milliseconds during the shift process. In other words, during this time the car is deprived of propulsion and just rolls – in particular at high speeds against high wind resistance. In practical terms, the car is braked by around 1g during this suspension of tractive power. In a road car, this would come across as powerful braking.
This interruption of tractive power every time the driver shifts up a gear – which he will do some 2,000 times over the race distance of the Monaco Grand Prix – adds up to a significant loss of time or a deficit of several hundred metres by the end of the race. The new quick shift gearbox (QSG) fitted in
the BMW Sauber F1.07, however, totally eliminates this break in tractive power. The ingenious interplay of electronic and mechanical components is the key.
Both the development and production of the QSG takes place in Munich.
The transmission's extremely durable toothed gears – partly manufactured at BMW's Dingolfing plant – are made of high-strength steel, while the transmission housing consists of cast titanium. Converting torque and engine revs is just one of the transmission's jobs. It also has to pass on the forces generated in the suspension to the chassis via the engine.
Made for the track, benefits for the road.
One of the aims stated by BMW for its return to GP racing in 2000 was the creation of synergies between F1 and series production. The development of the Formula One powertrain and electronics has been integrated with impressive effectiveness at the Munich plant. The BMW Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ), a type of automotive think tank, plays a key role in this process. The F1 factory was built less than a kilometre away from the centre and the two facilities are interconnected.
'The FIZ represents the future of BMW, with elite engineers working in state-of-the-art research and development facilities', says Theissen. 'The FIZ is given vast resources, from which we benefit directly. At the same time, due to the extreme technical challenges and pace of development demanded
by grand prix racing, the company's involvement in F1 represents a unique proving ground for our engineers.'
BMW has made the vision of a seamless process chain a reality, following the development from concept to construction, casting, component production, assembly and testing all the way to race action on the track – and all under its own roof. Transportation of parts – and the quality problems this can cause – is no longer an issue, and the expertise acquired remains within the company, where it benefits the development of production cars.
Casting technology for Formula One and series production.
The casting quality of the engine block, cylinder head and gearbox plays a crucial role in determining their performance and durability. Advanced casting techniques, coupled with high-precision process management, enable lightweight components with impressive rigidity. To ensure that production models benefit from these developments, BMW has its own foundry in Landshut. In 2001, this was joined by a dedicated F1 casting facility.
The two departments are jointly managed and that ensures a constant exchange of information and expertise. The same sand-casting procedure as is used for the production of the Formula One V8 engine is also applied to oil sumps for the M models, the intake manifold for the eight-cylinder diesel engine and prototypes for future generations of engines.
Virtually at the same time as the F1 foundry went on stream, an F1 parts manufacturing facility based on the same template joined the series production facility. This is where the team make components such as the camshafts and crankshafts for the F1 engine.
Electronics for race day and every day.
With the backing of the electronics experts at the FIZ, BMW also had the confidence to develop its own F1 engine management system for its GP comeback. Turning to established motor sport specialists might have been the easier option, but such a move would have done little to augment the knowledge base in Munich. Engineers normally devoted to developing the electronics for the M models also created the engine management system for the F1 engines. The expertise they gained in the process filters back into series production. Top-of-the-range BMW cars, such as the 7 Series and
M models, have long featured two types of microprocessor which BMW has used and tested in Formula One. Added to which, data storage technology which had first proved itself in F1 was used to hone internet access and the navigation system for the BMW 7 Series. F1 technology is also used in monitoring systems for a variety of vehicle functions – another area which is gaining in importance in road car development. Early warning systems and automated electronic intervention technology can play an important role in enhancing safety and guarding against damage in production cars as well as racing machines.
The demands on the engine management system of a high-revving Formula One engine, which also has to run smoothly at low engine speeds, are immense. The ignition timing and fuel supply have to be perfectly coordinated millisecond by millisecond in order to achieve optimum efficiency – maximum output combined with low fuel consumption. Optimising fuel economy can enable both better lap times and greater flexibility in race strategy.
One of the electronics and transmission innovations from Formula One to have proved its mettle in the BMW M3, M5 and M6 is the 'Sequential M Gearbox – SMG with DRIVELOGIC'. The SMG drive concept delivers F1 transmission technology for everyday use. The driver changes gear electrically via paddles behind the steering wheel. As in Formula One, an electrohydraulic system replaces the mechanical clutch and shift process, and SMG users can similarly keep their foot on the accelerator while changing gear.
Material research for the future.
Despite the introduction of even more stringent regulations into GP racing, the materials used in today's F1 cars still have to be 'as lightweight as possible and as durable as necessary'. The materials research section at the FIZ provides crucial input for the development of BMW's F1 engines and transmissions, with aviation and aerospace technology frequently serving as a basis. Some highly promising developments, which as yet remain too expensive for use in production models, have already found their way into BMW's F1 project. This opportunity to introduce fresh technological blood helps the engineers to continue developing innovations for series production
Rapid prototyping – models in double-quick time.
From the new idea and the conception phase to the construction process, production of the necessary tools, manufacture of new parts and testing, new components are expensive and time-consuming to make. In Formula One, moving forward and addressing problems demands fast reaction times, while the number of design modifications made during a single season has been as high as for the entire BMW range of series-produced engines. The team is therefore constantly on the lookout for ways of shortening its processes. Here the BMW Formula One engineers can turn to the Rapid Prototyping/Tooling Technology department of the FIZ. Once the necessary parts have been designed – using a CAD system – computer-controlled machines use laser beams or three-dimensional pressure technology to create scale models made out of resin, plastic powder, acrylic, wax or metal. That enables installation and interactions to be simulated without delay, allowing any necessary modifications to be carried out before the final manufacturing process gets underway.Source - BMW / Sauber
All Hail Heidfeld!While all eyes have been on the renewed battle between Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes, there is another team quietly pushing ever closer toward achieving victory. At Australia, a white and blue car snagged the fourth spot without attracting too much attention. At the Malaysian grand prix there appeared the same white and blue car crossing the line in front of the second Ferrari of Massa with its driver waving his hands frantically. No, the driver of the white and blue car was not lapped traffic motioning a 'Well done' to Massa. The car in question actually came home ahead of the Ferrari for fourth place. Then, in Bahrain, the same car again came home in fourth but this time ahead of world champion Alonso in his McLaren-Mercedes. Behind all the hoop-lah of Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes, behind all the excitement due to Alonso, Hamilton, Massa, and Raikkonen, there is another sneaking up to snatch victory away. Behold, Nick Heidfeld and BMW-Sauber.
BMW-Sauber, while in their first year as partners, finished fifth in the world championship last year. Going into this year there was much anticipation, but also, reasonable apprehension. The team believed they would be able to challenge for high scoring positions. The goal at the beginning of the year was to finish third in the constructor's championship. But it's safe to say the bar needs to be raised even higher. After the re-emergence of McLaren-Mercedes' pace and Ferrari's continual running up front many people throughout the paddock believed the first four places were a virtual lock. However, Heidfeld has proven that theory to be wrong, as well as, proven BMW-Sauber to be better than many anticipated. Some are so surprised that the team's sportsmanship has come into question.
After the first race in Australia, it was believed BMW-Sauber ran a light fuel load in an effort to get up front and virtually hold off potentially quicker cars to enable the team and Heidfeld to come home with a fourth place result. However, after three straight fourth place finishes, and stints between pit stops longer than those of Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes, BMW-Sauber has proven their pace to be a reality.
Heidfeld came home in a rather quiet fourth place at the Australian Grand Prix only because of the sheer dominance of Kimi Raikonnen and his Ferrari. After the fourth place at the Malaysian grand prix eyes have come to be more focused on BMW-Sauber. People throughout the paddock have come to wonder how good the team really is. Some of the questions leveled against BMW-Sauber's speed and sportsmanship are no doubt due to Nick's apparent fall from grace throughout F1. The once touted future star has seemed to fizzle in many eyes. But now, after another impressive fourth place in Bahrain, which saw Heidfeld hold off the double world champion Alonso, people have now come to wonder, 'How good could the team become?'
Amazingly, while just as the F1.07 chassis continues to impress, so too does Heidfeld. And while many in the team believed the chassis to be the chariot to take the team closer toward the goal of world champions, such high opinions of Heidfeld have waned in the last few years. Much of the team's hopes have been placed upon Heidfeld's teammate Robert Kubica. And yet, Heidfeld has upstaged his teammate at every race so far.
In contrast to Kubica, many people around F1 believed Nick Heidfeld's career was on the downswing. Written off the last few years, Nick Heidfeld has re-emerged as a good, consistent, and fast driver. BMW-Sauber hoped Heidfeld would at least turn out to be a good platform driver to enable the team to prepare for a serious title push in the near future. What they have instead is a driver contending for the team's first win and the team's leading contender for the championship push the team plans for 2008 and 2009.
As the season returns for the swing through Europe, many more eyes have to be on BMW-Sauber and Heidfeld, but not with so much apprehension. By no means has this season become a forgone conclusion. Up to this point Heidfeld has proven to be able to be close enough to the four top drivers to take away valuable points when the opportunity presents itself. This is the German's last year of his contract with BMW-Sauber and his performances so far this year may present him with another opportunity to prove himself. And while Heidfeld may not challenge for the driver's championship this year, the question remains as to what he could do, as well as, where he could end up.Jeremy McMullen
BMW-Sauber, while in their first year as partners, finished fifth in the world championship last year. Going into this year there was much anticipation, but also, reasonable apprehension. The team believed they would be able to challenge for high scoring positions. The goal at the beginning of the year was to finish third in the constructor's championship. But it's safe to say the bar needs to be raised even higher. After the re-emergence of McLaren-Mercedes' pace and Ferrari's continual running up front many people throughout the paddock believed the first four places were a virtual lock. However, Heidfeld has proven that theory to be wrong, as well as, proven BMW-Sauber to be better than many anticipated. Some are so surprised that the team's sportsmanship has come into question.
After the first race in Australia, it was believed BMW-Sauber ran a light fuel load in an effort to get up front and virtually hold off potentially quicker cars to enable the team and Heidfeld to come home with a fourth place result. However, after three straight fourth place finishes, and stints between pit stops longer than those of Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes, BMW-Sauber has proven their pace to be a reality.
Heidfeld came home in a rather quiet fourth place at the Australian Grand Prix only because of the sheer dominance of Kimi Raikonnen and his Ferrari. After the fourth place at the Malaysian grand prix eyes have come to be more focused on BMW-Sauber. People throughout the paddock have come to wonder how good the team really is. Some of the questions leveled against BMW-Sauber's speed and sportsmanship are no doubt due to Nick's apparent fall from grace throughout F1. The once touted future star has seemed to fizzle in many eyes. But now, after another impressive fourth place in Bahrain, which saw Heidfeld hold off the double world champion Alonso, people have now come to wonder, 'How good could the team become?'
Amazingly, while just as the F1.07 chassis continues to impress, so too does Heidfeld. And while many in the team believed the chassis to be the chariot to take the team closer toward the goal of world champions, such high opinions of Heidfeld have waned in the last few years. Much of the team's hopes have been placed upon Heidfeld's teammate Robert Kubica. And yet, Heidfeld has upstaged his teammate at every race so far.
In contrast to Kubica, many people around F1 believed Nick Heidfeld's career was on the downswing. Written off the last few years, Nick Heidfeld has re-emerged as a good, consistent, and fast driver. BMW-Sauber hoped Heidfeld would at least turn out to be a good platform driver to enable the team to prepare for a serious title push in the near future. What they have instead is a driver contending for the team's first win and the team's leading contender for the championship push the team plans for 2008 and 2009.
As the season returns for the swing through Europe, many more eyes have to be on BMW-Sauber and Heidfeld, but not with so much apprehension. By no means has this season become a forgone conclusion. Up to this point Heidfeld has proven to be able to be close enough to the four top drivers to take away valuable points when the opportunity presents itself. This is the German's last year of his contract with BMW-Sauber and his performances so far this year may present him with another opportunity to prove himself. And while Heidfeld may not challenge for the driver's championship this year, the question remains as to what he could do, as well as, where he could end up.Jeremy McMullen
| Formula OneThe history of Formula One is quite an in depth story full of both prestigious triumphs and disastrous failures. Though the modern era of Formula One Grand Prix racing began in 1950, its history goes back even further, tracing back as far as the pioneering road races in France during the 1890's, the German domination of the early 1930's, and the post-war years of Italian supremacy. The foundation of Formula One began in 1946 with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA's) standardisation of rules. Non-championship Formula One races were held for many years, although the world championship has always been the main focus of the category. The last of these occurred in 1983 due to the rising cost of competition. In the 1960s and 1970s National championships existed in South Africa and the UK. At the beginning stages of racing, vehicles were heavy and upright, while the roads they competed on were tarred sand or wood. Drivers were accompanied by mechanics, races were generally performed on public roads in between towns, in a distance that was considered quite long by modern standards. In 1895 the first proper motor race was won by Emile Levassor with his Panhard et Levassor in a 1,200 km road race from Paris to Bordeaux in a total of 48 hours. In 1899 Fernand Charron, one of the most successful drivers of the early racing era, won the Paris-Bordeaux race, also in a Panhard at the impressive average speed of 29.9 mph. At the 1901's French Grand Prix at Le Mans, Ferencz Szisz, driving a Renault, won the first race that used the designation 'Grand Prix' while covering 700 miles at 63 miles per hour. The introduction of 'pits' came about in 1908 at the Targa Florio in Sicily. The 'pits' were shallow emplacements dug by the side of the track so mechanics could work on the detachable rims on early GP car tires. Racing cars of the early years were too heavy and fast for their tires. One such instance of a calamity was at the 1908 French Grand Prix at Dieppe, Christian Lauteschalnger, driving a Mercedes, shredded ten tires during the race. The large 4 1/2 liter Mercedes of Daimler-Benz commanded the French Grand Prix at Lyons in 1914 achieving 20 laps of 23.3 mile circuit, taking the first three places, and by signal from the pits, introducing control of drivers. While racing was halted during World War I in Europe, many drivers flocked to the U.S. Indianapolis 500. The first international road race in France in six year was the 1920 Voiturette race at Le Mans. In 1921, the first Grand Prix victory by an American-built vehicle was captured by Jimmy Murphy at Le Mans whilst driving a Duesenberg. Some of the best of the 1920s manufacturers were Bugati, the Monaco, Fiat (which introduced the supercharger for the first time in 1923) and French and Belgian GPs in 1930. Zapping much of the enthusiasm, money and interest in Grand Prix racing, the Great Depression of the early 1930's hit the world quite hard in its regard for vehicular racing for a time. The Great Depression did see the appearance of the legendary Tazio Nuvolari, whose wins in the Alfa Romeo P3 'Monzo' in the Mille Miglia and other races were in a word, impressive. Following his win in the 1933 Monaco GP was the decision in which staring grid positions were determined by qualifying times. The following year the balance of racing power began to shift from Italy to Germany as the factory teams from Mercedez Benz and Auto Union (today Audi) were financed completely through the Third Reich government on orders from Adolph Hitler. Eye-catching and impressively powerful, these German automobiles introduced aerodynamics into Grand Prix car design. Nuvolari achieved even higher greatness while driving the sleek silver 3-liter V12 Auto Union well-engineered automobile. In 1935 he went on to defeat nine modern German cars in a four-year old Alfa Romeo at the Nürburgring. Following World War II, motor racing initiated a new formula. At the start called Formula A, it soon became known as Formula 1, for cars of 1,500 cc superchanged and 4,500 cc un-supercharged. The minimum amount of race distance was reduced from 311 miles to only 186 miles and allowing the Monaco Grand Prix to be re-introduced following a two-year gap in 1950. In that same year during a meeting, the FIA, Federation Internationale de l'Automobile announced plans for a World Championship. First defined in 1946 by the Commission Sportive Internationale of the FIA, forerunner of FISA, as the premier single seater racing category in worldwide motorsport, the name Formula One was widely used early on and became official in 1950. The first contest to be labeled an 'International Formula One' race, on April 10, 1950, Juan Manuel Fangio won the Paul Grand Prix in a Maserati. The following month the British Grand Prix was hosted by Silverstone and was the first sanctioned championship race for Formula One Grand Prix cars. This was the beginning of the F1 World Championship. The first F1 champion, and the winner at Silverstone in 1950, Giuseppe Farina behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo 158 also claimed the Belgium, Swiss and Italian racing in addition to non-championship wins at Bari and Donnington. He is best known for his driving style, which was directly opposite many of his crouched contemporaries and instead was relaxed, in an inclined position with outstretched arms. This style of driving was to influence a whole generation of drivers. Farina left for Ferrari in 1951 and began a personal battle with Alberto Ascari, a battle he would eventually lose to the more competent driver. More precise, and faster, Ascari won the F1 championship in 1952 and 1953 in the Ferrari 500. Ruling the first decade of Formula one would have to be Fangio, from Argentina who claimed five World Championships for five different manufacturers and four consecutively from 1954 through 1957. Following a disastrous multi-car accident which left 85 people dead and came close to claiming Fangio's life at the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours, Mercedes withrew from motor racing and Fangio went on to Ferrari. In 1956, Fangio won with five poles, three wins and one 2nd in seven races. In 1957, Fangio raced in the German GP at the Nürburgring, perhaps his greatest race. Behind the wheel of a Maserati 250F, even though he lost 56 seconds in the lead in a pit stop, he returned to win by regaining sped and bettering the track record for the 14.2 mile Nordeschlifer by an impressive 12 seconds on three consecutive laps. Stirling Moss was Fangio's rival and is perhaps the greatest F1 driver never to win a championship, finished second to Fangio at Mercedes in 1955 in the 'Silver Arrows', in 1956 with Maserati and yet again with Vanwall in 1957. In 1955 Moss became the first Briton to win the British Grand Prix, at Aintree in a British car, the 1957 Vanwall VW5. Following an accident during the 1960 Belgium Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, Moss's career ebbed and he went on to retire. The British Era really began to hit off in 1958 when Mike Hawthorn captured the F1 championship behind the wheel of the Ferrari 246. Hawthorn, the first British World Champion, disgusted by Ferrari politics retired at the end of season, only to be killed months later in a road accident in his Jaguar. Vanwall withdrew from F1, but soon to follow were a series of dominant British Grand Prix teams, that made British racing green the ‘official' color of F1 for more than a decade. This began an ushering in an era of British F1 engineering excellence that still extends today. British F1 teams won 12 World Championships with drivers between 1962 and 1973. This began in 1959 with the Cooper team, using a 2,500 cc Coventry Climax engine and a revolutionary rear-engine design that achieved back-to-back F1 titles for Australian Jack Brabham with a combination of superb weight distribution and handling. Dominating the second decade of Formula One was Colin Chapman's Team Lotus that was pushed by his technical brilliance. Lotus thrived on the extraordinary relationship between Chapman and his driver Jim Clark, who was to make the most of Lotus' technical advances for F1 vehicles. One of the most vital of these was the monocoque chassis which was introduced with the Lotus 25 in 1962, which along with rear engines marked the second largest technological change in Formula One. Clark was involved in an accident at Monza in 1961 that took the life of Wolfgang von Trips, giving the World Championship to American Phil Hill and Ferrari 156. An oil leak caused a DNG while leading the final race at Kyalami and Clark barely lost the 1962 title to Graham Hill. In 1963 he won, and again in 1965, achieving the maximum possible championship points in both seasons. He also competed and became the first Briton to win the Indianapolis 500. Jack Brabham's new Team Brabham won in 1966 and 1977 while Lotus struggled with the new, increased 3.0 liter engine specification for F1. Jimmy Clark won four straight Belgian GPs at the very difficult Spa-Francorchaps circuit. During the 1965 season in the Lotus 33, he led every lap of ever race he finished. During the 1968 season in South Africa, Clark broke the legendary Fangio's record for career victories in the opening race, but unfortunately died just months later at Hockenheim in an F2 race following a crash into the trees in the rain on April 7th. Following Clark's death, the British era remained. In a Lotus 49 fitted with the then-new Ford Cosworth engine, Graham Hill took the 1968 title. Hill was introduced at the Dutch Grand Prix in June 1967, and with the first sponsorship colors and logs seen in F1 racing. Clark's close friend and protégé, Jackie Stewart soon took on the mantle of champion, and eventually surpassed Clark's career record for GP wins and captured three World Championships between 1969 and 1973. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Formula One technology was developed at a fast and furious pace. Midway through the 1968 season, the introduction of wings, or ‘aerofoils' was the introduction of such F1 technology. Wings allowed for the creation of ‘downforce,' pinning cars to the track for greater traction and increased cornering speed. Unfortunately, the original high-mounted, manually adjustable rear wings had a tendency to fall off, which caused tremendous shunts- F1 aerodynamic engineering proceeded in fits and starts. Wings were banned for Monaco and the balance of the championship that year due to Jackie Oliver's practice crash in July 1968, and disastrous accidents for both Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt during the 1969 Spanish GP at Montjuich Pack. Possibly his finest victory, Jackie Stewart won the 1968 German GP at the Nürburgring, where during the mist and torrential rain he outpaced the field to win by just over four minutes from Hill. Steward and his team owner, Ken Tyrrell owned the 1969 season as they dominated F1 with their Matra MS80, winning at Kyalami, Montjuich, Clermont-Ferrand, Zandvoorty, Silverstone and Monza. In 1970 Lotus returned with a vengeance and the season was all about the brilliance of Austrian Jochen Rindt with his new Lotus 72. Unfortunately this was all overshadowed by the horrific death of Rindt in practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza's infamous Parabolica corner. By now the Cosworth engine was now ubiquitous in F1 racing, though the Lotus 72 with its distinctive ‘shovel' nose and nose wings was significantly faster. In 1970 Rindt won the championship posthumously. His replacement as number one driver for Lotus was Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi who piloted the 72 to his first F1 as the season-ending U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Fittipaldi and Stewart then split the next four World Championships. Stewart took 1971 and 1973 for the new Team Tyrrell which was sponsored by Elf, while Fittipaldi won with the black 'John Player Special' Lotus in 1972, giving Team McLaren its first F1 title in 1974. One race short of 100 GPs, Stewart retired at Watkins Glen in 1972, withdrawing from the contest following the death in practice of Francois Cevert, his comrade and protégé at Tyrrell. Following Stewart's retirement, Ferrari resumed its place in the forefront of F1 in 1975 with the flat-12 powered 312T and drivers Clay Regazzoni and Niki Lauda. The season was rife with protests and concerns regarding driver safety. Fittipaldi refused to drive in the Spanish GP, which was halted following 29 laps when a car launched into the crown and claimed the lives of four spectators. Lauda won five races and took nine poles to capture his first of three F1 crowns. To increase air flow to the engine, Formula One cars now sported huge airboxes behind the cockpits, leading the way to the next major technological advancement in F1: ground effects. Following his championship win, Niki Lauda battled with James Hunt to win six of the first nine races of the 1976 season. Unfortunately Lauda crashed his Ferrari at Bergwerk, a 150 mph section of the Nürburgring, at the German Grand Prix on August 1st. It was a devastating accident that left severe facial burns and the inhalation of toxic fumes from the car's burning bodywork. Lauda was expected to die and received his Last Rites in the hospital, but in an amazing display of sheer determination, he made a miraculous recovery and returned to the cockpit in just six weeks, in time for the Italian GP, where he finished 4th. Following several victories by Hunt at Mosport and Watkins Glen, the '76 Formula One season went down to the final race at Fuji in Japan. Lauda led the World Championship by three points before withdrawing from the race following three laps of torrential rain. He gave the championship to ‘Master James', Britain's last F1 champion for 16 years. Not knowing whether he had placed or whether he had won the title, he nursed his rain tires until a late-race pit stop and finished the race, unable to even see the track. In 1977 Lauda re-captured the title with Ferrari, but stepped down from the team with two races still to go, following a calculated 4th place championship-clincher at the U.S. Grand Prix, to join Berne Ecclestone's Parmalat Brabham team, and eventually be replaced in the Ferrari by Gilles Villeneuve. Now referred to as ‘designers', Formula one engineers had been continuously working on aerodynamics for more than ten years. The art may have been reached in 1978 with the ‘ground effects' Lotus 78/79. Using side skirts and underbody design to literally glue the car to the circuit, ground effects turned the entire vehicle into a large, inverted wing. Taking the Lotus to the championship in 1978, Mario Andretti described the road effects as making the car ‘feel like it's painted to the road'. As Lotus won nice of the 15 races in the 1978 season, Colin Chapman's careful developments of the ground-effect car principle had reduced conventional GP machines basically uncompetitive in little over 12 months. Unfortunately Andretti's own championship winning race was scarred by the death of team mate Ronnie Peterson at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. In 1978 it would be the final time a Lotus driver would win the World Championship before Colin Chapman's death, while the Lotus team slowly declining into mediocrity and dissolution. Though evolutionary, ground effects had a problem, mainly that very slight miscalculations in set-up would render the ground-effect F1 car un-driveable and very unstable. The vehicles were rigidly sprung, rock-hard cars with basically no ride height tolerance and barely any ability to handle curbs and bumps due to the need to keep ground clearances extremely low. Unpredictable occurrences would happen if the airflow beneath the car was disrupted for any reason. By 1981 and 1982 all teams were using ground effects. In an effort to bring more driver control and skill to the F1, ground effects were officially banned in 1983. Though both were introduced initially during the 1977 season and both eventually banned, one could say that ground effects were less important to the long-run development of F1 technology than turbo-charging. Renault re-entered Formula One with the Turbo RS01, driven by Jean-Pierre Jabouille at the same time that Lotus was developing the ground-effect principle. Remarkably quick, the first turbo unfortunately was not very reliable and suffered from ‘turbo lag' under acceleration. It would be an entire year before the Renault finished a Grand Prix. The introduction of radial tires, originally by Michelin, then Goodyear and finally followed by Pirelli occurred during the 1977 season. Following the Lotus onslaught of 1978, turbo development moved at a snails pace. In 1979 South African Jody Scheckter driving the normally-aspirated Ferrari 312T4 claimed the F1 title. Described as ‘perhaps the most tenacious fighter seen in racing for year', Gilles Villeneuve won 2nd place in the World Championship by a close four points. The 1979 French Grand Prix was won with Jabouilly, while Villeneuve and Rene Arnoux followed close behind, with Villeneuve crossing the finish line a mere 0.3 seconds ahead. In 1980 Alan Jones and Team Williams almost completed dominated the season, while Ferrari unfortunately suffered a horrible year. Renault won at Interlagos, Kyalami and the Österreichring, the Scuderia introduced their own turbocharged car at Imola. The first Concorde Agreement in 1981 resolved a boycott of the Spanish GP due to a power struggle between FISA and FOCA. From 1981 on the Turbo vehicles dominated the circuit, though Cosworth-powered teams won the championship in 1981 and 1982. 11 teams were using the Cosworth engine in 1982. Meanwhile turbo's continued to be improved, with wins in one-half of 14 races. However, the real drama behind the 1982 season was dominated by a fight between Villeneuve and Didier Pironi at Ferrari that would end in tragedy for both drivers. Following the San Marino Grand Prix in which Pironi passed Villeneuve, against team orders, while the Ferrari's were easily running 1-2 under turbo power, Gilles claimed that he would never again speak to his team mate. Two weeks later, Villeneuve was killed while attempting to improve his grid position late in qualifying for the Dutch GP at Zolder. It was a severe accidence that flung the driver out of the cockpit as the Ferrari cartwheeled across the track and landed nose in the sand. Ricardo Paletti was tragically killed in his Osala at the beginning of the Canadian GP at Montreal, and Pironi also suffered horrible leg injuries during practice for the German GP at Hockenheim two months later. Pironi never raced in the F1 again. In 1983 the turbo era began to really take off with gusto as Piquet won his second World Championship by only two points, while using a turbocharged BMW powerplant. At the same time McLaren introduced the TAG-Porsche engine, driven to four checkered flags by runner Prost. Driven by fourth-year driver Nigel Mansell, Lotus also brought a turbo Renault which Mansell took to his first podium finish at Brands Hatch. McLaren and the TAG turbo won 12 out of 16 races in the 1984 season with a new MP4/2 car that was designed by John Barnard. McLaren took the constructors' championship with record points. Lauda also won five of those to seven for Prost, and won the F1 drivers' title by 1/2 point. (Only half points were awarded during the race due to the Monaco GP being halted in a thunderstorm after 31 laps. This race is today considered legendary as Ayrton Senna, driving for Toleman in his first F1 season, passed Prost on the final lap in the rain, and forever blamed the Formula One establishment of stealing the win. During the late 1980's, Rob Dennis's team dominated the track unlike any team before. In 1985 and 1986 Prost won the World Championship. In 1988, Senna, who had joined McLaren following several seasons with Lotus, won the F1 title, taking the championship deciding race in Japan at Suzuka after stalling on the grid, with an inspired drive to catch and pass Prost before drawing away in the rain. Prost and Senna eventually went on to win three drivers' titles with Dennis and Team McLaren. Unlike any other season, in 1988 Senna and Prost finished 1-2, with a combination of 167 points while winning 15 of the 16 GPs, and McLaren receiving the constructors' title. Beginning in the 1989 season, normally aspirated engines were mandated, and for cooperation between Prost and Senna. The fifth major technical revolution in Formula One was reached in 1987 as the sole Williams exception to the string of seven straight McLaren drivers championships from 1984 through 1991. During the 1987 season Team Lotus revealed the first F1 car with a computer-controlled ‘active suspension' system. The ‘black box' controlled starting programs and anti-lock brakes, active suspension, later joined by the semi-automatic gearbox, traction control, would produce complex and faster cars. McLaren remained supremely dominant at the start of the post-turbo era, but its main stars, Senna and Prost would began a personal rivalry that would never come to an end. Both drivers agreed in 1988 that it made little sense to fight over the first corner of a race, given their cars' technical superiority. Unfortunately at the 1989 San Marino GP, the agreement was broken when Senna overtook Prost during the restart by taking the racing line from behind. A furious Prost found Senna's adversarial approach to be an impossibility to deal with. Meanwhile Senna complained that fighting for the racing line before the braking zone was legitimate. The feud between the two men reached its breaking point at the time when the 1989 title was on the line at Suzuka. While Prost led by 1.7 seconds at the start, Senna slowly reeled him in, moving alongside at the chicane, putting two wheels on the grass to go for the inside line. Prost turned in and both vehicles collided and went off. Prost left his vehicle in disgust, but Senna insisted on a push start from the track marshals and passed Alessandro Nannini to cross the line first. Senna was disqualified and had his superlicense revoke, while FISA declared Nanninni the winner and awarded the championship to Prost. Senna claimed that this was the true manipulation of the World Championship. This would again occur in 1990, at a different corner, with the same result, except by this point Prost had moved on to Ferrari. The shunt occurred when Senna was leading the World Championship. Many observers feel that Senna deliberately drove Post off the road as a measure of revenge for the prior year, which Senna admitted in 1991 without remorse. The 1991 World Championship was won and lost in the first four races, all won by Ayrton Senna. Team Williams introduced the FW14, designed by Patrick Head, and it was in 1991 that the active era in Formula One truly began. Originally debuted by Ferrari in 1989, the first F1 car combined a semi-automatic gearbox with traction control. Revolutionary, the FW14 broke the old dictum that ‘To finish first, first you have to finish.' Senna was driving a plainly inferior McLaren-Honda Mp4/6, and following four raced had recorded four pole positions and four wins. No one before had ever started a Formula One World Championship campaign with four straight victories and to the others it was demoralizing. All races counting for the championship for the first time in F1, there was an increase in the points for a win from 9 to 10. Senna had 40 points, and nearest challenger 11, and Mansell of Williams with only six. Mansell took second to Senna at Monaco, and at the Canadian GP on June 2nd, Mansell qualified second, took the lead in the first corner and ended the penultimate lap with a lead of more than a minute. Mansell turned into the final hairpin, and while waving to the crowd, cut the engine dead and allowed the car to coast to a slow stop. Piquet pushed forward to take the checkered flag for Benetton, his final F1 win. The rest of the 1991 season was a fruitless quest by both Mansell and Williams to beat Senna, including a disqualification while leading at Estoril after a wheel fell off in the middle of pit road. Winning three in a row in France, England and Germany, Mansel came into Suzuka needed two more victories to take the title. Unfortunately Mansell went off into the sand chasing the Brazilian on lap ten, and Senna won his 3rd Formula One championship in four years. Running off an amazing streak over the 1992-1993 seasons, Williams added traction control and a variety of other computer-controlled gadgets to their gearbox. Mansell rose to win the World Championship in 1992, winning the first five races and a total of nine overall, breaking Senna's 1988 record and receiving the F1 crown. Mansell retired from Williams after the win. Prost returned in 1993, and promoted test driver Damon Hill (son of Graham Hill) to driving number 'O' to the second stop at Williams. In the same year he won his fourth and final World Championship which put him second on the all-tome Formula one list only to Juan Manual Fangio. In some respects, the end of another era, in 1993 the FIA declared an end to ‘driver's aids', banning active suspension, traction control and other automatic car adjustment mechanisms. This was mainly due to the perceived absence of driver skill as a delimiter of success, and concern over the impact a long series of ‘runaway' seasons on worldwide viewership and sponsor money. Senna once again won five GPs in an outmatched McLaren MP 4/8. The finest victory of his career, Senna picked up five places in the rain on the first lap at the European GP at Donnington Park, solidifying his place in history as the ‘rainmeister'. Following a final victory at Adelaide in the last race of the 1993 season, Senna prepared to move to Team Williams, after striking a $20 million per-year deal with the team, and owner that had given him his first test ride in an F1 car nearly ten years earlier. The current era in Formula One is marked by a single day, May 1, 1994. But the roots of the transition reach back even further to the 1991 Belgian GP at Spa where German Michael Schumacher entered the F1 season by qualifying 7th in his first Formula One start for Team Jordan, moving on one race later to Benetton. Since Mansell and newly retired Prost had left the F1, there was only Schumacher to compete with Senna and prove true driver mettle with the newly revised F1 cars F1 designers were hard pressed to meet the new design specifications following years of focusing on their active components. Much of the paddock was not even delivered in time for much winter testing before the season's first race at Interlagos in Brazil. Everyone expected that the combination of Senna and Williams would make the 1994 and easy march to the World Championship. Unfortunately for those predictors, Senna failed to finish, though taking three poles in the season's first three races, Schumacher won eat time, putting himself 30 points up in the championship as the F1 debacle descended on the San Marino GP at Imola. During practice two very devastatingly violent accidents did occur, one that took the life of first-year Simtek driver Roland Ratzenberger, and another that landed Brazilian Rubens Barrichelle in the hospital shook the cores of the GP Fraternity. Barrichello regained consciousness finally and withdrew from the final qualifying session. At this time Senna phones his girlfriend in Lisbon to tell her he did not want to compete in the race on Sunday. However racing was Senna's passion and he took to the track the following day holding the pole position once again. Six laps behind the safety car after a starting line shunt, Senna was in first place just car lengths ahead of Schumacher when on lap seven his Rothmans Williams-Renault bottomed out in the fast Tamburello corner, struck the wall head on at 180+ mph and ricocheted back onto the track. Eventually pulled from the wreckage, Senna was taken away in a helicopter. Hours later he died due to massive head injuries. Aryton Senna was the first and so far the only F1 World Champion to have died during a Grand Prix race. He was only 34 years old. New emergency rules were implemented by FIA to slow the cars further following the aftermath of Tamburello, along with mandated pit speed limits, ‘stepped' bottoms to reduced downforce, limited wing sizes and increased cockpit openings. The first two grid spaces were left empty and a moment of silence before the green light was observed at the next race at Monaco as a gesture of respect for the fallen comrade. Schumacher took his first pole position and then back-to-back World Championships in 1994 and 1995 with the latter season seeing a variety of head-to-head duels with Damon Hill. A measure of excitement was brought back to the Formula one following these twin Schumacher title seasons. Alesi, who had competed with Senna as a first-year driver in the streets of Phoenix in 1991, finally won his first GP at Canada in 1995. Lotus first merged with the Pacific GP team before withdrawing completely from F1 claiming bankruptcy and total disorder following nearly a decade as a backmarker. In 1995 Mansell made the unfortunate decision to return to F1 in a specially designed 'fat' McLaren to encompass his newly attained girth. He lasted all of three races but never made an impact despite a final win for Williams during an unequally brief stint the following season. Damon Hill won the World Championship in 1996. Jacques Villeneuve, son of the famous Gilles Villeneuve, won a Indy 500 and IndyCar championship joined Team Williams. At this point Schumacher had moved on to join Ferrari for $27 million per season bringing Maranello three victories and a renewal with the Tifosi celebrating after Ferrari's first victory in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in nearly ten years. Controversy and politics has unfortunately not yet been eliminated. In 1994 Michael Schumacher was shown the black flag at Silverstone for ‘overtaking' on the pre-race parade lap, and then punished by FIA with a two-race suspension for allegedly ignoring the flag while Benetton's Flavio Briatore argued with the stewards. Schumacher was disqualified on technical grounds at the Hungaroring after the wooden undertray plank on his Benetton was judged too thin under the regulations. At Adelaide, Damon Hill was second in the race and the world championship, desperately dove for a small gap and Schumacher shut the door, breaking the Williams' front wishbone and securing the win and season title. Controversy continued into 1995 where Hill collided into Schumacher at Silverstone, spun out while leading at Hockenheim, leaving Schumacher to win his second title. Villeneuve won the 1997 World Championship. Villeneuve was disqualified at Suzuki for failing to slow under a waived yellow flag in practice, which ensued a seesaw mid-season battle between Schumacher and Villeneuve. Michael put the Ferrari 14 points in the lead with consecutive victories at Montreal and Magny-Cours, while Jacques was reprimanded by the FIA and summoned to appear personally in Paris the Wednesday before his home Grand Prix after criticizing proposals for '98 rule changes that were again designed to slow the cars. The result was a first-lap Jacques shunt into the wall on the pit straight chiane while leading the race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Villeneuve acted nonplussed, though the Canadian press considered the ill-timed meeting to be petty. Jackie Stewart's new Stewart Racing team, backed by Ford was entered into the 1997 F1 season. Before they were banned in 1998, Team Tyrrell introduced the ugly and controversial 'X-wings', sidepod-mounted winglets. F1 enthusiasts complained that Grand Prix racing had become an overly esoteric technical exercise with overtaking on most circuits the product of pit stop strategies rather than passing cars on the track itself. The change in rules in1 997 led to changed tactics that fundamentally altered the sport. Villeneuve held a nine-point advantage during the penultimate race at Suzuka, but his DQ and Ferrari's timely win put Schumacher in the points lead by one. Everything came down to the European Grand Prix which would be held at Spain's Jerez. Villeneuve qualified on pole with Schumacher alongside posting the exact same time. Villeneuve moved to overtake Schumacher for lead on lap 48, 20 tours from the finish and Schumacher turned in to the Williams left-hand sidepod as the Canadian dived inside. The moved was perceived widely as a re-run of the very controversial Schumacher-Hill accident at Adelaide in 1994. This time the ending result was the Ferrari stranded in the gravel trap and Villeneuve coasting to an easy third-place and the World Championship title. Unfortunately for Schumacher, this time he was brought before the FIA, stripped of his second-place in the driver's championship, and transformed among many F1 fans from Saint into the devil incarnate. The Ferrari team, for which the manager Jean Todt had brought Schumacher on board as their ‘salvation' was faced with the difficult task of another hard winter and yet another season in many long years. McLaren International returned to F1's roots with new silver West cars powered by Mercedes, hearkening to the ‘Silver Arrows' that were driven by Fangio and Moss during the 1950's. They had discarded their long-lived orange and white livery when Marlboro withdrew from Formula One. Taking Andretti's seats and surviving a massive head injury during a high-speed crash at Adelaide in 1995 was hakkinen and Coulthard. Winning the opening race of the 1996 season, the Scot gave way to permit the Finn to win his first GP in the finale at Jerez in a show of characteristic sportsmanship. The 1998 Formula One proved to be one of the most exciting F1 seasons in years, even despite the rule changes and grooved tires. The tires were supplied by both Goodyear and Bridgestone. The vehicles were once again faster, and overtaking proved to be just as difficult. Hakkinen in his reigning MP 4/13 McLaren won four of the first six races, including opening 1-2 finishes with Coulthard in both Melbourne and Interlagos. Schumacher though split the McLarens on the Buenos Aires grid and outwitted Coulthard into making a mistake to win the Argentine Grand Prix. Following Hakkinen's victory at Monaco left him 22 points in the drivers championship lead and it seemed that Ferrari were doomed to yet another season rife with disappointment. F1 fans resigned themselves to another McLaren leap to the finish. But it an amazing display of drive, Schumacher fought back fiercely, driving his Maranello team to improve the vehicle, winning back-to-back in Canada and France, then adding the British GP to move within two points going into the ninth race at the Austrian A-1 Ring. Unfortunately, Schumacher pressed to hard at the start on a light fuel load and ploughing through the gravel at high speed, eventually finished third. Schumacher was again seven points down and was just barely hanging on when the FI moved to Spa-Francorchamps. Another controversial race in Belgium, a huge 13-car shunt at the La Source hairpin was started by Coutlhard resulted in many cars being put out of action at the first corner. Hakkinen then spun on the restart and destroyed his McLaren when he was hit by Johnny Herbert's Sauber-Petronas. Schumacher had an incredible lead even through horrible rain, then reamed a slow-moving Coulthard from behind in the spray, wiping off the Ferrari's entire right-side suspension and wheel. Furious, Schumacher stormed down pit lane to have it out with ‘DC' but was pushed away by the mechanicals. Team Jordan received its first GP victory by Damon Hill. Schumacher went on to win at Monza to tie in the World Championship. But Hakkinen rose to the challenge. Under great pressure, he won the Luxembourg GP at the Nürburgring, outpacing schumacher's pole with a pass in the pits, taking a four-lead to the finale at Suzuka. Hakkinen took the World Championship title. 1999 was the 50th anniversary season of the modern formula one era and the end of the first century of Grand Prix racing. Alex Zanardi returned to F1 from CART racing in the U.S. Many were expecting an impressive win, but instead, Zanardi never got the feel for the groove-tired modern F1 car. Instead Ralf Schumacher took the team lead and scored well for Frank Williams. Johnny Herbert won his third win, and Jacques Villeneuve led a largely funded British American Racing team using a modified Reynard chassis that has dominated American IndyCar racing to a disappointing points-less finish. Michael Schumacher was shunted out for nearly the entire season at Silverstone, after breaking his legs after a full wheel lock crash straight into the tire barrier. Eddie Irvine, his Ferrari team mate took up the slack and won four races. Unfortunately after losing concentration he made some bad judgement calls and Mika Hakkinen won the season final GP in Suzuka, capturing his second consecutive drivers' title by a slim two points. Though many fans felt that the 2000 Formula One season would see a revival among the backmakers, particularly the new Team Jaguar, this was not the case. Ferrari and McLaren continued their dominance, winning every race together, nine by Michael Schumacher alone. German convincingly won the World Championship at the penultimate U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis, returning to Formula One following a gap of nine years. It was Maranello's first F1 championship in more than 20 years. Schumacher tied the legendary Ayrton Senna for second place among all drivers in career victories. Since the early 1990s, Ferrari had been steadily improving since their low point, and in 2000 Schumacher prevailed, becoming the first 3 time Champion since Senna. He brought the World Driver's title to Ferrari for the first time since Jody Scheckter in 1979. Ferrari began to leave the rest of the grid behind in the 2001 season, and Schumacher won the championship by the Hungarian Grand Prix. The following year, Ferrari finished every race, and won 15 out of 16. Schumacher scored more points than the second and third place drivers combined. He became the earliest ever championship winner int his season when he wrapped up the championship at the French Grand Prix. Benetton was no more, and Prost and Arrows had shut their doors for good. Despite heavy rule changes in order to prevent what had happened in the previous year, Schumacher won the championship yet again, though run close by both Kimi Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya. He took the championship by two points at Suzuka. In 2004 Schumacher returned yet again with seemingly total dominance of the championships. In April a new race in Bahrain made its debute, and another new one in China was introduced in September. It was originally thought that by introducing these new raced, the older ones in Europe, like the British Grand Prix would be removed from the championships, but this was not the case, and the number of races only increased to eighteen. At the end of 2004, the Ford Motor company decided to pull out of Formula one. At the 2005 U.S. Grand Prix Fernando Alonso qualified in a Renault Formula One car. Alonso forged a clear championship lead. McLared was significantly a stronger team which consistently better results during the later part of the season. Unfortunately their early record of poor reliability held them back. Brazil's Fernando Alonso became Formula one's youngest champions ever. With the purchase of Minardi by Red Bull in September of 2005, the final small specialist racing team disappeared. Minardi was renamed as Scuderia Toro Rosso run as a separate entity alongside Red Bull Racing. Early in 2004, Jordan had been bought by Russo-Canadian steel company Midland and was renamed Midland 1 for the '06 season. BMW bought a majority stake in Sauber in June of 2005. Entering a commercial arrangement with Cosworth instead, the Williams team ended their partnership with BMW as a result of the decision. Honda also bought BAR. The end of the V10 era in Formula one was marked in 2005. V10 had become the most affluent engine configuration in Formula one since the banning of turbocharged engines in 1989. This configuration was made mandatory in 2000 to keep engine builders from developing and experimenting with other configurations. |
2007 BMW Sauber F1.07 |
|
| Year | 2007 |
| Make | BMW |
| Model | Sauber F1.07 |
| Body Style | Formula 1 |
| Engine Location | Rear |
| Drive Type | Rear Wheel |
| Body / Chassis | Carbon fibre monocoque |
| Weight | 600 kg | 1323 lbs |
| Combined MPG | 0.00 |
| Engine | |
| Engine Configuration | V |
| 90-degree | |
| Cylinders | 8 |
| Engine | BMW P86/7 |
| Aspiration/Induction | Normal |
| Displacement | 2399.00 cc | 146.4 cu in. | 2.4 L. |
| Valves | 32 valves. 4 valves per cylinder. |
| Redline | 19000 |
| Engine Electronics | BMW |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline - Petrol |
| Block | Aluminum |
| Head | Aluminum |
| Crankshaft | Steel |
| Pistons | Aluminium |
| Standard Transmission | |
| Gears | 7 |
| Transmission | Manual |
| Clutch | Carbon-fibre clutch |
| Quick shift, longitudinally mounted | |
| Dimensions | |
| Standard Payload | 0.00 |
| Seating Capacity | 1 |
| Exterior | |
| Length | 180.401 in | 4582.2 mm. |
| Width | 70.901 in | 1800.9 mm. |
| Height | 39.401 in | 1000.8 mm. |
| Wheelbase | 3110.001 mm | 122.4 in. |
| Front Track | 1470.001 mm | 57.9 in. |
| Rear Track | 1410.001 mm | 55.5 in. |
| Vehicles with similar dimensions | |
| Suspension | |
| Suspension | Upper and lower wishbones (front and rear), inboard springs and dampers, actuated by pushrods (Sachs Race Engineering) |
| Tires / Wheels | |
| Tires | Bridgestone Potenza |
| Wheels | OZ Racing |
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Automobile information, history, and statistics from concept to production. | © 1998-2008 Conceptcarz.com
Automobile information, history, and statistics from concept to production. | © 1998-2008 Conceptcarz.com