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BMW Sauber launch 2006
The BMW Sauber F1.06 unveiled in Valencia
The BMW Sauber F1 Team steps out onto the Formula One stage. Just after nine o'clock this Tuesday morning in Valencia, Spain, the BMW Sauber F1.06 was unveiled before more than 500 journalists and guests in the futuristic Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (CAC). At 13.00 hrs the first car of the BMW Sauber F1 Team will make its debut on the Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo.
Also ready to launch into the new team’s maiden season in the FIA Formula One World Championship are BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers Nick Heidfeld (28, Germany), Jacques Villeneuve (34, Canada) and newcomer Robert Kubica (21, Poland), who takes on the mantle of test and substitute driver.
On the eve of the official media presentation, the team’s new look was already displayed during a major merchandising fashion show with Brazilian top model Alessandra Ambrosio and followed by a party in the CAC.
Test drives on the Valencia circuit will continue up to and including 19th January, during which time the track is reserved for the exclusive use of the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Between 23rd and 26th January the team will rub shoulders with the competition during testing in Barcelona.
Own team for the first time.
Dawn was just breaking on 22nd June 2005 when it was confirmed that BMW would be sending its own team into Formula One for the first time in 2006. A three-year contract with Nick Heidfeld was announced on 16th September and the team name was revealed on 14th November. Jacques Villeneuve was confirmed as the second driver on 1st December, and on the 20th Robert Kubica had been signed up as the team's test driver. Alongside this, the first test drives with an interim Sauber chassis and the BMW P86 engine were launched on 28th November. Since January 1st 2006, BMW has owned a majority stake in the Swiss Sauber Holding AG. In his function as BMW Motorsport Director, Professor Mario Theissen also directs the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
In Valencia he commented: "We have worked hard over the last seven months. We’ve driven forward the integration of the two locations, got an interim car up and running, signed up the drivers, concluded contracts with our major partners Petronas, Intel, Credit Suisse and O2 along with other sponsors, and negotiated 90 work contracts for new staff. That’s not bad as an interim progress report. But we are not under any illusions: we have a long road ahead of us."
"2006 is a year of transition, and so would be premature to declare any sporting objectives. The main thing is that everything is pointing in the right direction."
According to Theissen, success can only be achieved with a fully integrated team and all-encompassing procedures: "In our first season we will mainly be gathering experience. In 2005, Sauber came eighth in the Constructors' World Championship. That is our starting point. From there we aim to work our way up as quickly as possible. You can’t do that overnight, needless to say. It requires patience and endurance. We have both." He goes on: "For the BMW Group, Formula One acts as a high-tech lab and a technology accelerator. With its dynamism, premium image, sporting challenges and demand for technical innovations, Formula One chimes in perfectly with BMW's brand values – including driving pleasure. And there’s no other sporting event that generates so much attention worldwide on such a regular basis."
The plans for expansion include boosting the workforce in Hinwil by more than 100 new staff, many of whom will be reinforcing the aerodynamics department. Theissen: "The wind tunnel is outstanding and we want to run it on a multiple-shift basis as soon as possible."
As for the expansion plans for new offices and development and production facilities, planning permission is expected in spring of 2006. In parallel with this, the networking of the two locations – Munich (responsible for powertrain and electronics) and Hinwil (chassis and race deployment) - is being driven forward along with an intensive development programme for 2007. By the end of that year all these measures will be fully implemented.
After 13 years in his role as Formula One team principal, Peter Sauber has retired from the operational side of the business. In Valencia he appeared for the first time in his new role as a consultant to the team.
Press Release
BMW Sauber
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Thiesen AND Villeneuve have been very publicly pouring cold water on their chances of success this year !! An odd thing for an F1 team to do. Either good bluff or they are panicking. That they are also announcing hirign 100 new staff to Hinwil/Munich perhaps suggests the latter :(
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No keel and odd a-arm angle.....
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[url]www.itv-f1.com[/url] and [url]www.formula1.com[/url] both hve technical detals.
The lower keel is letting them drop the drivers legs and lowers the CoG.
The higher mounting of the LOWER wishbone was dictated by aero and then geometry would require the movement of the upper I presume :D
Interestgin to read that the shorter V8 is lettign them extend the gearbox and make it narrower for better rear aero - never thought of that in shortening the engine , neat :D
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The engine point was brought up in that Renault thread before....the front 1/4 shot really can see the difference as the car just "dissappears" in front of the rear wing....
suspension kinematic is dead in F1...lol
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[quote=RacingManiac]suspension kinematic is dead in F1...lol[/quote]
Can you explain RM ?
Do you mean arm movement ? There's still about 3/4" from static to loaded as far as I can tell :D
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yeah suspension geometry in general....the rate they are running is so high now that they are not that different from fixed link(they don't even run bearings any more, they run flexture on the inboard side). They are merely there to keep the wheels on and maintain aero.....
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Wheels on the ground, too.
Also, regardless of any technical mastery, that has to be the dullest F1 car I have ever seen. It looks like a big Formula BMW car. Nowhere near as classy as the BMW Williams livery.
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aero keeps the wheel on the ground on F1 these days....lol
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So Hewlett-Packard is completely out, then? I liked their logo's going so well with the BMW-Williams livery, looked good.
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Aero keeps the car on the ground, suspension keeps the wheels on the ground.
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It would've been true if the car weren't so aero centric. The primary design constraint for a F1 car are no longer suspension driven. Since they can't use active damping and ride control, the setup and design now are driven for resisting aero load to provide a stable aero platform, not ride control for wheel movement. You still compensate for bumps and such, but due to the nature of the modern circuit that they race on its not a top priority....
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What an impressive stream of bullshit!
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When you have a roll rate of 90000 lb-ft/degree, your suspension aren't doing all that much.....and that's just a F-BMW car that makes no significant downforce. Whether you want to believe it or not is another issue.....