The third Formula One team to show off its 2010 challenger for the upcoming new season is BMW Sauber.
The new C29, which features a shark fin engine cover similar to the MP4-25 as used by McLaren, will be powered by Ferrari for the first time this season.
Even though the German engine manufacturer quit the sport at the end of 2009, the Swiss squad is still committed in competing in Formula One.
But the lack of sponsors based on the BMW livery is a worrying issue. Despite this, the car does feature two brands – Scalp-D (a Japanese shampoo) and Certina (a Swiss watch maker).
Experienced test driver Pedro de la Rosa and the promising Kamui Kobayashi form the team’s driver line-up, with Peter Sauber back in charge of the Hinwil-based squad following the German car maker’s exit.
Technical director Willy Rampf has commented that the C29 has been designed using the experience gathered last year, when the team struggled for performance.
“The development of the BMW Sauber C29 has seen the team build on the experience gained last year and the improvement in performance over the final third of the season,” Rampf said.
“However, the new regulations banning refuelling during the race and stipulating a reduced width for the front tyres have required significant changes to the car’s design.”
“The increased length of the fuel tank means the car has grown longer overall. And because they are slimmer, the front tyres will be more heavily worked, requiring weight to be shifted further towards the rear of the car.
“An eye-catching feature of the C29 is its highly intricate raised nose. Also very distinctive is an extremely long undercut at the transition from chassis into underbody. These and other aerodynamic measures also help to ensure optimum airflow to the double diffuser. Further changes were required to integrate the Ferrari engine and, in particular, the Ferrari gearbox.”
Whether the new aero tweaks on the C29 will improve the performance remains to be seen. Hopefully the old Sauber organisation will reward better results compared to BMW’s disappointing and frustrating final season in 2009.
News articles on the new BMW Sauber launch in Valencia. See the links for more information:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81144
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2010/01/31/bmw-sauber-c29-launched-pictures/
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2010/01/31/2010-bmw-sauber-c29-and-2009-bmw-f1-09-compared-pictures/
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2010/1/10380.html
BMW Sauber is not planning to change the team’s name at least before the start of the season, Peter Sauber said on Sunday (January 31st)
Although BMW quit Formula 1 at the end of the 2009 season, the Hinwil-based squad has retained the BMW Sauber moniker so far.
Sauber said during the launch of the team’s new car at Valencia that there were no plans to change the name yet because of television money and Concorde Agreement-related issues.
“It is not planned before the start of the season,” he said. “We entered the 2010 season as BMW Sauber and this is the name.”
When asked if Ferrari, who will supply engines to the team this year, was unhappy at the BMW name, he said: “No. It is okay for most.”
Source: Autosport.com
Interviews with the drivers. Articles taken from Autosport.com.
Q&A with Petrov – http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81152
Q&A with Kubica – http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81153
Peter Sauber says his team has no concerns about its 2010 budget despite the lack of sponsor logos on the Sauber C29 when it was unveiled at Valencia this afternoon.
The team has reduced its staff level from around 400 to 260 over the winter, and revealed at the launch that its chassis budget was 40 per cent of what BMW had spent last year before its pull-out led to the squad reverting to Sauber ownership.
Sauber acknowledged that a greater budget would have been preferable, but said time had been against his team given that its place in the 2010 entry was not confirmed until late last year.
“I hope we will see more [sponsors] – I’m sure we will see more when we start racing, or maybe when we start the European season,” he said.
“We had not a lot of time to look for sponsors. We started close to Christmas. It was a very difficult time to find sponsors, especially big sponsors.”
He emphasised that the budget for 2010 was already in place.
“The season is financially secure, but of course we have to look very hard for new sponsors – not only for 2010 but especially for 2011 and on,” Sauber said.
Technical director Willy Rampf added that he did not expect to have to compromise development too much because of the budget situation.
“We are restricted in budget, but we will have an update for Bahrain,” he said.
Sauber is optimistic that his team can still emulate BMW’s late-2009 performance with its current level of finance.
“We finished the season in sixth position last year and we’ve reduced the budget a lot now,” he said.
“We’ve reduced the staff to about 260 and the goal is to stay on a similar level to last year. It’s necessary to be efficient.”
But he added that the team was likely to be well placed as the resource restriction agreement kicked in over the coming seasons, as this would force its rivals to cut back as well.
“Yes, more or less,” Sauber replied when asked if his resources were around the size that future rules will stipulate. “We are on a level like we have to be in the future.”
Source: Autosport.com
Pedro de la Rosa says he had no qualms about leaving the McLaren team to race for BMW Sauber despite how respected he had become at the British squad.
De la Rosa is returning to racing this season after seven years as McLaren’s test and reserve driver.
The Spaniard last completed a full season with the Jaguar team back in 2002.
With current regulations limiting testing during the year, de la Rosa admits there was no point in being a test driver anymore, despite a solid job at McLaren.
“It was very clear for me from the beginning that I had to go back to racing, otherwise I would never go back racing, and especially with all the regulation changes,” de la Rosa told reporters during the launch of the new BMW Sauber car.
“The fact that I was being a test driver who didn’t drive the car very much during the year was very tough mentally for me, because I was not doing what I was born to. It was clear that I had to go back to racing. That was easy.
“After that, I have always been very honest with McLaren and McLaren has been very honest with me. I always kept them informed of what was the situation and that this could happen. That’s life. I’m very grateful for what they have done for me and the reality is that I’m a more complete driver now and that’s thanks to them.
“But we had to go back racing, we had to. With the current regulations there is no point in being a test driver anymore.”
The 38-year-old, who last raced in Formula 1 in 2006, admitted he is very excited about being able to compete again.
“For me it’s obviously, I would say, my third comeback,” he added. “First was when I started, second was with McLaren and now I’m back, so I’m extremely, extremely excited about this opportunity, not just because it’s a comeback, but also because it’s with a great team.
“I think it comes to me at a stage of my career where I’m mature enough to appreciate it and to exploit it. Because it is clear to me that if I have managed to get this race drive is because of the experience I have managed to accumulate with McLaren, so I’m very grateful to them that this has been possible. And apart from that I only promise work, motivation and that’s it.”
And de la Rosa conceded it was hard to know what to expect from his new team this year, and reckons the picture will only be clear in the first race.
“You never know how quick the car is or not until you make it to Q1 in Bahrain. That’s a typical answer but it’s the reality. What I can detect as a driver is where are the biggest issues of the car or what the car needs to go faster. After that, it’s just up to what the competitors’ level is. You have to just against your competitors how good or bad you are.”
Source: Autosport.com