Friday – BMW is not making waves at the moment in Melbourne

The BMW Sauber F1 Team kicked off a new season this Friday at 12:30 pm in Australia by heading out for the first Free Practice sessions of 2009. The team consists of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld. Both men completed their laps without any issues and in a low-key manner.

As announced a few days ago, the team has opted for caution this weekend. Thus, Heidfeld is racing in Melbourne equipped with the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) while his teammate, Kubica, will not use it. This strategy should allow for a real comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the system that few drivers are yet ready to use. Only three teams have made it official: Renault, Ferrari, and McLaren.

Nick Heidfeld – 11th and 14th:

« I experienced a lot of pleasure driving here. In fact, it was time for the season to start! We didn’t have any major issues and we were able to complete our program of the day – as usual, it’s about the tires on long stints.

« Albert Park is not a permanent circuit; therefore, we currently have a very low level of grip, generally until the start of the race. Even though it improved a bit during the day, it’s still very poor. »

Robert Kubica – 13th and 15th:

« It was the first Friday of this new season. Nevertheless, everything went as planned, and we focused on the tires and the selection of those we will use in the race. A lot of data is already at our disposal, but overall, the lack of grip is penalizing here. »

Willy Rampf – Technical Director:

« Finally the new season begins! »

We had no issues which is a good thing, especially with the car equipped with KERS. The program was followed, and we focused on acquiring useful information for the race and therefore the tires. For now, we are not satisfied; the track varies a lot and we will need to continue working on that in the third free practice session.