F1: BMW Wary Of High Winds In Bahrain

Formula 1

F1: BMW Wary Of High Winds In Bahrain

BMW Sauber team say that the frequent gusting wind at the Sakhir circuit can make a big difference to their performance in this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

SPEED Staff | Posted April 20, 2009 Sakhir (BAH)

The preseason Bahrain test was hit by sandstorms (LAT

The BMW Sauber team say that the frequent gusting wind at the Sakhir circuit can make a big difference to their performance in this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld tested at the circuit in preseason in a week beset with high winds, and the team are wary about how the changing conditions can impact laptimes.

"Wind can play an important role in Sakhir as it influences the balance of the car" said Kubica, who scored his and the team's maiden pole position in last year's event.

"Also, the wind blows sand onto parts of the track, which leads to changing grip conditions" he said. "Luckily we had the chance to test the F1.09 car in Bahrain in February, although weather conditions were unstable and windy then.

Last year we performed quite well in Bahrain" he added. "After securing pole position in qualifying I managed to finish the race on the podium.”

Head of Engineering Willy Rampf concurred with Kubica's opinion, adding "At night the wind regularly sweeps sand onto the track. Generally conditions improve as the day goes on, but tyre wear can nevertheless be fairly high on account of the sand. That is an important factor for the race strategy.”

“The Bahrain circuit demands a compromise when it comes to aerodynamic set-up" he continued. "On the one hand the many slow corners require a high level of downforce, while on the other the exceptional breadth of the track encourages the drivers to overtake, which means we can’t leave maximum speed out of the equation.

With the low-speed corners, traction and brake balance play a major role. Brake wear on this circuit is particularly high, especially in the turn after the start-finish straight and in turn 4."

Kubica's teammate Nick Heidfeld also backed up his opinions, and added that that he enjoyed the middle sector of the lap the most.

“I enjoy driving in Bahrain. I like the modern complex and the circuit" said the German. "The section from the fifth to the penultimate corner is particularly well designed.

This time I’ll be again arriving quite early to allow time for my fitness training. It will be interesting to see what the weather brings. Usually the climate in Bahrain has been very pleasant, but we’ve also had incredible heat, and during winter testing there was a huge sandstorm. In 2008 there was a concert by Akon after the race, which I also remember well.”

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