Theissen determined to fight for title
By Jonathan Noble and Steven English Tuesday, January 20th 2009, 09:35 GMT
A bullish BMW Sauber have set their sights on a serious bid for the world championship this year, after unveiling their new F1.09 at Valencia in Spain on Tuesday.
BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said the Hinwil-based outfit remained on target for a tilt at 2009 title glory, having set out such ambitions when the German car manufacturer took over Sauber in 2006.
"We communicated our target 2009 four years ago," said Theissen in a press conference straight after the unveiling of the F1.09. "We set out a plan aiming at the first points in 2006, the first podium in 2007, to win in 2008, and we then stated that we want to fight for the championship from this year onwards.
"So far all targets have been met, so there is no reason to abandon the final and most important target. We want to fight for the title with the big two other teams and whoever else is up there."
Theissen believes his team are well prepared for the challenges that lay ahead with new regulations, having been one of the only teams to run an interim specification machine in winter testing last year.
"It was clear to us that the opportunity to test before the end of the year was very valuable," he explained. "Meanwhile, the change to the sporting regulations placed a severe restriction on testing. We were very happy with the work with it."
Theissen also thinks that his team will benefit from the raft of cost-cutting measures introduced this year, as his outfit were always reluctant to spend too much in becoming competitive.
"We have seen the end of the big spending race in 2008, it is a real turning point," he said. "We had foreseen that in a way when we established the structure of the new team a few years ago.
"We never wanted to become the biggest spending team. We tried to maintain the efficiency of the original Sauber team. That helps us in the current situation. We are well prepared."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72894___________________________________________________________________________
Kubica eyeing championship challenge
By Steven English and Jonathan Noble Tuesday, January 20th 2009, 13:08 GMT
Robert Kubica has vowed to put last season's frustrations at BMW Sauber's lack of progress behind him as he eyes a serious world title challenge in 2009.
The Pole was unhappy at the way that BMW Sauber sacrificed development on their F1.08 in favour of work on their 2009 car, claiming the team should have put every effort into trying to win last year's crown.
But clearly hoping that such a tactic will now pay off with the F1.09, Kubica says that as far he is concerned, last season's matter is now closed.
"I will concentrate on this year," said Kubica at the launch of the team's new car. "Sometimes it's very difficult to understand some situations, and everybody has different views. So I accept it."
Kubica was the first to try out BMW Sauber's new car at Valencia on Tuesday, and he has high hopes that the early focus on the machine could give the team the edge over their opposition.
"Quite a lot of effort and resources went into the 2009 car in the second half of the season, so of course I'm hoping that will pay off with this car, the F1.09," he explained.
"Last year was a good opportunity - maybe not for the championship but to finish a bit higher. Now it's completely different now.
"Last season is gone and we have to concentrate on this year to try to extract the maximum potential from the car. We are trying to do get everything sorted out for the first race."
Kubica sees no reason why BMW Sauber cannot match the development pace of rivals like McLaren and Ferrari, despite the way their form tailed off last season.
"I think last year was a very special year," he said. "I'm with BMW Sauber now for my fourth year. I joined when the team was completely new and during 2006 and 2007 we improved a lot. Last year we got lost I think sometimes.
"The development was not bringing the results we were expecting. We were bringing new parts and they weren't bringing any performance benefit - that was the problem I think. Once you lose a bit your way, it's very hard to come back because the other teams are working very hard as well."
Kubica concedes, however, that the raft of regulation changes for this year make it difficult to make firm predictions about form.
"At the start of the season everybody would like to win the championship, and everybody targets winning," he explained. "But there is only one winner, which is why the target is so hard to achieve - especially if you go against very tough and experienced competitors.
"It's not easy: everything has to be working 100 per cent with a lot of regulation changes. In previous years to develop cars you could take improvements from the last car, but now we are starting completely from new.
"We were running already in November and December a B-car, but our competitors were running 2009 spec on a 2008 car so we don't really have any reference. It makes everything more exciting and gives a bigger question of where we are, if we are competitive, and if we are going in the right direction."
Kubica has expressed some fears, however, that his size could be a disadvantage this year, because of the extra weight caused by the new KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems).
"It's going to be a really big thing but we will have to wait and see," he explained. "I feel that it will be an even bigger disadvantage to be taller and heavier. But I cannot change it."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72902_______________________________________________________
BMW may not race KERS in Australia
By Steven English and Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, January 20th 2009, 09:34 GMT
BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen has admitted his team are not sure they will have KERS ready in time for the first race of the season.
The German squad have been one of the main supporters of the new system and were among the first to run it in their car last year.
BMW were also against the idea of delaying the introduction of KERS, while many other teams thought it was still too early to race it.
Theissen said KERS remains an exciting challenge for the team, but he conceded the system is not yet ready and may not be for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
"KERS is still the most challenging and exciting part of the new package to me," said Theissen during the launch of the new car in Valencia.
"Looking back to when we started more than a year ago on KERS, that time was pure research. Then we went through a stage I would call pre-development. Now we are in the development stage.
"We are still not ready to race, but if I look at what progress we have made in last 12 months, it's amazing. We have learned so much.
"We are still pushing hard. We are not ready yet. I am sure we will be ready at some point, I don't know whether we will be ready for Melbourne.
"That is the character of innovation, you take risks and you don't know when they will pay off. I'm pretty sure it will pay off at some point in the season and that it might become the crucial factor."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72893
and looking at the two cars side by side the '08 car looks like the Battlestar Galactica 
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