BMW Sauber F1 Team
Part 2: Review of the season 2008 (Part 1)
November 2008

The team's first podium of the season came courtesy of Nick at Melbourne 

The 2008 season in brief 

The innovative looks of the F1.08 made quite an impression at its presentation in the new BMW Welt in Munich on 14th January. The subsequent testing in Valencia was disappointing, but the team pulled out all the stops to turn things around before the opening race of the season in Melbourne. Their calm but intensive work resulted in second place for Heidfeld, while Kubica – lying fifth – was the innocent victim of a collision at the restart after a Safety Car phase and left Australia with no points to show for his efforts.  

Robert achieved the team's best result at its "home" race in Malaysia with second

In Malaysia it was Kubica’s turn to take second place, while Heidfeld finished sixth. Their total of 11 points represented a record haul for the young team. To add the icing on the cake, Heidfeld also recorded the team’s first fastest race lap.

Next up was Bahrain: another race, another milestone. Kubica earned the BMW Sauber F1 Team its first pole position, before finishing third in the race to give him back-to-back podiums. Heidfeld crossed the line in fourth. The team topped the constructors’ standings as the F1 circus moved on to Europe. Bahrain offered the first signs that Heidfeld was having difficulties bringing his tyres up to temperature in qualifying.

A pole position for the Pole and subsequent 3rd place in the race at Bahrain

The start of the European season saw Ferrari in dominant mood. Kubica finished fourth at Barcelona, while Heidfeld fell foul of Safety Car rules. The German was forced to pit for fuel while the pit lane was closed, landing him with the inevitable ten-second stop-and-go penalty and meaning he could do no better than ninth.  

After a modest performance in qualifying at Istanbul, the BMW Sauber F1 Team salvaged fourth and fifth places in the race, allowing them to defend their second place in the Constructors’ World Championship behind Ferrari.  

The royal box at Monaco welcomed Robert

Kubica finished second in a damp race in Monaco to earn a spot in the famous royal box. Heidfeld had qualified a lowly 12th as his tyre problems persisted. In the race itself the German had battled up to fifth position when Renault’s Fernando Alonso (Spain) drove into the side of him. Heidfeld nursed his battered F1.08 across the line in 14th, a dispiriting four laps behind the winner.  

Cause for celebrations as Robert and Nick made it a 1-2 in Canada

Round seven of the season yielded unbridled celebration for the team. Kubica and Heidfeld raced to a one-two finish, earning the BMW Sauber F1 Team its maiden race victory in only its third season on the grid. Kubica’s win allowed him to take over the lead in the Drivers’ World Championship and the team leapt back into second place in the constructors’ standings, just three points adrift of Ferrari.

Qualifying for the French GP did not go well for the team, but Kubica at least pulled in four points for his fifth-place finish in the race. The hop across the English Channel brought an improved showing at the British Grand Prix, although this time the Pole was left empty- handed after a rare mistake saw him aquaplane off the track. Heidfeld celebrated an impressive second place at a sodden Silverstone.

Nick sports a special helmet design for the team's "home" race at Hockenheim

In the team’s home race at Hockenheim, Heidfeld recovered from further qualifying strife and a grid position of 12th to set his second fastest race lap on the way to a fourth-position finish. While Heidfeld benefited from his race strategy and a Safety Car phase, Kubica came off rather worse and finished in his starting position of seventh.

The final race before the short summer break was a chastening experience for the team. The F1.08 was clearly short of speed in Hungary and a single point for Kubica was all it could muster. Second place in the Constructors’ Championship was lost to McLaren Mercedes, and Kubica and Heidfeld were now fourth and fifth in the drivers’ standings.

The first F1 race on the portside circuit in Valencia was one of mixed fortunes for the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Kubica secured the team its eighth podium finish in 12 races with third place in the Grand Prix of Europe, but his team-mate could manage only ninth. Heidfeld struggled with the harder tyre compound and admitted his race had been a disaster.   

All of which made Heidfeld even happier with his podium finish at Spa, the key to which was his brave decision to change onto wet-weather tyres two laps from the finish. Kubica’s chances of a top-three finish were scuppered by a sticking fuel tank nozzle. It was a rare mishap for the BMW Sauber F1 Team, which topped the fastest pit stop statistics. Kubica went on to finish sixth.    

A spectacular and brave tyre change earned Nick a spot on the podium

The final race of the European season at Monza was also hit by rain. Kubica missed the cut for the top ten qualifying shoot-out at GP number 14, but a strong race performance on a one-stop strategy and a perfectly timed switch from wet-weather tyres to intermediates took him onto the third step of the podium. Heidfeld secured fifth place after starting from 10th.

Robert on the podium at Monza

The BMW Sauber F1 Team went away from Formula One’s magnificent debut night race in Singapore with just three points (Heidfeld/6th position). Starting from fourth on the grid, Kubica was a victim of the Safety Car rules and crossed the line 11th. The BMW Sauber F1 Team remained third in the Constructors’ World Championship, with McLaren now leading the way – albeit only briefly.

Kubica took centre stage at Fuji as the chief protagonists in the World Championship race shunted each other down the field. After 17 laps in the lead the Pole was forced to settle for second place behind Alonso, but had put himself back in contention for the driver’s title. Heidfeld finished a nondescript ninth after an errant tyre strategy in qualifying. Ferrari climbed back to the top of the constructors’ standings.

While the main protagonists battled each other out, Robert calmly took another podium finish in Japan

Heidfeld was slightly faster than Kubica over the whole weekend in Shanghai, and the two drivers finished the penultimate race of the season in fifth and sixth positions respectively. The result put an end to both Kubica and the team’s outside chances of World Championship glory. The drivers’ crown had come down to a straight fight between Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari).

The season finale in Brazilian was as tense and exciting as they come, although the BMW Sauber F1 Team now had little more than a minor role in proceedings. Hamilton clinched the title on the last lap of 2008 and Ferrari wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship.  

Kubica had struggled with the balance of his F1.08 in qualifying and could do no better than 13th. Given his modest grid position, the team took the risk of starting him on dry tyres on what was a drying track. However, on the formation lap the Pole decided to change onto intermediates after all. The trip to the pits relegated him to the back of the field and ultimately cost him third place in the Drivers’ Championship. Kubica finished level on points with 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) but had to settle for fourth. Heidfeld started the race from eighth, but excessive wheel spin meant he lost ground off the line and he crossed the line 10th ahead of Kubica. Drawing a blank at Interlagos also cost the German driver a place in the final table – he slipped down to sixth, one point behind Alonso. The BMW Sauber F1 Team remained third in the constructors’ standings.

Part 1: 2008 Season Review - Mission Accomplished

For more on the BMW Sauber F1 Team, go to the team's website at http://www.bmw-sauber-f1.com/

Stats and Facts

Stats and Facts: BMW Sauber F1 Team

Season statistics: Driver - Nick Heidfeld

	Qualifying	Race	Points
Australian GP	5th	2nd	8
Malaysian GP	7th (grid 5th)	6th	3
Bahrain GP	6th	4th	5
Spanish GP	9th	9th	-
Turkish GP	9th	5th	4
GP Monaco	13th (grid 12th)	14th	-
Canadian GP	8th	2nd	8
French GP	12th (grid 11th)	13th	-
British GP	5th	2nd	8
German GP	12th	4th	5
Hungarian GP	16th (grid 15th)	10th	-
European GP	8th	9th	-
Belgian GP	5th	2nd	8
Italian GP	10th	5th	4
Singapore GP	6th (grid 9th)	6th	3
Japanese GP	16th	9th	-
Chinese GP	7th (grid 9th)	5th	4
Brazilian GP	8th	10th	-

Season statistics: Driver - Robert Kubica

	Qualifying	Race	Points
Australian GP	2nd	DNF	-
Malaysian GP	6th (grid 4th)	2nd	8
Bahrain GP	1st	3rd	6
Spanish GP	4th	4th	5
Turkish GP	5th	4th	5
GP Monaco	5th	2nd	8
Canadian GP	2nd	1st	10
French GP	7th (grid 5th)	5th	4
British GP	10th	DNF	-
German GP	7th	7th	2
Hungarian GP	4th	8th	1
European GP	3rd	3rd	6
Belgian GP	8th	6th	3
Italian GP	11th	3rd	6
Singapore GP	4th	11th	-
Japanese GP	6th	2nd	8
Chinese GP	12th (grid 11th)	6th	3
Brazilian GP	13th	11th	-

2008 FIA Formula One World Championship: Drivers' Standing  /  Constructors' Standing

Part 1: 2008 Season Review - Mission Accomplished