BMW (F1-2007) F1.07

The target: more podium places.
Munich/Hinwil. They’re certainly on the right path, but there’s still a way to
go. After a promising debut year in Formula One, the BMW Sauber F1 Team is gearing up for the next step in 2007. In the coming season, the newly established team will continue to pursue its development agenda as planned. The sporting target is clear: more podium places in 2007. At the same
time, staff expansion at Hinwil is scheduled to be completed, bringing the total workforce in Switzerland to 430. By the end of the year the new building complex will also be finished, and the BMW Sauber F1 Team will have reached its full complement.

“In 2006 we exceeded our own targets. Now expectations are rising faster than the team can keep up. That’s the penalty for excelling yourself”,
says BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, going on to spell out the team’s strategy: “2007 is the second and final year of our development
phase. We aim to make it onto the podium on our own merit. If the top teams show any sign of weakness, we want to be ready to jump into the
breach. Wins on our own merit are not realistically on the cards for 2007.
We are aiming for that in 2008. Then in 2009 we want to be in contention
for the championship title.”

The BMW Sauber F1 Team’s first year in motor sport’s top-echelon event has undeniably whetted the appetite for more. On the podium twice, in the points 15 times, a commendable fifth place in the constructors’ championship – the BMW Sauber F1 Team fared better than anyone had anticipated. “That really was more than the experts would have expected of a newly formed team”, says Theissen. “The grand prix stage is gradually revealing the sheer hard graft and single-minded effort going on behind the scenes.”

125 employees have already been taken on at Hinwil and another 30 are to follow, all of them having to be integrated there as well as being networked with the almost 300-strong Formula One workforce in Munich. It is no easy task when dealing with such numbers, as you simply can’t afford to lose sight of the big picture. So far everything has run according to plan. Theissen
is acutely aware that the rate of growth cannot be accelerated, particularly as many members of staff have been temporarily relocated and are carrying out

their tasks in rented offices before moving into the finished complex in Hinwil. This will house not only test facilities, laboratories and development departments, but office accommodation as well. Things are still rather crowded at Hinwil, but the end of the stopgap solutions is in sight.

For all the new faces there might be at Hinwil, those of the team drivers are familiar ones. Nick Heidfeld (GER) and Robert Kubica (PLN) will be battling for championship points as the team drivers. Sebastian Vettel (GER), who has been working as the Friday driver ever since the Turkish GP in 2006, is the official test and reserve driver. Theissen comments on this sparkling cocktail of established routine and fresh blood: “We are very satisfied with our line-up. Nick is our experienced man. He is fast and reliable and has the know-how to take the team forward. All that makes him a firm fixture and an important reference point for the engineers and the other drivers. Robert has already proved that he is fast, and he’ll catch up on the routine side. The two of
them work well together and engage in healthy competition out on the track. As for Sebastian, we will be giving him the opportunity to drive on Fridays as well. He will learn from the other two.”

Heidfeld, who collected the most points for the team in 2006, says this:
“After our good maiden season we now have to continue along our path.
But one mustn’t expect too much as the higher you go, the more rarefied the atmosphere gets. In our first year we picked up 36 points and fifth place
in the championship. But the fourth-placed team walked away with 86 points. That’s worlds apart.”

“I learnt a lot in 2006”, says Kubica, “and in 2007 I want to put it into action and learn more. To be standing on the podium for the first time after a Formula One race was an incredible experience. I want more of it.”

Sebastian Vettel outlines his task: “The better I get to know the car and the team, the more I can support them with my test work. I will make every effort to do as much groundwork as possible for Nick and Robert.”

It will be interesting to see what effect the switch to a single tyre supplier has in 2007. The Formula One teams will all be lining up with Bridgestone Potenza tyres over the coming season following the withdrawal of Michelin from the World Championship. BMW had been supplied by Michelin
in Formula One since 2001, while Sauber can look back on the experience collected with Bridgestone between 1999 through to 2004. “A single tyre supplier will close the performance gap between the teams”, confirms Theissen.
In addition to the new tyre stipulations, there have also been changes to the regulations in other areas. The major technical modifications include further restrictions on engine specification. The powerplants introduced for 2007 will provide the technical basis for the teams’ engines up to and including the 2010 season. Engine speed is capped at 19,000 rpm and the units once again have to cover two GP weekends, although the Fridays are now exempt from this rule. In 2007 the Fridays will feature two 90-minute sessions in which the teams may send out a maximum of two cars. This will mean much more on-track action on the first day of the weekend. Testing, however,
will be substantially reduced, with the teams each allowed to cover a maximum of 30,000 kilometres in 2007. In 2006, the BMW Sauber F1 Team racked
up 43,659 test kilometres alone between January and the end of the season.

Bmw F1.07 #2

BMW Sauber F1.07 – a cast of experts.
Time was of the essence in the development of the F1.06, the first car developed by the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Indeed, BMW only took
the decision to purchase a majority stake in the Sauber team in June 2005.
The components already in the midst of a lengthy development period
(the chassis, engine and transmission) were moulded into an overall package – and with notable success, as the results over the course of the season
just gone can testify. However, the shortage of time available meant that compromise was unavoidable in certain areas.
The BMW Sauber F1.07 started out from a very different basis. Work on the concept began in April 2006 and took shape as part of a close cooperation between the chassis experts in Hinwil and their colleagues in Munich responsible for the powertrain, i.e. the engine and transmission, and the electronics. Priorities were set out from day one and all the aspects of the project brought together to create a harmonious overall package.
“We have channelled our experience with the F1.06 into the new car, but at the same time focused on the new challenges presented by the 2007 regulations”, explained Willy Rampf, Technical Director of the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
To this end, the most significant change is the switch to a single tyre supplier in Bridgestone. In accordance with the stipulations of the FIA, the Japanese company has produced tyres which offer less grip as a means of lowering cornering speeds.
“It’s clear that the cars are going to slide around more. It was therefore important for us to build a car that is easy to drive and that our drivers can trust sufficiently to go on the attack”, added Rampf, giving an insight into the team’s development strategy. “We should also expect the cars to run with
rather greater downforce as a rule, in order to make up for the loss of grip.”


[b]The nose has it.[/b]
Aerodynamics has been a key area in Formula One for a long time now, but the advent of the single tyre supplier format in 2007 will raise its importance even further. “If you look at all the components which affect the performance of a Formula One car, aerodynamics represent – by a distance – the single most important factor”, emphasises Rampf.
All of which explains why the BMW Sauber F1 Team top brass gave the expansion of the aerodynamics department top priority. The team’s use of the wind tunnel in Hinwil was gradually increased, with a move initially from
one to two shifts, and from there to a round-the-clock three-shift system in late October 2006. This has given the team parity in this area with its rivals – who have long had comparable systems in place – and fulfilled a central requirement in achieving its ambitious aims.
As always, the key is to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. However, almost
as important this year is the need to develop a package that functions as well as possible through corners.
Here, the front wing has an influential role to play, largely dictating the flow of air around the front tyres. It has been completely newly developed and forms a harmonious unit with the likewise totally new nose section, which is shorter and sits higher than its predecessor. This results in a reduction in its weight, but also places extra demands on the engineers when it comes to passing
the FIA crash tests. The most important aspect of this development, though,
is that the wing channels a large amount of air under the car, allowing the underbody and diffusor to work to their full potential.
New cooling concept.
The cooling intakes are somewhat larger than those on the 2006 car and represent part of a new cooling concept which is more effectively integrated into the overall package and designed to ensure greater air throughput.
The air is diverted upwards to maximum effect, improving aerodynamic efficiency compared to last year’s car, especially in high outside air temperatures. As Rampf explains: “We took a lot of time in the conceptual phase to find the best possible solution in this area. This is an important point, as the air temperature at the first races of the season, in particular, are traditionally very high. The cooling concept of the F1.07 promises to deliver impressive efficiency in all conditions.”

[b]Slimmed-down rear.[/b]
The designers built on the knowledge gained with the F1.06 in the development of the rear, giving the tail an even slimmer and lower profile in order to further optimise the air flow around the rear wing. The basis for
these modifications is provided by the compact quick shift gearbox and cleverly positioned hydraulic elements. Also integrated into the design are the exhaust pipes, whose form was defined to maximise performance and fit harmoniously into the overall package.
The section underneath the rear wing is a totally new development.
More stringent regulations governing rear-end collisions have meant that the rear crash element is now more voluminous overall and also has a modified form. The lower positioning of this element has required a totally revised design for the centre section of the diffusor.
The engineers were also instructed to reduce the car’s weight, while maintaining its rigidity. The affects the monocoque, which is made up of up to 60 layers of carbon fibre in places, as well as individual components. “It’s always good if you can use a lot of ballast, but in the situation we have now it’s particularly important, as it ensures outstanding flexibility in terms of weight distribution. And that plays a critical role in the optimum use of tyre potential”, explains Rampf.
New suspension elements.
The construction of the suspension elements is totally new and, at the front axle, dictated primarily by aerodynamics. The raised nose section mean that the wishbones slant downwards at a striking angle. The kinematics have been modified in response to the introduction of the standard Bridgestone tyres.
“We were also very keen to give the steering a high level of feedback”, says Rampf. “This area has gained even further in importance as a result of the cars’ reduced grip levels. The harder tyres will, by definition, cause the cars to slide around more, which means the drivers will have to do a lot more correcting as a result. And that makes good steering feedback indispensable.” The rear axle was also modified to further improve traction.


[b]Greater comfort.[/b]
Comfort and Formula One make uneasy bedfellows. And yet, one of the focal points in the development of the F1.07 was an increase in comfort. This is expressed specifically in the seating position of the drivers, especially that of Robert Kubica. The Pole’s 184-cm frame was a far from comfortable fit in
the 2006 car, whose cockpit area was particularly tight. As Rampf points out: “We only have restricted room for manoeuvre in this area, but we’ve
done what we can to give Robert a pleasant seating position in the new car.”
There has also been progress in the area of electronics, which combine the workings of the chassis and powertrain in the interests of integration.
The electronics for the chassis, engine and transmission have now been brought together into a single control unit, whose space-saving design allows it to be accommodated in the cockpit without taking up too much room.
“We created a solid basis for this year’s car in our first season on the grid.
The cooperation between the team members in Munich and Hinwil is now working well, and the additional resources give us extra potential. Our aim
is now to further reduce the gap between ourselves and the top teams”,
said Rampf, looking forward optimistically to the new season.

Bmw F1.07 #3

It's a bold move, replacing Nick Heidfeld with Chuck Norris...

I think the word that best describes the look of this new car is "conservative". There's nothing that looks even remotely daring or imaginative on there, it's rivalling the Toyota TF107 for being the blandest car released so far. Still, the looks don't really count for an awful lot if the pace of the car is good. BMW came on leaps and bounds toward the end of last season, and if they can continue that rate of improvement over the winter then I can see them being up there with Honda as "best of the rest" contenders.

i have observed the tendency that most of the teams have signifanctly shortened the noses of the car

haha they're also experimenting with the rectangular deflectors (stolen from ferrari :rolleyes: )

overall it looks promising, remember it's the first one completely new car of the team, should do even better than in the last year

Kubica FTW!

Anybody with me, that they should send Robert and Nick to the next best hair-dresser? :D

I guess if they kept developing with everything else then we'll see what Robert is really made of this season.

Bmw F1.07 Experience Nordschleife Circuit Nürburgring Germany #1

as requested

Bmw F1.07 Experience Nordschleife Circuit Nürburgring Germany #2