Auto123.com - Helping you drive happy

F1: Huge car upgrade for BMW-Sauber in Singapore

|
Get the best interest rate
Khatir Soltani
From GMM

While teams including Ferrari and McLaren have stopped developing their 2009 cars, BMW-Sauber has arrived in Singapore with a massive development of its F1.09 single seater.

Team boss Mario Theissen hinted to the Swiss newspaper Blick that it is the biggest upgrade that has ever left the Hinwil factory, while technical boss Willy Rampf added: "Everything is new except the steering wheel and the cockpit."


Tellingly, even the gearbox is completely new, which is a major sign about the team's confidence about racing under its new Qadbak ownership next year. Theissen confirmed that the unit will also be used at the beginning of 2010, in conjunction with a Ferrari drivetrain.

Incredibly, the team's data seems to indicate a step forward in the range of up to a full second per lap, and Rampf confirmed: "The wind tunnel data is very good."

Rampf's technical team has been working on the upgrade ever since the decision to completely scrap KERS was made earlier this season.

He is quoted as saying by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport: "This is our ultimate non-KERS package."



Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada