BMW BLOG

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked the end of BMW’s appearance after four years in the Formula One championship. After another strong weekend, BMW Sauber exists the Formula One championship with their heads up. Nick Heidfeld had an emotional last few laps with his BMW Sauber monopost and finished in fifth place, enough to put the team ahead of Williams to finish sixth in the Team Championship.

As a gesture of thanks for Heidfeld’s activity within the team, legendary Peter Sauber gave the German driver a Formula One car from this era.

“It now becomes very emotional,” said Heidfeld, 32, after finishing fifth in Abu Dhabi. “During the last laps I had to pull myself together in order to keep my concentration.”

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Happy end to the last race for the BMW Sauber F1 Team: After a great race, Nick Heidfeld finished the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in fifth. With these four points the team was able to move up one place in the constructors’ championship and overtake Williams to finish sixth. Robert Kubica was also on the way to score a championship point before he spun in a battle with Sébastien Buemi.

As a thank you for Nick Heidfeld’s seven years of great commitment to the team in Hinwil Peter Sauber is giving him a Formula One car from this era. The 2009 season’s finale also marks the last Formula One race for BMW after the company’s decision at the end of July to pull out of this sport. In the team’s four year history the BMW Sauber F1 Team collected 308 world championship points, one pole position and 17 podiums, including one win. (The following pages outline a timeline of the team’s achievements.)

Nick Heidfeld: 5th

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Abu Dhabi (UAE). For the third time this season the BMW Sauber F1 Team progressed on its own merit with both cars into the top ten session for the grid. Robert Kubica qualified seventh for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Nick Heidfeld was eighth. Therefore the team, with at least one car, has taken part in the top ten qualifying session in ten out of this season’s 17.

Robert Kubica:

BMW Sauber F1.09-08 / BMW P86/9

Qualifying 7th, 1:41.992 min in Q3 (3rd Free Practice: 8th, 1:41.322 min)

“Unfortunately I missed yesterday’s second free practice session. As a result I had no experience of the track conditions at this time of day. The conditions were completely different compared to the third free practice session. The lower temperatures had quite a big effect on the car’s balance. In the end qualifying in seventh is quite ok and I am optimistic that we can fight for points tomorrow.”

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Dirk Müller (DE) and Tommy Milner (US) celebrated victory with the BMW M3 GT2 in the first round of the Asian Le Mans Series. At the “Okayama International Circuit” the drivers of the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team put in a flawless performance and crossed the line as winners in the GT2 category after 113 laps, relegating Marc Lieb (DE) and Wolf Henzler (DE) in their Porsche 911 RSR to second with a gap of 0.292 seconds.

Following the victory in the American Le Mans Series race in Road America (US), this is the second win for the new GT sports car, and also the car’s maiden win in Asia. The final phase of the Asian Le Mans Series inaugural event was a thriller. After Müller, who was in the car at the start, had worked his way up from fifth on the grid to second in the early stages of the three-hour race, Milner took over the wheel of the BMW M3 GT2 on lap 52.

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Interlagos (BR). In an electric and action packed Brazilian Grand Prix the BMW Sauber F1 Team earned its second trophy this season. Robert Kubica managed to come second in the race after starting from only eighth. Nick Heidfeld improved in his first stint from 18th to tenth, but then retired after his first pit stop because the fuel rig didn’t work and let him run dry. The eight points scored in the penultimate race of the season has put the BMW Sauber F1 Team ahead of Renault in the Constructors’ World Championship to seventh. The BMW Sauber F1 Team wants to congratulate Jenson Button and Brawn GP for the Championship titles.

Robert Kubica: 2nd

BMW Sauber F1.09-08 / BMW P86/9

Fastest lap 1: 14.155 min on lap 38 (4th fastest overall)

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With a sixth place finish by Tommy Milner and Dirk Müller in today’s Monterey Sports Car Championship, the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team concluded its inaugural American Le Mans Series season.

In the ten-race, eight-months-long season from Sebring to Laguna Seca, the team tallied one victory, five podium finishes, two 1-2 M3 qualifying efforts, and three fast race laps. BMW secured third place in 2009 ALMS Manufacturers Point standings and Milner and Müller took fourth place in Driver Points. The team finished third in Team Points.

Milner and Müller completed 153 laps in today’s four-hour race at Laguna Seca, to finish sixth in the No. 92 M3. Though disappointed this weekend, the duo has reached the podium in half of the races this season. Milner started from eighth and ran strongly until a competitor spun him off after the race’s second caution period. He pitted to check for damage and Müller entered the race one lap down to the leaders. Dirk battled for the next three hours, running as high as fifth and turning some of the fastest laps of the race. A late pit stop to repair a damaged left front wheel ultimately dropped him to a sixth place finish.

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The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team M3s will start mid-pack for tomorrow’s Monterey Sports Car Championship following the most competitive GT2 qualifying session of the season. When the checkered flag waved, the top-10 cars were within one second of the polesitter’s time, with the No. 90 M3 of Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand sixth and the No. 92 M3 of Tommy Milner and Dirk Müller eighth.

Switching usual qualifying drivers in both M3s, Bill Auberlen qualified the
No. 90 M3 sixth with a 1:23.552 minute lap around the 2.238-mile Laguna Seca Raceway. Making no adjustments during the session, Auberlen set his quick time on the sixth lap.

Making his first qualifying effort of the season, Tommy Milner drove the
No. 92 M3 to the eighth starting position with a time of1:23.745 minutes. The crew pitted Milner for adjustments after nine laps, but his seventh lap stood as the fastest.

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Next season Robert Kubica will be driving for Renault’s Formula One team. The 24 year old Pole and the BMW Sauber F1 Team have agreed on an early termination of their contract.

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen said: “Robert played an important role for us – and certainly we did the same for him. He joined us in 2006 as a test driver with no Formula One experience, and then we promoted him to be one of our team’s drivers during that season.

He never let us down and, with our first pole position in 2008 in Bahrain and first victory the same year in Canada, he set milestones in the history of our team. We are grateful for his strong and constant performances and wish him all the best for his future.“

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The BMW Sauber F1 Team managed to score points in the fifth consecutive race, but is not happy with the result. Nick Heidfeld started from fourth, but in the Japanese Grand Prix lost two positions due to bad luck and finished sixth. Robert Kubica came from ninth on the grid to finish ninth.

Nick Heidfeld: 6th

Fastest lap 1:33.600 min on lap 13 (10th fastest overall)

“Today was not our lucky day. I’m very disappointed with this result. Fourth place was within reach but several things went wrong today, especially at the second pit stop when the rear right wheel nut got stuck. But certainly I don’t want to complain. These things can happen and normally we have very good pit stops. That was when I lost a position to Kimi, and I rejoined the race just behind him. When the safety car came out I lost another position to Nico, who was lucky to refuel while the safety car was out.“

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Newest and most interesting rumor of the days revolves around the BMW Sauber Formula 1 team. According to Auto123 and Auto Motor und Sport, McLaren is looking into the idea of splitting completely with Mercedes as soon as the Formula 1 season ends.To take this rumor even further, AMS reports that McLaren’s plan to buy the Formula One engine division from BMW.

As you recall, BMW will exit the Formula 1 championship at the end of this year and a new buyer for the Sauber team has been found.

The move would also clear path for Mercedes to focus on its elaborate partnership with Brawn, the leading team this season.  McLaren has an engine supply contract with equity partner Mercedes for two more seasons, but the Chairman Ron Dennis believes the car can manage without the Mercedes’ engines.

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