BMW not happy with qualifying

Very mixed emotions for the BMW Sauber F1 Team after the final qualifying of the 2008 season: While Nick Heidfeld made it easily into the top ten and qualified eighth for the Brazilian Grand Prix, Robert Kubica struggled with a lack of grip and dropped out in the second part of qualifying. The Pole only qualified 13th in Interlagos.

Nick Heidfeld:
BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8
Qualifying 8th, 1.13.297 min (3rd Practice: 6th, 1.12.402 min)
“Qualifying was okay for me. In Q3 I thought in the end I could have improved more than the three tenths of a second I managed from the harder to the softer compound, but I have to say it was a good lap and I just couldn’t do any better. I really hope for a good race tomorrow.”

Robert Kubica:
BMW Sauber F1.08-05 / BMW P86/8
Qualifying 13th, 1:12.300 min in Q2 (3rd Practice: 14th, 1:12.971 min)
“This is obviously not the best position for tomorrow’s race. This is the second weekend in a row that I have been struggling with the overall grip of the car. Starting from so far behind will make the race very difficult for me.”

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director: “Traditionally on this track the time differences in qualifying are very close. Sometimes five or six cars are within one tenth of a second. A driver who is not able to fully exploit the potential there and then will find himself on the back of the grid. We are not happy with our result and, especially for Robert, the situation is not easy for the race. He has been suffering from lack of grip throughout the whole weekend, and we did not completely solve the problem in qualifying. Nick did better and set the eighth quickest time. Only tomorrow when we get to the first set of pit stops shall we see what we can do from here.”

Willy Rampf, Technical Director: “We cannot be happy with our qualifying. Robert did not make it beyond Q2. Ten cars were within three tenths of a second, so with only the slightest mistake one is out. Nick did better. Our goal is now to make up a few positions.”