Harmonious teamwork between race engineer and driver

The relationship between engineers and driver is of great importance in any form of motor racing. They work meticulously together to determine the best possible set-up and come up with a successful strategy.

Antonio Cuquerella and Paul Russell are the men in the background who work as race engineers with Robert and Nick. The driver gives his engineer any feedback on the BMW Sauber F1.09, who then implements the necessary steps to make the correct adjustments to the car.

Head of Track Engineering Giampaolo Dall'Ara sums the relationship between driver and race engineer up as follows: "This relationship is extremely important. Firstly, it is all about working together to get the maximum potential out of the car. Secondly, the driver must have absolute trust in the car. The race engineer is responsible for ensuring he feels safe. He must also have the feeling that he has full support when it comes to technical decisions."

During practice, qualifying and the race, Dall'Ara joins BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, Head of Engineering Willy Rampf, and Cuquerella and Russell at the pit wall. "During practice I listen in on the radio and then act where necessary to make a quick decision," he explains. "In qualifying it is important to determine the optimal times for the individual runs, in order to make the best possible use of the track conditions. During the race I supervise the work of both race engineers and coordinate it so that we achieve the best possible result for both drivers, depending on the race situation."