BMW Sauber F1 Team well-prepared for Bahrain

In recent weeks, the BMW Sauber F1 Team has completed an extensive testing programme. Therefore, Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve are well-prepared for the season opener, the Bahrain Grand Prix, to be held on 12th March. We take a look back at the team's preparation.

To date, the new BMW Sauber F1.06 has completed six tests. The new car's roll-out took place on 17th January in Valencia, as part of the team and car launch event, with Nick sitting at the wheel during the maiden laps at the 'Circuit de la Comunitat'. Two days later, Jacques Villeneuve made his debut appearance in the F1.06. The car, which is powered by the BMW P86 V8 engine, convinced right away with a promising performance and great reliability.

From 23rd to 26th January, the BMW Sauber F1 Team continued its preparation programme at Barcelona's 'Circuit de Catalunya'. Here, test driver Robert Kubica completed his first laps for his new team, but at the wheel of the interim car, the Sauber C24B. In early February, the team returned to Valencia for another test, then moved on to Jerez, where the squad has its first opportunity to conduct a test with two of the new BMW Sauber F1.06 chassis. Consequently, Robert also had the chance of completing his first laps in the team's 2006 challenger.

For the penultimate test of the off-season, the team returned to Barcelona, with all three BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers making perfect use of the good conditions by gaining loads of valuable data. To conclude the test, Nick and Jacques completed a full race simulation. The final pre-season test at Imola, however, was hampered by bad weather. Nonetheless, the BMW Sauber F1 Team enjoyed a very positive preparation period. Now, Nick, Jacques and Robert will travel to Bahrain, the venue of the 2006 season opener and the first true test for the BMW Sauber F1 Team's competitiveness compared with its rivals.