Early acceleration and late braking...

In the 2006 Formula One season, the new 2.4litre V8 engines celebrate their debut. The switch of the engine concept has not only brought changes for the BMW engineers with it. The drivers also have to adjust to the new situation.

The new engines require the drivers to slightly alter their driving style. The top speed at the end of the straights loses in importance, while the speeds in the corners are becoming more crucial. Nick Heidfeld, driver of the BMW Sauber F1 Team, explains: "Due to lower engine performance, we have fewer problems with the wheels spinning when exiting the corners and therefore we can push harder in these situations. On the other hand, the top speeds at the end of long straights are far lower in comparison."

This does not, however, mean Formula One racing has become less exciting for the drivers. "There's no pleasure in straight line speed anyway," says Jacques Villeneuve. "The pleasure comes from breaking late and carrying speed into the corner and going fast through the corner."

The drivers also need to cope with a shift of the braking points before corners, if not quite as dramatic as expected. "The braking point hasn't shifted a lot in comparison to past years. The difference between approaching a corner with 300km/h or 285km/h doesn't really have a major effect on the braking point," adds Nick. Now the speed in the corners is the decisive factor, and at some circuits featured in the 2006 season that is expected to be even higher than last year.