We have the pace but we still need to work on the reliability - Heidfeld

The test results achieved by the BMW Sauber F1 Team so far look promising: fast lap times and a consistent performance have impressed the competition. However, Nick Heidfeld thinks it's too early for the team to be regarded as a dark horse in terms of the 2007 championship.

Ferrari ace Felipe Massa and Scuderia Toro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger have praised the progress of the BMW Sauber F1 Team and both are of the opinion that the Munich and Hinwil based squad has what is needed to secure GP wins this year. Nick Heidfeld is happy about this assessment, nonetheless, he warns against being too optimistic: "It's nice to hear other people saying how fast we are but we still do not really know," he admits. "Until Melbourne, no one knows what the other teams are doing."

In last week's test, the BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers were usually just fractions of a second slower than the pace-setter on each day. Furthermore the team successfully completed numerous long-runs, suffering very few technical problems. "Of course I'd rather be in this position than in another," says Nick. "We have the pace but we still need to work on the reliability. However, I know it is easier to work on the reliability of a fast car than improving the pace of a reliable one."