Heidfeld looking forward to Bahrain

Within just one week, Nick Heidfeld has to change from Malaysia's tropical heat to Bahrain's dry desert air. Nonetheless, the BMW Sauber F1 Team driver is fully aware of the challenges he will have to cope with in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

"Both the facilities and the track layout are really nice in Bahrain," Heidfeld says, but at the same time he warns of the perils on the circuit located in the Persian Gulf. "The fact that the circuit lies in the middle of the desert makes it somewhat special. If it is windy the track becomes very sandy and this has and impact on our driving because it means loss of grip, and also is hard on the machinery."

In the off-season, many teams used the Grand Prix circuit for pre-season testing. This also applies to the BMW Sauber F1 Team Nick explains: "This year, nearly every team has up-to-date data from Bahrain because we had the double test in late February." During these tests at the 'Bahrain International Circuit', the BMW Sauber F1.07 proved to be both quick and reliable.

Even for Nick, who is known as a man who wants to get to know far more than just the Grand Prix venue of the respective country, Bahrain has a whiff of the exotic. "It is somewhat unusual for us to see the locals in their long robes, and the veiled women. However, I generally like new experiences and seeing something out of the ordinary."