Our wind tunnel is one of the best in F1 - Rampf

The wind tunnel in Hinwil, Switzerland, is a crucial factor in the ongoing enhancement of the BMW Sauber F1.07. Willy Rampf states: "I believe it to be one of the best in Formula One." There are numerous reasons for the BMW Sauber F1 Team's progress to third position in the Drivers' Championship, with the ongoing enhancement of the F1.07 being one of them.

In this area, the team's wind tunnel, located in Hinwil, Switzerland, represents a crucial factor. "Over the past two years we have been able to increase our wind tunnel hours by more than 100 percent," says Rampf, the team's Technical Director. "This has meant that the turnover of ideas and concepts - and therefore the number of development parts - has also doubled, meaning more output. That results in increased performance."

When working on enhancements for the F1.07, BMW relies on a close integration of the wind tunnel and the analysis by Intel super computer Albert2. "Basically, the importance of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has increased markedly in recent years," adds Rampf. "And obviously, Albert2, the computer developed in conjunction with Intel, plays a decisive role. Through its massive capacity we have the ability to achieve better results by simulating more models, or solving more complex problems by going into greater detail."

Consequently, Rampf's conclusion comes as no major surprise: "I believe our wind tunnel to be one of the best in Formula One."