Aerodynamic compromise for Bahrain - Rampf

This coming Friday, the BMW Sauber F1 Team will embrace the third Grand Prix weekend of the year. Willy Rampf, Technical Director for the team from Munich and Hinwil, is expecting the "Bahrain International Circuit" to provide a more accurate representation of the performance level, and gives us some details on the set-up of the car.

"Our two strong performances in Australia and Malaysia confirm that we are on the right track with our development of the F1.08 and have taken a leap forward", says Rampf. "But I would not like to commit myself to any hierarchical order at the moment. For that we will have to wait another race or two."

Slow curves and a very long start-finish straight, which ends with a tight chicane: these are the characteristics of the 5.412km circuit in the emirate on the Arabian Peninsula. Rampf believes this requires a compromise in the aerodynamic set-up: "On the one hand the many slow corners require high down force, on the other hand top speed is very important. Good traction also has a high priority, especially along the narrow section after the start/finish line. In Bahrain we will be driving with relatively soft tyre compounds, which will play an important role in the race strategy", says the German.