BMW decides against running KERS

With the Hinwil-based outfit introducing its double-decker diffuser for the first time at Istanbul as it bids to move on from its disastrous performance in Monaco, the team wants to focus solely on the car improvements rather than get distracted from using KERS again.

BMW has not run KERS since the Bahrain Grand Prix, with the old version of the unit not able to be fitted into the sculpted aerodynamic package introduced in Spain.

A revised unit was expected to be run for the first time in Turkey.

Heidfeld said: "The decision has been made to run without the KERS here. As in Barcelona, we will focus on the new aero package and then we will decide at the next couple of races in the usual way about if we put it on the car or not."

Heidfeld thinks it vital that, on the back of BMW Sauber's difficult weekend in Monaco, the team shows an upturn in form this time out.

"I think it is important to us - similar to the Barcelona weekend," he said. "Already beforehand we said that it is important to see that our new developments are working, and it is the same here.

"As we all know, there is no testing any more. We have the wind tunnel data, we sometimes have some straight-line testing data, but until we see lap times we cannot really be sure.

"It is important that we see a step forward here, but actually I am quite confident that we will see an improvement. As usual, the question is how much did the others improve. But it is going to be a step forward for us, and we are also going to work on other stuff that is already in the pipeline for the coming races. On top of that, I expect that Monaco was a one-off.

"It is not an excuse because it is not nice to struggle so much in Monaco, but still I believe it was not a representative circuit for us. We should be better here and I guess it will be a similar situation for Toyota."