BMW still target maiden win in 2008

The team's F1.08 had some balance issues in its first tests, slowing down its development rate ahead of the start of the season.

But BMW have made progress since then and Theissen is adamant their goals remain unchanged.

"During the winter we consciously opted for a change in concept for the BMW Sauber F1.08," said Theissen in a team preview. "To be able to catch up with the teams ahead of us we had to go for an aggressive approach. The reliability of the new car has been very good from the outset.

"We have also learnt that a car with a lot of potential is harder to control at the start than a more amenable car that reaches its limits far more quickly. For us it's now a case of forging ahead with the fine-tuning. Since the roll-out, I believe we are on a good path.

"Our ambitious target for 2008 remains unchanged: this year we want to close the gap to the leaders and win our first race."

The team finished in second place in last year's constructors' championship following McLaren's disqualification from the standings.