Give BMW Time, Says Heidfeld
German driver Nick Heidfeld believes the BMW team will need time before they can fight at the top in Formula One
The German carmaker has taken over the Sauber team and will race under its own name in 2006, but Heidfeld, who was the first driver to be confirmed at the outfit, reckons it's far too early to start thinking of winning races.
"I think a win is too high an aim for our first season," Heidfeld told Autosport. "We will have to see where Sauber finish at the end of this year and then set a target for next year from that. They will probably be eighth this year, so it's unlikely we will be able to win the World Championship starting from there.
"It will take time to integrate people and organise new ways of working under the team's new ownership but once that has done I think we can build into something very strong. We will be looking for the bigger results to come in 2007 and particularly in 2008.
"The first target is to get Sauber's wind tunnel working 24/7. At the moment it is only working at something like 50 percent capacity, but finding the right people to work in a tunnel like that isn't something you can do in a few minutes."
Heidfeld, however, warned that BMW will be determined to win titles.
"I think they will just try to make the most of what they have," he added. "But clearly BMW doesn't want to finish eighth in the Championship, which is probably where Sauber will finish this year. Sauber knows how to do better - it finished fourth in 2001 - but BMW has a very clear goal of wanting to win the World Championship.
"They have a lot of experience and they have taken the world title before as an engine manufacturer, but now the target is to do it as a team. It's not just a question of spending a huge amount of money.
"I think they have seen other teams do that in recent years without much success and I'm pretty sure they will want to avoid that. I don't think BMW will want to make the same mistakes."
Previous article
Pizzonia to Race for the Rest of the Season
Next article
Heidfeld Proud to Drive for BMW
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Nick Heidfeld |
The clues Hamilton’s F1 contract afterthought gives to his future
The Formula 1 world reacted with surprise when it learned Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited new Mercedes deal guarantees his presence on the grid only until the end of 2021. Both parties claimed publicly they were happy with the arrangement but, asks MARK GALLAGHER, is there more to it than that?
How a harshly ejected Red Bull star has been hooked by racing again
Driver-turned-DJ Jaime Alguersuari lost his love for motorsport when he was booted out of Formula 1 just as he was starting to polish his rough edges. Having drifted from category to category then turned his back on racing altogether in 2015, he’s come full circle and is planning a return in karts for fun
Why Mercedes isn't confident it's really ahead of Red Bull at Imola
While Mercedes struck back against Red Bull by topping the times at Imola on Friday ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the overall picture remains incredibly close. Despite having a possible edge this weekend, the reigning Formula 1 world champion squad is not taking anything for granted...
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well-aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead on pace. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping
Why Tsunoda can become Japan’s greatest F1 talent
While Japan's fever for motor racing is well-documented, the country has yet to produce a Formula 1 superstar – but that could be about to change, says BEN EDWARDS
Why the demise of F1's hypocritical spending habit is cause for celebration
For too long, F1's richest teams have justified being able to spend as much as they want because that's the way they've always conducted their business. STUART CODLING says that's no reason not to kick a bad habit
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is not guaranteed
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
