Running to Time: Interview with Mario Theissen

Last year, after switching their attention away from Williams and buying up the Sauber team, BMW started a new path on their Formula One journey. One year on, many are tipping them to be fast starters in Melbourne after some impressive pre-season form.

But while there is no doubting the fact the team is looking strong, Theissen is wary of over-optimism and simply insists he is sticking to the pre-determined game plan to build respectability in 2007 and seek victories in 2008.

In this in-depth interview we talk to Theissen about the lessons learned from Year One, the building process at Hinwil, the technical changes for 2007, the driver rivalry, the potential for rows in Australia and, of course, that testing form.

Q: Mario, there is one test to go, again in Bahrain, then it is time to pack up and head for Australia. How do you judge winter testing?

Mario Theissen: "I think we will get a clearer picture only after the second Bahrain test, as I presume then everybody will run then in their Melbourne configuration. Everybody sooner or later will have to do a qualification and race simulation. That will create a decent picture."

Q: Your pace has drawn praise from former Sauber driver Felipe Massa, who is now at Ferrari. Do you think that is just a nice compliment or an attempt to deflect pressure?

Theissen: "You should ask him! Perhaps it is both, perhaps he really believes that. My judgement is that we have been encouragingly quick right from the start. The drivers speak about a true step forward regarding the performance.

"So first of all this is a confirmation of our concept and of your development work. But success consists of two factors: you have to be quick, but you also have to be reliable. There were a couple of issues we had to address in the last weeks and they will go on to keep us busy right up to the race in Melbourne."

Q: Still, many experts believe that especially during the first couple of races, BMW-Sauber could create quite a stir. How big is the lure to raise your internal goals?

Theissen: "For sure, we do not only have a programme to perform especially during the first couple of races. Quite to the contrary, actually. We concentrate on keeping a constantly high rhythm of development ­ as we did last year when he achieved the goal not only to keep the pace of the top teams but to actually close the gap. That is also the aim for this year. That means I fully expect that we will not fall back during the running of the season. We will continue to develop aggressively."

Q: But you spoke about getting rostrum positions this year. How much self-protection is there in setting such a humble goal?

Theissen: "I cannot see that as a humble goal at all, I think that is quite demanding. We defined our path two years ago in the way that we wanted to halve the initial handicap of 0.3 seconds per kilometre in 2006, that we want to edge even closer to the top teams in 2007 and we want to be in the position to win in 2008.

"That requires us to develop quicker and achieve bigger steps forward than the top teams, otherwise you will not move closer to them. And I can only describe that as being aggressive. The positions and the time frame of last year have proven that we are on target. And when I see the performances of our car this winter, I am confident that we will also achieve the second part of our path. So in total, I do not consider that as being humble. If we are really successful, I have to say 'hats off to the team!'"

Q: You have a strong driver line-up, but where is the line between two drivers who spur themselves on in a sporting, healthy fashion and two drivers who tend to only look what the other is doing and lose the target of pushing the team forward?

Theissen: "Well, very driver has his own career in mind, and this applies not only to the racing drivers but also to the test drivers. At the same time, every driver knows that without pushing the team forward, he himself will not be successful. You need a good balance there, and that lies within the responsibility of the drivers but also of the team. I am well aware of the situation and we will handle that very carefully."

Q: It has been said that the change to the single tyre is more beneficial to the driving style of Nick Heidfeld. Is that something that has been confirmed through testing?

Theissen: "I used to say the style of Nick is closer to this kind of tyre, but that does not imply that a good driver such as Robert or a top driver such as Fernando Alonso could not adapt. It seems that both did. After all, these men are supposed to be amongst the best 22 drivers, so one should expect them to be able to master that."

Q: Nick and Robert have made no secret out of the fact that they would prefer to run the complete Friday programme, that BMW-Sauber should not have a third driver in the car. They argue that other top teams also rely fully on their Grand Prix drivers. Is that a justifiable objection?

Theissen: "It is a comprehensible objection since any driver wants to have as much track time as possible, especially, when they see their direct opponents getting out there. I can fully understand that, but I think the whole situation is overrated. We have different conditions than we had last year. In 2006, and I looked that up, the Grand Prix drivers were on track on the Friday in the region of 15 laps.

"You have to bear in mind the engine restriction. Surely, they would have preferred to drive more and also the technicians would have preferred that. Now, we have two times 90 minutes, so on a normal track that means 40 laps. Even if one Grand Prix drivers is not in the car in the morning session, he still gets quite a substantial amount of data from the other two drivers. And he should have more than enough time in the second session to fine-tune his car.

"I would be stunned if all drivers take advantage of the full 90 minutes. We also are able to change our tactics if we encounter technical gremlins or if we want to use new components that have not been tested before. To run a third driver is something we aim to do, but if there is a special situation we will react specifically."

Q: Why not run Timo Glock on Fridays when he is not busy with GP2, say on race weekends overseas.

Theissen: "We have simply decided to take a different path, with Sebastian Vettel, that is all."

Q: Moving on to the technical side of the 2007 season, we have seen that most Formula One teams now work with quick shift gearboxes. During winter testing it became clear that this creates a number of problems. Why is this kind of gearbox so critical?

Theissen: "The decisive thing is the timing. The sequence of getting gear out and putting the next in must be very precise, under every condition. There are not only many components that are part of that sequence but also many systems ­ mechanic, electronic, hydraulic. When the timing of that sequence is no longer perfect, at best you have a gearbox which does not shift and at worst, you have parts flying in all directions. It is very complex."

Q: There are three different solutions with these gearboxes. Honda started in 2005 with one shift cylinder, Williams operated in 2006 with a double clutch system, you work with two shift cylinders. Why did you go for that solution?

Theissen: "We simply believed that in the sum of the characteristics, this is the best solution for us, also considering the weight. From my perspective, there are no fundamental differences concerning the performance of these different systems. All of them allow the driver to shift without interrupting the driving power. The conceptual differences are more like the way that there are different solutions with spring and damper units that lead to similar results."

Q: The engines have been limited to 19,000 revs. What kind of technical endeavour was that for the technicians?

Theissen: "It really depends on where you were before. Most engine manufacturers had engines that revved in between 19,000 and 20,000. Basically, if you are reducing the revs, the strain on the engine should not become bigger.

"You react to this reduction by adapting the gas exchange - meaning you re-tune the cylinder charging to the number of revs where you want to have your top power. Usually that is in the region of 500 and 1000 revs under the limit. You adapt the lengths and diameters of the inlet manifold and you adapt the length of the exhaust and the camshafts for the intended valve lift curve."

Q: Is an engine that was capable of revving 20,500 automatically punished more severely by that than one other unit revving 19,500?

Theissen: "No, not necessarily. You have the parameter I have spoken about and if you alter them by two or by five percent it does not matter that much. It is something completely different, however, if you have an internal concept of the engine aimed at this higher rev characteristic. Examples for that are diameter and thickness of the bearings, the bore and stroke."

Q: When Formula One changed from the V10 units to eight cylinder engines, the different vibration characteristic was the big subject. Nowadays no one is talking about it anymore. Why is that?

Theissen: "Simply, because the different engine builders have detected the problem, have understood it, have developed solutions and have applied them, so vibrations are no longer an issue."

Q: It was alleged that the shorter and higher placed nose on the BMW-Sauber created problems with the crash test. So is it going to need a new nose?

Theissen: "No. I would expect to see the same nose you have seen before also in Melbourne."

Q: Back in Hinwil, the team has grown from roughly 275 to around 400 personnel. Where do you still have places to fill?

Theissen: "We are getting close to the finish line, if you will. We have targeted 430 experts and the remaining places are in pretty much all divisions. Initially, in taking aboard people, we were a little behind in production in relation to the growing rate of the aero department, but now that has levelled off."

Q: Did you alter the limit of 430 people? And at what point does a flexible racing team become sort of a hard-to-manoeuvre super tanker?

Theissen: "We never altered the figure. We have defined it like that and we will stick to it. That is significantly under the numbers of the biggest teams and we want to keep it that way in order to remain quick and efficient."

Q: Things are changing at your sponsors Credit Suisse with Oswald Grubel, who is a Formula One fan, leaving in May and being replaced by American Brad Dougan. How does that affect the collaboration with them?

Theissen: "I don't expect any changes, but I can't add much more because I have not discussed it with the respective people."

Q: There is a lot to look ahead to, but reflecting for a minute, if you look back at your first year as team boss, what would you do differently this season?

Theissen pauses for a while before responding. "Well, I have to say that I have never given that a thought, simply because I am so busy being focused on what we do. We are in the middle of a two-year programme and, recognising that we are on target, we cannot have done much wrong."

Q: Do you find it sad that there is not time to reflect?

Theissen: "Perhaps it is too soon to do so. When we have all the jigsaw puzzle parts in place here at Hinwil, when we have the new building ready and the complete staff aboard, then it might be a better time to look back."

Q: So we are almost on our way to Australia, but Formula One could be hitting some turbulence before it gets there. Sir Frank Williams and Colin Kolles of Spyker are still threatening legal action in Australia against Toro Rosso and Super Aguri within the so-called customer car quarrel. Do you expect a Grand Prix of lawyers in Melbourne with injunctions flying around all over the paddock?

Theissen: "I certainly hope not. And I do not believe that it will be that way, that such action is only initiated in Australia. I would rather expect that legal action will happen before, so everybody will know where they stand when we get to Melbourne."

Q: Is such a move a necessary evil or a poison for Formula One racing?

Theissen: "I would not describe it as poison for Formula One. We operate on the basis of the Concorde agreement, which is in place until the end of 2007, and that agreement does not foresee what we have now. So from the perspective of Frank Williams, I can fully understand him being willing to walk that path. It is very much in the interest of F1 racing that this whole ordeal is sorted out one way or the other, the sooner the better."

Q: Roughly one year ago, I asked you to tell me something about the impact that buying Sauber had on BMW. You told me it was too early to tell and to ask again in twelve months. So here I am, asking again...

Theissen: "We do a yearly study into how the BMW Formula One project is seen in public. This is a representative survey done by an independent company, according to certain rules, a company that does similar surveys for other manufacturers as well.

"The outcome for 2006 does say that the public is very much aware of what we are doing and that our decision buy Sauber was seen as a step in the right direction. Regarding the image of the team, and also the appearance of the team, we get a positive feedback."

Q: What kind of feeling will you have when you board the plane towards Australia?

Theissen: "With the feeling of having developed a good car with which we should have ahead of us a strong season."

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