Dr Mario Speaks

[narain fan 0]

Webber failed to shine in '05 - BMW - 18 January 2006

Australian F1 driver Mark Webber did not perform well enough in 2005.

That is the opinion of BMW chief Mario Theissen, who worked with the 29-year-old in the carmaker's final collaborative year with Williams.

From 2006, BMW is the owner of the Sauber team, which has employed Webber's former teammate - Nick Heidfeld - for the future.

Theissen said: 'Mark's performance ... certainly was not satisfactory to the team and to him. He said that himself. He was not happy with his performance.'

The BMW motor sport director explained that Webber never came into consideration for a BMW-Sauber drive this year.

'Because he has a Williams contract,' Germany's Theissen explained. 'It was always clear he would be a Williams driver in 2006.'

Even so, Webber is regarded as one of F1's very best qualifiers, but it was his consistency in the actual grands prix that let him down last season.

Mario said: 'If he gets that right he will be one of the very strong drivers in F1. I expect him to do that.'

F1 dispute nearing end - BMW - 18 January 2006

Mario Theissen has added to a growing feeling in Formula One circles that doubts about the future of the sport are nearing an end.

The BMW F1 boss, whose employer is one of five carmakers threatening to quit and race in a rival championship in 2008, says he thinks the dispute 'will be settled'.

'I am quite confident that we will reach agreement to continue in Formula One,' Germany's Theissen said in Spain.

Ferrari, Red Bull's two teams, Midland and Williams - that is, every non-manufacturer outfit - have already signed up to Bernie Ecclestone's 2008 Concorde Agreement, while Japan's Toyota and Honda are reportedly adamant that the sport should not split.

BMW board member Burkhard Goeschel, meanwhile, indicated that the Munich based carmaker is unlikely to ultimately threaten the success of the race series.

He said: 'F1 seems tailor made for BMW's brand values, and there's no other sporting event that generates so much attention on such a regular basis worldwide.'

Home of sport.com

Teams working on new test accord

Looking to reduce testing and cut costs

A testing deal on the way?

F1 teams are still discussing a new gentleman's agreement to limit in-season track testing in 2006, Mario Theissen said on Tuesday.

The sport's newest team principal, in Spain for the launch and roll-out of BMW's first works F1 car, agrees with those who reckon testing is one of the biggest scourges on spending at the pinnacle of motor sport.

In 2005, every team except Ferrari signed up and adhered to a voluntary test agreement, which basically limited running to 30-days between the first and last grand prix, and two team cars per test day.

"We have to look at the costs," Theissen explained at Valencia.

But most of the carmakers on the grid are mindful of the need to keep F1 as a technology arena, Theissen added, hinting that this caveat would be considered in any accord.

Source GMM

CAPSIS International

F1-live.com

[AutoRacer5 0]

Hmm, all I thought was that he cured diseases.

[cristiano84 0]

Webber is an average driver and he has simply shown that in 2005,before he joined Williams he was simply over rated.stop

[mock 0]

Webber failed to shine in '05 - BMW - 18 January 2006

give the seat to NK

[pumpdoc 2]

give the seat to NK

Stop! your'e killing me

[Wez 0]

Stop! your'e killing me

[narain fan 0]

Every team goes through a continuous development process, from one season to the next, from old rules to new, but for BMW Sauber there was the additional job of developing a new team from two parts. BMW headquarters in Munich has to work hand-in-hand with Sauber's base in Hinwil but BMW motorsport director Mario Thiessen explained that it's not as complicated as some might think.

BMW, of course, has the experience of previously working with Williams, so a dual operation is not new to the German manufacturer. "We are used to handling projects over various locations," Theissen said at the launch of the BMW Sauber F1.06 in Valencia. "As long as you are able to integrate all of the efforts in a perfect way."

"There is a general project manager (Walter Riedl) and he makes sure that all the efforts are aligned between Hinwil and Munich. On top of that we have a data exchange between the two locations. We have a common database; everything that is designed and developed is accessible from both locations at the same time. As soon as there is something new it is put into the database and is available to the other place as well."

Hinwil remains the headquarters for chassis development while the powertrain, including the engine and gearbox, comes from Munich. "We don't see the two locations as conflicting," Theissen added.

"It's fully integrated and we have a programme that includes both factories to spread the work. Even if the powertrain comes from Munich, we still have people in Hinwil to cope with transmission issues, car, race and test operations, so you cannot really talk about a split operation."

The BMW P86 V8 engine started its life in May last year. "In F1 things tend to change week after week and it's the same on the development side," Theissen explained. "We had the first engine on the dyno at the end of May 2005 and on the track in July it was already a different engine; development is continuous all year."

"The engine that we have today is still distant from what we will have in Bahrain in two months time. With technology we have to make use of every hour of every day and night up until the first race."

The change from a V10 3 litre engine to the 2.4 V8 was not something that Theissen was very keen on. "I was not in favour of the V8 engine because the original aim to cut costs was not achieved," he commented. "It was quite different from just cutting two cylinders off a V10, although some people thought it would be like that."

"The V8 is a whole new concept -- if you look around you can see every engine manufacturer is very busy trying to make this engine reliable and to get it ready for the first race. It's been a huge challenge and I think we could have done very well with a restricted V10, saving a lot of money and achieving the other targets at the same time. But we have the V8 rule and we want to be successful with the V8, so there's no point in looking back, we have to make the best of it."

So what is the best that BMW Sauber can make of it? Although BMW is building on an existing team it's still a new beginning and nobody is expecting instant success. Sauber finished eighth in the constructors' standings in 2005 and BMW Williams fifth, so there's still some way to go before challenging the top teams is possible.

"I think it would not be realistic to say we will win a race in 2006 but I certainly hope we can get as close as possible," Thiessen said. "You can be sure we will be ready when the chance is there but you cannot plan for a race win. You can plan the performance of the car and then you have to look at what the competition does, and then you have to be there when the chance is there. So, no predictions!"

motorsport.com