BMW on the right track

Two races, two consecutive second places, a tally of 19 points, second in the constructors' championship – the BMW Sauber F1 Team has made a textbook start to the 2008 season. The plan is to continue this positive trend at the Bahrain Grand Prix but technical director Willy Rampf refuses to get carried away.

"Our two strong performances in Australia and Malaysia confirm that we are on the right track with our development of the F1.08 and have taken a leap forward," Rampf said. "But I wouldn't like to commit myself to any hierarchical order at the moment. For that we will have to wait for another race or two."

"The circuit in Bahrain features several slow turns and the very long start/finish straight with a tight chicane at the end," he added. "The track design calls for a compromise in terms of aerodynamic set-up. On the one hand the many slow corners require high downforce, on the other hand top speed is very important. Good traction also has a high priority, especially along the narrow section after the start/finish line. In Bahrain we will be driving with relatively soft tyre compounds, which plays an important role in the race strategy."