Heidfeld makes excuses for lack of pace

Compared to the gains made by the other teams, the new BMW appears to be a pig.

Nick Heidfeld has declared that BMW's 2008 challenger is better than its predecessor, despite suggestions that the squad have been struggled in pre-season so far.

The German and team-mate Robert Kubica admitted that they were having a difficult time with the F1.08 while putting the new car through its initial test programs, but Heidfeld has now clarified the situation.

"The car is most definitely better than last year's," he told the team's website. "You just have to take a look at the lap times to realize this.

"At the latest test, I said the old car was better balanced – but you shouldn't forget that we had an entire year to find this balance. Since then, we've had time to improve the new car's balance too, and it is also equipped with new components."

As a result the former Williams racer is unconcerned by the lack of chart-topping speed, insisting that progress is being made.

"Currently, we are trying different setup options," he continued, "but it's not unusual to focus on the balance before making the next steps. As I see it, we are moving within the normal window here at Jerez.

"[Finding the right balance] isn't more difficult than setting up the car – we simply have to fine tune the set-up work on our new challenger." Setanta Sports