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Posted on March 10, 2008 by Anthony Fontanelle | Posted under Automotive
Driver Is Key In '08 F1 Says Kubica
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The 23-year-old Pole outlined the differences he reckons will be evident this season. "In testing we noticed that the driver has a big influence over tyre wear," Kubica told Setanta Sports. "And that applies to an even greater extent the higher the temperature of the asphalt. Plus, it is also extremely important to avoid straying from the ideal line as much as possible." "In the past, we could rely on the traction control to keep everything in check if we went off line, and even if you had a bit of a slide you would only lose a relatively small amount of time. Without traction control the driver has to take his foot off the accelerator to avoid the risk of spinning. And that means you lose more time, of course," he continued. Kubica's teammate Nick Heidfeld said: “All the drivers have been really keen to find out how the latest Formula One cars react without traction control, and we have all adapted our driving style accordingly - after all that's part of our job. I also had the opportunity to try the car out in the wet in testing. I have to say that it was really fun to drive without traction control. The challenge for the drivers is greater, and that's the way I like it." Last season, BMW Sauber was the surprise package surpassing Renault, the reigning champion, to grab the remarkable second place in the constructors' standings. But the team wants something more. This season, BMW Sauber is eyeing the elusive first win. Kubica and Heidfeld talked about their expectations for the team on its third season on the F1 racing arena. Asked how they see things shaping up, Heidfeld has this to say: “Even for us as drivers it has been a long time since it was this difficult to say how the F1 teams stand against each other. The testing results of the big teams have simply been too variable to form an opinion. As for us, we have made huge progress since the roll-out in Valencia." “The engineers took a certain amount of risk and have entered new territory in some areas with the F1.08. One of the consequences of this is that we were not quite where we hoped to be at the start of winter testing. But since the roll-out everybody in the team - and that means both the testing crew and the guys back at the plants - has been working at full steam, seven days a week. These efforts have paid off; we have made great steps forward and registered improvements in all areas. And I'm sure we are still far from exhausting the full potential of the F1.08," Kubica noted. BMW headlights will be illuminating driver's skills on a higher intensity this season. This is why the challenge is much tougher. Moreover, the aim is to squeeze the maximum that drivers could deliver. About The Author: ======== For more information about your parts needs like BMW headlights visit your trusted online source. ### Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop. |
Tags: AUTO PARTS, BMW HEADLIGHTS
