Road Tripper

We can say that the BMW Sauber F1 team is quite unlucky during the double header race in North America. Why? It is because Robert Kubica suffered an accident during the 2007 Canadian GP and Nick Heidfeld retired at the last remaining laps of the 2007 US GP. But despite all of these, the 19-year old test driver Sebastian Vettel managed to score 1 point in US GP, as he drove Kubica’s race car.

The main question is… can Robert Kubica race in Magny Cours for the 2007 French Grand Prix? Well, check out the two BMW Sauber drivers has to say about the upcoming race in France.

Nick Heidfeld:
“The Magny-Cours circuit has a lot to offer - two tricky chicanes, a high-speed section and some slow corners. I’m looking forward to the race weekend. The track is demanding, I like the countryside around the circuit and you tend to eat very well in France. There’s not a lot going on in Magny-Cours and it gets its fair share of criticism as a result. But I like a bit of peace and quiet now and again. And I think the relative tranquillity will do the team good after the eventful time we’ve had recently.”

Robert Kubica:
“I can’t wait to get back into the car. I may not have been given the green light to compete in the USA, but I hope the medical examination at Magny-Cours will be a formality. The reason why I wasn’t allowed to drive at Indianapolis had nothing to do with how I felt; the problem was the risk involved in suffering a second accident within such a short space of time. That’s also why I wasn’t allowed to test. I’ve used the time to focus intensively on preparing for the next race.”

“I’m pretty neutral about the Magny-Cours track. It isn’t one of my favourite circuits, but at the same time I don’t have a problem with it. Magny-Cours is a lot more fun in a Formula One car than with the smaller cars I’ve driven there before in other categories of racing. You can particularly see the potential of the F1 car through the chicanes.”

Well, as a BMW Sauber fan, I really hope that the doctors will allow Kubica to race in Magny Cours.

Robert Kubica, driver of the No. 10 BMW F1.07 for the BMW Sauber F1 team has already recovered from his injuries due to his devastating crash at the recent 2007 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Although he only suffered minor injuries, the doctors did not allow him to compete in the 2007 US Grand Prix. Now the question is… can Kubica compete in the upcoming 2007 French Grand Prix?

Well, check out this interview with the Polish driver. Thanks to www. motorsport.com for this one.

Q: Robert, how do you feel?

Robert Kubica: “I feel very well and it was touching how often I was asked this question! I received so many good wishes from all over the world and want to thank everybody for this.”

Q: What have you been doing since you left Indianapolis?

RK: “I am pretty bored with doing nothing. I am not used to resting for such a long period - no test, no pr days. But, of course, I have used the time for my fitness preparation in Italy and am also in constant contact with Josef Leberer, our team’s physio.”

Q: How was the reaction in Poland?

RK: “Although I did not go to Poland I know from my family that my accident in Montreal was quite a shock in Poland and I have received a lot of cheering messages from all my friends and fans living in Poland. The 30 minutes after the accident were very tough for my relatives in Poland until they got the information that I was not injured.”

Q: Do you think the accident will have an influence on your driving in the future?

RK: “No, definitely not. I always knew that with a single seater and open wheels an accident like this could happen. Also it can always happen again. This is the same for every driver and we are all aware of it. I feel what happened is more encouraging than worrying thanks to the outcome that you still can climb out without being hurt.

The improved safety regulations from the FIA plus the “safety first” approach of our BMW Sauber F1 Team engineers and designers have made this possible. I would like to say a big personal thank you to all of them. If I had been born earlier I would have still wanted to race in Formula One, but most likely would have suffered injuries. I feel I am lucky to be racing in modern Formula One.”

Q: What are your feelings ahead of the French Grand Prix?

RK: “Well, as I said, I can’t wait to race! But whether I am allowed to or not is down to the decision of the official doctors, who I have to see before the race in Magny-Cours.”

I really hope that Robert is in good shape enough to race in France this coming July.

The recent 2007 United States Grand Prix that took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was not that bad for the BMW Sauber F1 team. Although driver Nick Heidfeld was forced to retire on lap 56 due to a problem on the hydraulics, the 19-yearl old test driver Sebastian Vettel managed to finish the race aboard the No. 10 BMW Sauber F1.07 equipped with quality BMW parts and took the 8th spot. This allows the German driver to b

e the youngest F1 driver to score a point in Grand Prix. He also became the sixth youngest driver to start a Grand Prix career.

Sebastian Vettel commented after the race: “It was fantastic, a lot of fun but a longer race than I ever imagined it to be. I think I am quite lucky to get away with a point as the first corner was quite tight. I had an okay start, but not a very good one. When I saw the cars were close I decided to brake just a little bit later and then caught up quickly to those in front of me. To avoid an incident I decided to cut turn two and lost a lot of places. After that I was stuck in traffic which more or less destroyed our strategy.”

“It is good to finish the first race and better still in the points. The car was working well. I could have been a bit quicker, but quite often I was stuck in traffic and it is extremely difficult to overtake here as the other guys are not sleeping and they know how to defend. In the end when I saw the chequered flag I was quite relieved. I am quite happy for me and the team who have done a fantastic job. I can only say thank you to all my mechanics and engineers who were supporting me.”

Meanwhile, Nick Heidfeld share his frustrations and said: “I had a good start and overtook Kimi. On the first stint my speed was okay, and it was only in the beginning that Felipe Massa could pull away a little bit. Later when I was braking for turn one the rear wheels just locked and I spun. When I wanted to get going again, I couldn’t get a gear, which was why Heikki Kovalainen could pass me. The spin caused a flat spotted tyre and I made my first pit stop a little early. The next laps were good, and I overtook Kimi Raikkonen and Heikki. However, when Kimi was at top speed I could not keep him behind. After the second pit stop I got stuck behind Mark Webber, but then the hydraulic problems occurred anyway.”

Better luck next time Mr. Heidfeld.