BMW Motorsport - Formula One Season Review 2006.

Contents. Season 2006 in review. 2 Interview with BMW Motorsport
Director Mario Theissen. 3 Season's soundbites. 6 Facts and figures.
10 GP Bahrain. 12 GP Malaysia. 12 GP Australia. 12 GP San Marino.
13 GP Europe. 13 GP Spain. 13 GP Monaco. 13 GP Britain. 14 GP
Canada. 14 GP USA. 15 GP France. 15 GP Germany. 15 GP Hungary.
16 GP Turkey. 16 GP Italy. 16 GP China. 17 GP Japan. 17 GP
Brazil. 17 Results and statistics. 19 Season 2006 in review. On the
right track. Munich/Hinwil, 22nd October 2006. 16 months to the day
after BMW announced a major shift in its Formula One involvement - the
Munich company disclosed its takeover of the majority stake in Sauber
on 22nd June 2005 - the first season with a BMW led team is already
history. As its maiden year in motor sport's top-echelon event draws to
a close, the new BMW Sauber F1 Team can report a positive final
outcome. The German-Swiss team finished fifth in the constructors'
championship. In the duel with Toyota, the BMW Sauber F1 Team managed
to secure a narrow 36 : 35 victory. In the season's 18 races,
Mönchengladbach driver Nick Heidfeld made it into the points ten
times, collecting a tally of 23 and finishing ninth in the drivers'
championship. Robert Kubica of Poland, who replaced Jacques Villeneuve
(7 points) from round 13 on, contributed six points and finished 16th.
Heidfeld secured the first podium place of the season in Budapest when
he crossed the finishing line in third place. Kubica likewise came
third at Monza in only his third Formula One GP. The BMW Sauber F1 Team
drivers made the third round of qualifying 19 times in all. Jointly
they got into the top ten qualifying seven times. BMW Motorsport
Director Mario Theissen draws a commensurately positive conclusion:
"All in all, this is more than the motor sport world could have
expected of a newly established team. But far more important than that
is the fact we managed to make steady progress throughout the season
and narrowed the gap to the competition. The grand prix stage is
gradually revealing all the hard graft and determined effort that go on
behind the scenes."