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Saturday April 4, 2009

BMW Sauber pits efficiency against high costs

By EUGENE MAHALINGAM


BMW Sauber Formula One (F1) team principal Dr Mario Theissen believes the current economic downturn presents a good opportunity for F1 teams to compete more efficiently.

He said teams can become more competitive now that they can only focus on what is absolutely necessary.

“Times have become more difficult but I think at the same time it’s a good chance to do away with anything that has been wasteful in the past,” Theissen tells StarBizWeek at the Sepang International Circuit.

Mario Theissen . . . BMW Sauber is in favour of cost cutting.

“It (the downturn) has had an impact on F1 as a whole and on the individual teams as well, and we are fighting to bring costs down. Even our sponsors and partners have been affected,” he adds.

Theissen says two sponsors have not renewed their contracts with the team this season but BMW Sauber has signed on two new ones.

“Generally I would say that the situation has become more difficult but overall F1 is still the best platform for sponsors to present themselves on a worldwide basis,” he says.

In terms of budget, Theissen says BMW Sauber has cut its expenses by 40% since 2005.

“We had our highest budget in 2005 and we were only an engine supplier (to the Williams F1 team) then. Now we have our own team but we are only spending 60% of what we did 2005,” he says.

F1’s governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), has imposed various cost-cutting measures for this season, such as extended engine use and the reduction in manpower.

Theissen says the team is in favour of cost cutting and has jointly proposed other measures with various teams through the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) to the FIA.

FOTA was set up last year to represent the F1 teams in talks on the future of the sport with the FIA and commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

“Tighter research and development regulations and restrictions would augur well for F1,” Theissen says, adding that the BMW Sauber team has between 650 and 680 employees.

“The current downturn should bring the teams closer together and I think we (BMW Sauber) are already benefiting from the fact that we didn’t build up the team beyond 1,000 employees like some other teams have done,” he says.

Theissen also says the team’s pre-season testing period has been fruitful and BMW Sauber has great potential to achieve “podium finishes”.

“We had a good (testing) phase over the winter in terms of designing and developing the new car. We are well prepared for this season,” he says.

Drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica ended this season’s opener in Melbourne, Australia last weekend in 10th and 14th positions respectively. Sepang will host the second round of the F1 championships this weekend.

BMW Sauber finished third in terms of constructor’s points last season.

On another note, Theissen expressed disappointment that the “diffuser controversy” has yet to be resolved.

The diffuser is a key aerodynamic element on all F1 cars, helping air to flow through the undersection for maximum downforce and grip.

Teams Brawn, Williams and Toyota are accused of using diffusers that are contrary to the regulations, giving them an unfair speed advantage.

Brawn drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello finished first and second respectively at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

“There is a big debate about the diffusers. It is a problem because some teams interpret the rules differently from other teams and we seem to have stepped into a grey area,” Theissen says, adding that BMW Sauber is against the three teams’ use of the diffusers.

“Having two sets of regulations will not be manageable in our view and is not what F1 is about,” he says.

The matter will be heard at the FIA’s court of appeal in Paris on Apr 14.

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