Formula One news

BMW drops third driver plans

BMW Sauber has decided to not use a third driver on the Friday practice sessions at Grand Prix weekends as was originally intended. Race drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica publicly expressed their disapproval as they were against missing out on vital track time and preparation at races.

Now that the team has firmly established itself as the closest rivals to front-runners McLaren and Ferrari, motorsport director Mario Theissen believes that it would be detrimental to the race drivers' preparation to have one of them sit out on a Friday practice.

The decision now means that test and reserve driver Sebastian Vettel will not be able to run with the rest of the field on race weekends.

"As announced, following the overseas races we have been looking closely at the driver line-up for the Friday of the GP weekends," Theissen said.

"Until further notice, the two race drivers will be on track for the whole of Friday."

Theissen remains buoyed by the team's impressive start to the season and he is adamant that the main objective is to secure third-position in the championship race. He hopes that the recent work achieved at the Barcelona test will ensure this.

"Our performances in the first three rounds of the world championship have given us a very good start to the season and we have used the time since the Bahrain Grand Prix to fit in some intensive development work," he added.

"Our rivals will certainly have been doing much the same, though, and the burning question is whether the balance of power has shifted as a result. Our aim is very clear - to maintain our position as the third-best team on the grid."

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