Formula One news

Theissen: We have to keep our heads cool

The BMW Sauber Formula 1 team made a disappointing start of the season and BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen realises there is a lot of work to do to close the gap. The most important thing is to keep a cool head according to the German.

"We are currently experiencing an extremely demanding period for Formula One - both as a team on the race track and behind the scenes," Theissen said. "In both cases, the important thing is to keep a cool head. We lined up at the Spanish Grand Prix with a far-reaching aerodynamic package. That was the result of some extremely hard work, but represents just the first step on a long road. We scored two points, which was extremely positive following the low-point we reached in Bahrain but clearly does not meet our aims.

"We will step up our pace of development. Monaco presents very specific challenges, as we all know, and the next performance package for the race in Istanbul is already being prepared.

"Monaco is one of the mainstays of Formula One and one of the circuits, alongside the Nürburgring, Spa, Monza and Silverstone, which has made the sport great. Monaco is Formula One up close and personal. Only street circuits like the one in the principality can bring the spectators so near to the action. This is the most famous and glamorous grand prix of the year. The yachts, the parties, the show business - nowhere are they such an integral part of the Formula One experience as in Monaco.

"In sporting terms, the important thing in Monaco is driving precision, mechanical grip and an engine with good drivability at low revs. Monaco has the lowest average speed of any grand prix. High levels of downforce are more important here than low drag, and the cars' aerodynamics are therefore adjusted to generate maximum downforce. There are no long straights at this circuit, but it does have a lot of slow corners and the tyres are subjected to exceptionally high loads under acceleration out of these corners. Monaco is also a test of endurance for the brakes. The speeds the cars reach may not be very high, but that means there is also a lack of cooling airflow."

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