Formula One news

Kubica: "We have to realise we are bad"

BMW Sauber was disappointed to walk away from the qualifying session after just twenty minutes in Monaco with only ninth row positions on the grid. Struggling with the F1.09 all weekend thus far, drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica will be in for a tough afternoon from seventeenth and eighteenth positions on the starting grid.

With major brake issues for both drivers on Thursday and no KERS being used once again, the duo has struggled with an underperforming car in all sessions of the race weekend so far. "Obviously this is extremely disappointing," Heidfeld said plainly. "We made a lot of changes after Thursday's free practice and even more changes after this morning's session, although that is always a bit risky shortly before qualifying, but we knew we hadn't much to lose. Actually it was rather a change for the worse than for the better, but it didn't really make a big difference anyway."

"So far we have only had difficulties," team-mate Kubica continued. "We struggled on Thursday and again this morning. I had a very bad out-lap with a lot of traffic, as a result my tyres cooled down a lot. However, the overall performance of the car is not good enough - we have to realise we are bad; we have to adapt to the situation and we have to work very hard now."

With the team's gradual progress since 2006 having taken an abrupt turn in the opposite direction this year, BMW currently lies joint sixth in the championship with as many points. "It is frustrating when you go to the absolute limit and take every risk, especially here on this special circuit, and you still end up nowhere," Heidfeld added.

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