| After two races in North American metropolises, | | | | problem with it. Magny-Cours is a lot more fun in |
| Formula One is reviving its taste for the | | | | a Formula One car than with the smaller cars I've |
| countryside as it reaches halfway point this | | | | driven there before in other categories of racing. |
| season. The drivers will line up in Magny-Cours on | | | | You can particularly see the potential of the F1 |
| the 1st July to vie for the most-coveted title in | | | | car through the chicanes." |
| racing. For the BMW Sauber team, the goal is to | | | | Mario Theissen, the BMW Motorsport Director, has |
| get both cars to the finish line. | | | | this to say: "After the grand prix double-header in |
| After Robert Kubica's horrific crash in Montreal | | | | the big cities across the Atlantic, the slightly |
| and after a number of unwanted retirements, the | | | | remote rural idyll of Magny-Cours represents a |
| team intends to go full throttle at Magny-Cours to | | | | welcome contrast. You are free to focus on the |
| take advantage of the circuit's offers. A crash | | | | sport and the demanding race track. Like Robert |
| and a retirement saw the BMW Sauber leave | | | | himself, the team is also hoping that he will be |
| North America feeling short-changed. The team | | | | back in the car in France. The race doctors at |
| expects an illuminating race likened to BMW tail | | | | Magny-Cours will have the final say on that one |
| lights. "The Magny-Cours circuit has a lot to offer | | | | though." |
| - two tricky chicanes, a high-speed section and | | | | He added, "We have finished in the points in |
| some slow corners. I'm looking forward to the | | | | every race so far this season, but in the last two |
| race weekend. The track is demanding, I like the | | | | GPs we only managed to get one car to the |
| countryside around the circuit and you tend to eat | | | | finish on each occasion. Nick would have been set |
| very well in France. There's not a lot going on in | | | | for a third-place finish in the USA and his |
| Magny-Cours and it gets its fair share of criticism | | | | retirement was a real pain. We are looking to pick |
| as a result. But I like a bit of peace and quiet now | | | | up points with both cars at Magny-Cours and in so |
| and again," said Nick Heidfeld. | | | | doing strengthen our third place in the World |
| Kubica noted, "I can't wait to get back into the | | | | Championship." |
| car. I may not have been given the green light to | | | | "The two grands prix in North America saw the |
| compete in the USA, but I hope the medical | | | | cars run with medium downforce, but now we're |
| examination at Magny-Cours will be a formality. | | | | heading into a series of races where high |
| The reason why I wasn't allowed to drive at | | | | downforce will be the order of the day. |
| Indianapolis had nothing to do with how I felt; the | | | | Magny-Cours offers an interesting mixture of |
| problem was the risk involved in suffering a | | | | slow and fast corners. One feature worth |
| second accident within such a short space of time. | | | | mentioning is the track surface, which is very |
| That's also why I wasn't allowed to test. I've used | | | | sensitive to fluctuations in temperature. The right |
| the time to focus intensively on preparing for the | | | | set-up in the morning might not necessarily be |
| next race." | | | | any good in the afternoon. This is something you |
| The Pole added, "I'm pretty neutral about the | | | | have to remember when you're making changes |
| Magny-Cours track. It isn't one of my favorite | | | | to the car," said BMW Sauber's Technical Director |
| circuits, but at the same time I don't have a | | | | Willy Rampf. |