BMW Sauber takes wrap off the C29

The BMW Sauber F1 Team will line up lean and hungry for the start of the 2010 Formula One World Championship. Sixth place in last year’s Constructors’ standings will serve as a starting point for the new season. The team’s aim is to establish itself at this level despite a lower budget and reduction in manpower.

The team's drivers line-up consist of ex-Toyota driver Kamui Kobayashi and former McLaren 3rd driver Pedro de la Rosa, a partnership which yields a blend of youth and experience. Kobayashi made his case with strong performances in two Grands Prix in 2009 and has already recorded his first Championship points.

De la Rosa has 71 Grands Prix under his belt and has earned his place in the statistics for podium finishes and setting fastest race laps. Plus, he also brings with him valuable experience from seven years as a test and reserve driver with McLaren for several years. He now yearns to return to the track and face real competition, "At last I can feel like a proper racing driver again. I’ve really missed the competition out on the track. At the same time, though, I’ve learned a lot technically and on the systems side, and now I want to bring that knowledge to the team."

Team Principal Peter Sauber acknowledged that the past few months had been intense for the team. "First we had to battle to secure the survival of the team and then we focused on putting a strong set-up in place for the future. The technical preparation of the 2010 car has continued uninterrupted and according to plan since the spring of 2009, despite all the turmoil."

The new BMW Sauber C29 has seen the team build on the experience gained last year and the improvement in performance over the final third of the season. However, the new regulations banning refuelling during the race and stipulating a reduced width for the front tyres have required significant changes to the car’s overall design. Also, the increased length of the fuel tank means the car has grown longer and gotten slimmer.

As the engineers have predicted that the front tyres will be more heavily worked, the C29 has to have weight shifted further towards the rear of the car.

An eye-catching feature of the C29 is its highly intricate raised nose and a long undercut at the transition from chassis into underbody. These and other aerodynamic measures also help to ensure optimum airflow to the double diffuser (above). The C29 is expecting more changes to integrate the Ferrari engine and gearbox in due course before the start of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix on 14 March.

* Article taken from www.motorsportchannel.com