Planet-F1

Theissen wants both BMWs in the points

Saturday 30th August 2008

Mario Theissen is aiming for perfect reliability and a double points finish when his drivers take part in next weekend's Belgian GP.

With six races remaining this season BMW are third in the Constructors' Championship, 25 points behind leaders Ferrari and 17 adrift of second-placed McLaren.

Second is therefore a realistic goal for BMW, however in order to achieve that BMW need to get both cars into the points - something Theissen is hoping they will do in Spa next weekend.

"Nick's F1.08 is scheduled to take on a new BMW P86/8 engine with a new transmission, while Robert will be driving with the same engine and gear box as in Valencia," he said.

"In the first two thirds of the season we didn't have a single retirement caused by any technical fault. We aim to maintain this high level of reliability.

"On the sporting side, we plan to improve further and see both cars finish solidly in the points at Spa."

As for the Belgium track, the BMW team boss reckons it's one of the best on the calendar.

"We look forward to the only course in the calendar that can still be described as a natural circuit since it follows the features of the landscape," he said.

"In the Ardennes, steep inclines are as much a feature as the unpredictable weather.

"Spa may not be the track with the highest speeds - that accolade belongs to Monza - but in Spa we have the longest stretch taken at full throttle.

"Since the modification of the famous Eau Rouge corner and the introduction of V8 engines, drivers can go flat-out through the section from the hairpin shortly after the start, through the hollow and then uphill again.

"In last year's race we calculated that our drivers held the pedal to the floor for more than 1,865 metres, or 24 seconds. Engine power and stability are key requirements here."