BMW keen on Championship fight

Tuesday 2nd December 2008

BMW have set their sights high for the 2009 season and revealed that their aim will be to fight for the Championship.

BMW board member Klaus Draeger made it clear that BMW will be looking to go as far as they possibly can.

"In 2009 we will fight for the Championship," Draeger said.

Team boss Mario Theissen confessed that he is however not entirely at ease with the idea.

"I don't feel comfortable but it's my own goal too and we have clear targets. F1 is definitely no comfort zone," he told reporters during a BMW motorsports event in Munich over the weekend.

The German squad finished third at the end of the 2008 season and Thiessen was content with the standings, despite BMW's inability to keep up with the development rate of other teams during the latter part of the year.

Theissen is confident that that BMW reached all their goals for the 2008 season.

"BMW kept its schedule that was set in 2005 after acquiring Sauber: to be in the points in 2006, to be on the podium in 2007, to be on the top podium 2008," he said.

"We made the two-way title campaign a three-way battle in the first half of the season. We did not have the fastest car in 2008, but the overall package counts.

"Reliability was an issue in 2007 and our focus on this in 2008 paid off as we had no single retirement because of a technical failure."

Your Comments

hailtothemonkey

"If that's what their plan is, then they should have done whatever it takes to get Alonso. Even if only for a year, he could have helped them develop the car and he's money in the races. "

Peti

"F1_FREAK_666 - I agree, but if BMW will be no fast enough Kubica will find another team. His skills and fast car = World Champion."

gerfix

"F1_FREAK_666 - I'm not so sure about that - BMW must have been kicking themselves that they didn't spend more time on this years car and a punt at the title for RK. I really think (and no doubt they do too) he could have been in there with a good chance at the season's end if they'd gone a bit further with development of this years rather than next years car. However, they will be ready to be in the thick of it in 2009."

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