Nick Quatraro: How should an aspiring young aerodynamicist prepare to work for an F1 team?
Mario Theissen: You should first be clear that F1 is really what you want to do. The main areas for aerodynamics are aircraft, then road cars—which are quite different from F1—then F1. The big difference about F1 is you are a member of a very dedicated team; you require a very specific knowledge, so you should be really sure that this is what you want in the long term. If you have decided on that, step in below F1, which could be GP2 in Europe or Champ Car [in the United States], and then practice, get experience, then apply to an F1 team.
Kent Sauber Moore: I have followed the Saubers (no relation) since the Sauber-Mercedes team years ago. I’ve always been intrigued with Peter Sauber’s various racing enterprises. What part does Sauber and his organization play in the BMW-Sauber F1 racing program?
MT: He is with the team as a consultant. He joins us about every other race, helping me with the media side, and he supports us on the sponsor side. Most of the people who worked on the Sauber team still remain with the team. We [are increasing] from 275 to 430 people. We are almost done; we are at 410 now.
Rob Smith: I am the president of a company that manufactures carbon-carbon clutches and brakes. I am working on a patent for a carbon turbine wheel for high-performance turbochargers. This would be perfect for the proposed F1 regulations that allow turbos. How do I get this technology incorporated into an F1 car?
MT: It would have to undergo severe development and testing. We have been dealing with ceramic turbine wheels already on the road-car side. An F1 team or even a car manufacturer would not design and develop its own turbochargers—there are specialist companies that do that. You would have to go to these companies and sell your product.
Brett Nilsson: How many g-forces did driver Robert Kubica sustain in his Montreal crash?
MT: There is a data recorder from the FIA, and there are several results depending on where they are in the car. But on average, you could say Kubica had to sustain an impact of 50 g’s.
Criss Strain: With the United States being BMW’s largest market, why not put Scott Speed or another American in one of your cars?
MT: We don’t care about the nationality of the driver; we just go for performance. You can only be successful with a strong driver and we certainly want to have drivers from all over the world. This is why we have established Formula BMW as a series for young drivers all over the world. We have a strong North American series and lots of talent coming from there. They have to make their way through the earlier formulas—Formula 3, then GP2—and when they then knock at the F1 door, they are more than welcome.
AutoWeek: But do you have—or plan to have—a BMW driver development program, or at least young drivers you support specifically? The idea has worked well with McLaren and Lewis Hamilton.
MT: No, our approach is different. We don’t want to take individual drivers by the hand and lead them all the way up to F1. We want to establish a stage, like Formula BMW, where everybody can compete on the same level. We really want to support them. But then, with all they learn in Formula BMW, they have to make their own way and prove that they can make it in motorsport. And then we want to have them back. But they have to be on their own; they have to demonstrate that they are capable of making their way themselves.
AW: Word here at Indy is that Bernie Ecclestone isn’t ready to sign a new USGP contract with Tony George and the Speedway. It may or may not get done, but how important is this event to BMW?
MT: Our position is very clear: To BMW, the U.S. is the No. 1 market, and we want to have two races rather than one in the U.S. It is good to be in Montreal, because many U.S. citizens go there as well, but we would like at least one, maybe two other events in the U.S. itself.
AW: How much influence do F1 manufacturers have on this topic?
MT: Well, we have some influence. Obviously, Bernie talks to us, but as it comes to decisions, money plays the biggest role. It only makes sense if the event is commercially viable over several years, and that is something Bernie or [Formula One management] as an organizer has to decide on.
AW: There are a lot of ideas floating around, especially from FIA president Max Mosley, about F1’s future technology. We’ve heard the calls for environment-friendly technology and more efficient powertrains. If it were up to you, what would the ideal formula be, and where do you think F1 will actually end up?
MT: There is no ideal formula. There is such a broad spectrum of what you could do that there are opportunities and risks at the same time. The direction proposed by the FIA is quite adventurous; it will take an enormous effort to get there. I see it as a chance, because if you really manage to make Formula One the forefront of road-car-relevant technology, it would be something very special. But whether that can be achieved really depends on the way the regulations are written. If [the technology is not helping road-car development], it would be an enormous waste of money.
