BMW-SAUBER F1.07

   For BMW, once the apprenticeship year was over, 2007 represented the first real proving ground as a constructor for the Bavarian manufacturer, which in 2005 had acquired the Sauber team to enter Formula 1 directly. The new single-seater was called the BMW Sauber F1.07 and it marked the highest point of the partnership between the German manufacturer and Peter Sauber’s Swiss team, establishing itself consistently as the “third force” in the championship, just behind Ferrari and McLaren. The technical staff, capable of designing a competitive car already in the team’s second year in Formula 1, was known for an almost obsessive, typically German precision combined with Swiss flexibility. The group was unique in its kind, as it had to manage a “bi-focal” structure: chassis and aerodynamic design were carried out in Hinwil (Switzerland), at Sauber’s historic headquarters, while engine and electronics development took place in Munich, at the BMW Motorsport department.

BMW-SAUBER F1.07, Nick Heidfeld
Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 2007

   The project leader was Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director and Team Principal, not merely a manager but a mechanical engineer of the highest level, who demanded from BMW the very best technological resources (such as the Albert2 supercomputer) to close the gap to the top teams. Willy Rampf was the Technical Director, entrusted with the delicate task of ensuring perfect integration between the Swiss chassis and the German engine. Jörg Zander, arriving from Williams, was the Chief Designer responsible for mechanical design, supported by Walter Riedl (Engineering Director) and Thomas Knodel (Deputy Chief Designer). Willem Toet (Head of Aerodynamics) was a legend of F1 aerodynamics (formerly at Benetton and Ferrari) and pushed the use of the Hinwil wind tunnel to the limit, at the time the most advanced in the world. Under his guidance, assisted by Seamus Mullarkey (Chief Aerodynamicist), BMW Sauber began producing aerodynamic components with an almost weekly update rate. Equally important were the roles of Jochen Schröder (Head of Electronics) and Loïc Serra (Chief Vehicle Dynamicist), while Giampaolo Dall’Ara (Chief Track Engineer) was tasked with translating theoretical simulator data into winning setups during race weekends.

BMW-SAUBER F1.07, Nick Heidfeld
Indianapolis, USA GP 2007

   The new F1.07 was a radical evolution of the 2006 car, designed to integrate perfectly with the powerful BMW engine and the new Bridgestone tyres. BMW Sauber had one of the most powerful CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) computing centers in the world, based on the Albert2 supercomputer. Thanks to this computing power, the team could simulate complex airflow patterns with greater accuracy than almost all rivals, optimizing every single aerodynamic appendage even before testing it in the wind tunnel, introducing several innovative solutions that made the car extremely efficient. Following a trend set by the top teams, BMW Sauber eliminated the “keel” under the nose, anchoring the suspension arms directly to the sides of the chassis, allowing much cleaner airflow toward the floor. One of the most distinctive visual features were the small curved wings (nicknamed “ears”) positioned on either side of the nose. Introduced mid-season from the Spanish Grand Prix, these were two curved fins mounted on the upper part of the nose with the purpose of cleaning and directing the airflow passing over the cockpit, guiding it precisely toward the rear wing to increase its efficiency. The front wing featured a main profile deeply sculpted in the center to feed the underfloor, with adjustable upper flaps that were very sensitive to setup changes. Under the nose and along the edges of the flat floor, small deflectors were used to generate controlled vortices that sealed the floor, preventing external air from entering and disturbing the low pressure under the car.

BMW-SAUBER F1.07, Robert Kubica
Melbourne, Australian GP 2007

   Markus Duesmann headed the powertrain department in Munich and ensured that the BMW P86/7 engine was not only powerful (around 780–800 hp) but also capable of operating at higher temperatures. Thermal and aerodynamic management of the sidepods was in fact one of the strengths of the F1.07, with an extremely undercut lower section and an incredibly narrow rear end, thanks to the compact BMW gearbox and the engineers’ ability to “package” internal components very closely together. This created a clean airflow channel running along the floor toward the diffuser, increasing ground effect. To manage the heat from the BMW engine without compromising efficiency, hot-air exit “chimneys” were used, integrated with small T-shaped fins that helped stabilize lateral airflow through corners. Thanks to the cleanliness of the flows coming from the nose and sidepods, the F1.07’s diffuser delivered very consistent performance, without sudden losses of downforce during quick direction changes, making the car very predictable for the drivers. The F1.07 was known for being gentle on its tyres, thanks to a meticulous weight distribution and a very precise rear suspension, managing to keep the Bridgestones in their ideal temperature window for more laps than the competition.

BMW-SAUBER F1.07, Nick Heidfeld
Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2007

   The new F1.07 was unveiled to the public on January 16 at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain, wearing the classic white-and-blue BMW livery. From the very first winter tests it proved extremely fast and very reliable, allowing the team to occasionally challenge Ferrari and McLaren in qualifying once the season began. The race drivers were the German Nick Heidfeld, the team leader who finished fifth in the Drivers’ Championship with two podiums (second in Canada and third in Hungary), and the Pole Robert Kubica, who despite showing outstanding talent and consistent performance, was remembered in 2007 for the terrible accident he suffered in Canada, where he walked away almost unscathed from a crash into concrete barriers at over 230 km/h. Despite the car having literally disintegrated, the Polish driver suffered only a mild concussion and a sprained ankle, a testament to the extremely high level of safety achieved by that chassis. German Sebastian Vettel, reserve driver together with compatriot Timo Glock, made his absolute Formula 1 debut with the F1.07 at the United States Grand Prix, replacing the injured Kubica and scoring the first point of his brilliant career (finishing eighth), becoming at the time the youngest driver ever to score points in F1 history. At the end of the season, thanks to McLaren’s disqualification for the “Spy Story,” BMW Sauber officially finished second in the Constructors’ Championship with 101 points, which would remain the best result in its history.