The question that has been posed recently by the media is this. Should BMW Sauber stop or dramatically slow down development of the F1.09 in favour of next year’s car (presumably the F1.10)? It is an interesting question and a good one at that. The championship is gone for 2009, a championship they were aiming a good run at before the season started. From talking to other BMW Sauber fans the answer to that comes pretty equally both ways. Many are just fed up and say cut your losses, finish whatever modifications are on the table and then focus on next season. Others obviously say no including Dr. Mario Theissen who is adamant on bringing the F1.09 up to a competitive level and challenge for serious points.

Mario Theissen:

I’m often asked these days, if it wouldn’t be better to simply stop working on the enhancement of the F1.09 and fully focus on our 2010 challenger instead. But this doesn’t represent an option for us. We won’t give up on the current season – far from it! We have increased our development pace and will bring significant improvements for the car to every second or third race from now on. Improvements that will also comprise enhanced versions of the twin diffuser.

At the end of the season we want to be able to say: “We encountered a disappointing start to the season but we succeeded in turning things around and making it back to the front end of the field.

At this time last year Robert Kubica had a whopping 42 points and Nick Heidfeld 28. This time last year was also immediately following the 1-2 finish at the Canadian Grand Prix. One year later Nick Heidfeld has a mere 6 and Robert Kubica only last weekend grabbed his first 2 points of the season. Just by looking at the massive difference from last season and it’s easy to say this season is a disaster, afterall the goal Theissen had was the championship and he felt he had the car to do it.

To look at focusing on next season after 7 races may just be a little premature and Theissen will wait a few more races before considering what to do. By then he may have a fairly competative car and want to use it to show that BMW Sauber are still here and to never count them out. On the other hand if the car’s improvement tails off or isn’t that significant, he may then decide to scrap this season and think of next. Remembering to 2008 when Theissen put the brakes on 2008 when Kubica thought he had a chance at the championship, his reaction was swift and angry toward the decision, now, it’s hard to imagine just what Kubica and Heidfeld would think.

We all know how up in the air 2010 is with the FOTA and the FIA bearing their teeth at each other over the FIA imposed budget cap and who will actually compete in F1 if Max Mosley gets what he wants. I think it’s safe to say that BMW Sauber will be competing next season and beyond and that the current FOTA vs FIA will be solved, but in the mean time can any team seriously think and begin spending on next years cars?

My opinion is to keep development of the F1.09 alive at least until the end of July or early August and then re evaluate. The car is improving after 2 major upgrades than now need to be tweaked so to speak and a lot more can be learned from the car in next race or 2. By the German Grand Prix I will have a fairly good opinion on how good the car will become from then on and as it stands things are looking up.

How do you feel on this. Let me know and see the pole in the sidebar to the left.