Formula 1 News

Heidfeld and Kubica confident for German Grand Prix 

For the first time since 1994, this season features a single Formula One race held in Germany – and it’s entitled the ‘European Grand Prix’ to boot. BMW and Nick Heidfeld are looking forward to their home race on the Nurburgring, and Robert Kubica is also confident of a good result for the BMW Sauber F1 Team in the Eifel on 22nd July.

Nick Heidfeld is fifth in the standings with 33 points, 11 head of team-mate Robert Kubica. The team are a solid third in the constructors’ standings, 25 clear of rivals Renault.

Nick Heidfeld: “I am very much looking forward to the race on the Nurburgring. That’s where the greatest number of my fans have always turned up, and thanks to this year’s good results there will probably be a few more. When I drove the Formula One car round the Nordschleife at the end of April, the atmosphere there was fantastic. It’s a good feeling having that kind of support, and one or other family members will also be coming along to the Ring. As a young kid I already had a lot of outings to the Nurburgring with my father and my two brothers as it isn’t far away from Mönchengladbach. Later on there were race wins in various classes to add to those pleasant childhood memories. I think we’re pretty well prepared for the Ring. Our performance potential is a great motivator. Naturally it’s a lot more fun when you know you’re essentially in contention for points and good placings. If qualifying turns out better for me than at the last race in Silverstone, I should also be back in the running for the race.”

Robert Kubica: “Obviously when we go to the Nurburgring this will be the only Grand Prix in Germany this year. I am sure there will be a big crowd and a lot of people who will be fans of our team. I have to be honest and say I don’t find the track spectacular. This will be my first Grand Prix on this track, but I have driven on the old track, when the first corner was a chicane, and practically every year since 2001 I have been racing on this track. Because of this I know the track pretty well and I also know the shorter version that the touring cars are using with the short cut after turns 6 and 7. I think it will be a good weekend and maybe after that my feelings for the track will change.”

Mario Theissen, : “The Grand Prix at the Nurburgring is the only Formula One home race for us in 2007. Naturally we are very excited at the prospect of this weekend. But you can’t afford to lose your concentration. Home races don’t earn you any more points than elsewhere. Our relationship with the Ring is a very close one. Every upcoming BMW production model is tested on the Nordschleife: that’s part of our development programme. BMW has celebrated spectacular touring car successes in the Eifel, it has a Driver Training branch based there, as well as the Ring Taxi for the Nordschleife, and the Adventure World has the only permanent BMW race car exhibition. At the end of April we already had a clear example of the terrific enthusiasm of the racing fans in the Eifel when Nick drove a few demo laps around the Nordschleife in a modern F1 car before tens of thousands of spectators. It was the first time in 31 years that anything like this had happened – a unique experience we will all enjoy looking back on.”

Source: f1live