Robert Kubica has warned
BMW Sauber's rivals to write the team off at their peril, claiming that, not only has the Hinwil outfit overcome its initial problems with the
F1.08, but there is more to come from the car too.
Like team-mate
Nick Heidfeld, the Pole was disappointed to find that the initial concept of the 2008 car had taken the team backwards instead of capitalising on its strong form in 2007. Then, BMW Sauber had staked a strong claim to 'best of the rest' honours behind
Ferrari and
McLaren, but winter testing showed that it had potentially slipped behind the likes of
Williams,
Red Bull and
Renault.
Although it experimented with ideas like the revolutionary 'antler' winglets that appeared on top of the car's nose section, BMW Sauber also made gains in more fundamental areas, giving Kubica confidence for the start of the season, in Melbourne, next weekend.
"The engineers took a certain amount of risk and entered new territory in some areas with the F1.08," he confirmed, "One of the consequences of that is that we were not quite where we hoped to be at the start of winter testing.
"But since the roll-out, everybody in the team - and that means both the testing crew and the guys back at the plants - has been working at full steam, seven days a week. These efforts have paid off, as we have made great steps forward and registered improvements in all areas. And I'm sure we are still far from exhausting the full potential of the F1.08."
Among the biggest enforced changes to the new car is the removal of the derided electronic driver aids, such as traction control and engine braking, but Kubica is confident that he can help the team bridge the gap in technology.
"In testing, we noticed that the driver has a big influence over tyre wear," he commented, "and that applies to an even greater extent the higher the temperature of the asphalt. Plus, it is also extremely important to avoid straying from the ideal line as much as possible.
