BMW Sauber now a `top three` team - Theissen

In Bahrain, the BMW Sauber F1 Team added two new chapters to its history. On the one hand, Robert Kubica secured the team`s maiden pole position, and on the other, the team took the lead in the Constructors` Championship for the very first time.

Additionally, thanks to Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld finishing third and fourth respectively on Sunday, BMW Sauber took in 11 points for the second Grand Prix in a row.

Following the race, the entire team was over the moon. Even BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen was surprised by the overall success achieved in the desert emirate. “I just can`t believe it,” was his first reaction.

“With this achievement, we have succeeded in making the next step on the ladder. And that`s something all of us may be proud of,” Theissen wrote in his latest column. “This lead represents a major surprise for us and we only realised after the race that we really were the new championship leaders.

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“However, it`s just a `snap-shot`, nothing else,” Theissen underlined, before adding: “At the same time however, it`s a fact that we are no longer the third power on the grid, but have established ourselves as one of the three top teams.”

Despite having reached two milestones last week-end, there is another very important and ambitious objective the Munich and Hinwil-based squad wants to attain this year.

“Actually, there remains only one goal to be realised this season: our maiden GP win,” declared Theissen.

“And I`m rather confident that we are going to achieve this goal also,” he concluded.

D.B.

8.4.2008   ▪ Formula One    ▪ BMW, Theissen    ▪ en.f1-live.com