BMW Sauber F1.06
The BMW Sauber F1.06 (or simply BMW F1.06) was the car with which the BMW Sauber team competed in the 2006 Formula One season. It was driven by Nick Heidfeld, who joined from BMW Williams, and Jacques Villeneuve, who had spent one season with the team before it was bought by BMW. However, the Canadian was replaced by third driver Robert Kubica before the season finished. The year marked the first time that BMW had competed as a full team; previously it had only supplied engines.
Category | Formula One | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constructor | BMW Sauber | ||||||||
Designer(s) | Willy Rampf (Technical Director) Jacky Eeckelaert (Engineering Director) Seamus Mullarkey (Head of Aerodynamics) | ||||||||
Predecessor | Sauber C24 | ||||||||
Successor | BMW Sauber F1.07 | ||||||||
Technical specifications[1] | |||||||||
Chassis | carbon-fibre monocoque | ||||||||
Suspension (front) | Upper and lower wishbones, inboard springs and dampers, actuated by pushrods | ||||||||
Suspension (rear) | As front | ||||||||
Length | 4,610 mm (181 in) | ||||||||
Width | 1,800 mm (71 in) | ||||||||
Height | 1,000 mm (39 in) | ||||||||
Axle track | Front: 1,470 mm (57.874 in) Rear: 1,410 mm (55.512 in) | ||||||||
Wheelbase | 3,110 mm (122 in) | ||||||||
Engine | BMW P86 2.4-litre V8 | ||||||||
Transmission | BMW Sauber 7-speed longitudinal | ||||||||
Power | 750 hp @ 19,000+ rpm[2] | ||||||||
Weight | 600 kg (1,300 lb) (Dry weight including driver) | ||||||||
Fuel | Petronas | ||||||||
Lubricants | Petronas Syntium lubrication | ||||||||
Tyres | Michelin | ||||||||
Competition history | |||||||||
Notable entrants | BMW Sauber F1 Team | ||||||||
Notable drivers | 16. Nick Heidfeld 17. Jacques Villeneuve 17. Robert Kubica | ||||||||
Debut | 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix | ||||||||
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Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
Drivers' Championships | 0 |
The chassis was designed by Willy Rampf, Jacky Eeckelaert and Seamus Mullarkey with the powertrain being designed by Markus Duesmann.
The 2006 season was treated as very much a transitional year by the team, so the car's level of competitiveness was a pleasant surprise. The F1.06 was a contender for points throughout the season, and its form culminated with two podium finishes: one for Heidfeld at the Hungaroring, and the other for Kubica at Monza.
BMW Sauber also developed the car throughout the year, with some sort of improvement available at every race. The team's innovation even caused controversy: a "flexible" rear wing was stiffened early in the season and two vertical pylons in front of the cockpit were banned after an appearance at Magny-Cours.
The team eventually finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship, with 36 points.
The F1.06 car is the last BMW Sauber car to be developed by Sauber due to team transitional.
Livery
BMW Sauber went into the 2006 season with existing major sponsorship such as Credit Suisse, and Petronas. BMW Sauber received new sponsorship such as Intel and O2, a computer hardware company, DELL was started at 2006 European Grand Prix. The team's new livery, which was maintained throughout its tenure in Formula One, consisted of the traditional BMW blue and white with a hint of red. The front nose livery was also similar to BMW Williams 2001–2005 livery but the grey was replaced by red.
Gallery
- Villeneuve walks away from his crashed F1.06 at the 2006 German Grand Prix, his last F1 race.
Complete Formula One results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)
Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Points | WCC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | BMW Sauber F1 Team | BMW V8 | M | BHR | MAL | AUS | SMR | EUR | ESP | MON | GBR | CAN | USA | FRA | GER | HUN | TUR | ITA | CHN | JPN | BRA | 36 | 5th | |
Nick Heidfeld | 12 | Ret | 4 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 3 | 14 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 17† | ||||||
Jacques Villeneuve | Ret | 7 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 8 | Ret | Ret | 11 | Ret | ||||||||||||
Robert Kubica | TD | TD | TD | TD | TD | TD | TD | TD | TD | TD | TD | TD | DSQ | 12 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 9 |
References
- Constanduros, Bob (2006). "Formula 1 Review: BMW Sauber F1 Team". Autocourse 2006–2007. Crash Media Group. pp. 76–78. ISBN 1-905334-15-X.
- https://forums.autosport.com/topic/89958-current-engine-ranking/