Being one of the chosen BMW Juniors, I was recently invited to visit the BMW Formula One factory in Hinwil, Switzerland.
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The chosen ones. BMW Juniors at the BMW F1 Factory
in Hinwil, Switzerland
"Being one of the
chosen BMW Juniors, I was
recently invited to visit the BMW Formula One
factory in Hinwil, Switzerland.
We were given an extensive seminar on racing
technique, aerodynamics and car set up by
Mike Strottmann a former BMW touring
car racer himself and other experts from the factory.
Extremely interesting was also the tour of the
factory including the museum and the high tech wind
tunnel, which is so important for the development of
F1 aerodynamics.
F1 Engine secrets revealed by the expert
A Formula
One car is actually not a car as most people
perceive it: It is actually an airplane flown upside
down. If you race through a tunnel you could actually
drive along the ceiling and it would stick! The only
problem is how to get it there without crashing at
300 km/h. The engineer who gave us the lesson on
aerodynamics had been crazy enough to volunteer but
management refused because of safety concerns.
Set up and driving technique lesson by BMW Touring
car driver Mike Strottmann
The wind tunnel is
managed by the second most powerful computer in the
world: Albert. It is really huge, something like 20 x
2 x2 meters, like computers used to be 50 years ago,
but as powerful as they are today! Only
NASA has a bigger one. It works 24/7
and calculates billions of ways every day how air
could flow over the car in a way that it gives the
right mix between downforce and drag or wind
resistance. That's why the cars have little wings all
over and look so alien. But next year there will be
more restrictions and cars will look more similar
again to give the teams a more level playing field
and increase competition on the track instead of in
the factory, which is better for spectators, since
only few people have the opportunity to go inside an
F1 factory. Even we were not allowed
to go inside the actual tunnel. Top secret!"
Marlon
Marlon Stockinger and Simon Moss checking out
Nick Heidtfeldt's Steering Wheel at the BMW F1
Factory in Hinwil, Switzerland
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Marlon
Stockinger, sponsored by BMW and Swiss Private Bank
Sarasin, put in a stellar performance last weekend at
the Sepang International Grand Prix Circuit
in Malaysia, where Asia Pacific’s Finest
young racers gathered for a four-day race meeting.
After struggling in the opening rounds of this year’s
Formula BMW Pacific Championship
during the recent F1 Grand Prix in
Sepang, he is gaining confidence with each
outing. “I made some smart overtaking moves and quick
lap times. The team (Eurasia Motorsport) did an
excellent job, the car felt great and it was really
enjoyable. I think I am making progress. It helps
build my morale and I can look towards the front of
the field with confidence”, says Stockinger.
Photo © Composite -
Gunther Deichmann
Some of the most intense
action the series has seen so far this season
unfolded in round 5 of the meeting where Stockinger
was involved in a five-car fight behind the leading
trio of Nara (Japan), Jamison (Hong Kong) and
McDonagh (USA). When BMW Europe guest driver Manzur
(UK) made a successful move on Stockinger, the battle
of the race commenced with Manzur, Moh (Malaysia) and
Wootton (Australia) locked in a furious chase. That
allowed Stockinger and Chaves (Columbia) to close in
on the trio and enter the fray. Moh was a casualty
and ended up in the gravel after coming together with
Manzur. Wootton was also caught up in the fray and
eventually finished down the field in 10th.
Stockinger was the winner of the five-car fight,
crossing the line in 4th, ahead of Manzur and Chaves.
In the last race of the weekend pole sitter McDonagh
got away badly and team mate Nara grabbed the lead.
Initially McDonagh stayed with Nara at the front, but
Stockinger got by to go to 2nd from starting in 4th
position by the end of the opening lap. Malaysia’s
Arvin Roslan was running well in 4th, but had a big
off on the second lap which brought out the safety
car on the following lap. That bunched up the field,
with Nara leading the pack followed by Stockinger.
Photo © Tom
Stockinger
Nara was away well when
the safety car pulled off with Stockinger skillfully
slipping into his tow and pulling away from the rest
of the field. However, the unshakable Nara took the
flag to record a superb second victory, joined on the
podium by the triumphant BMW Juniors
Stockinger in 2nd and Wootton in 3rd place.
Due to the great results for this weekend Stockinger
advanced from 5th to 2nd place behind Simon Moss of
South Africa in the rookie classification and from
12th to 5th place in the overall drivers
classification for the 2008
championship.
“Do we see a win soon?”, asked commentator Jonathan
Green the young gun in the post race interview.
Answer: “Yes, we’re gonna go for it!” The statement
was supported by the happy smiles of the all Filipino
crew of mechanics and team principal Mark Goddard of
Eurasia Motorsport.
Photo © Gunther
Deichmann
The final race rounded
out a superb weekend of competition, which saw a
field made up of drivers from no fewer than six
continents. The 2008 Formula BMW Pacific season
continues in July, when the region’s finest young
single seater racers will travel to Indonesia’s
Sentul Circuit outside Jakarta. After that,
Stockinger will join the European Formula
BMW support races of the Formula One rounds
in Hungary (Hungaro Ring), Spain (Valencia) and
Belgium (Spa) as a guest racer, before competing in
Formula BMW Pacific again during the historic first
Singapore F1 night race in September.