BMW's Theissen On Kubica's Crash, Indy Race

By Anthony Fontanelle

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen divulges the crucial events in the recent Montreal race. He also gave hints on what is expected at the upcoming race in Indianapolis.

Asked about Robert Kubica’s crash in last Sunday’s race, Theissen said: "I was unable to judge the severity of the accident by the initial television pictures. Then seeing the first impact in the replay gave us all a huge shock. I was waiting on the pit wall watching the screens until the rescue work was completed and then went over to the Medical Center to see Robert. Having established that he had not suffered any serious injuries, I returned to the team to tell them the good news and followed the remainder of the race from the pit wall."

Kubica was discharged from the hospital two days after the crash. The Pole intimated that he is ready to race at the U.S. Grand Prix. "It's great that he feels ready to race and is not experiencing any after-effects from the accident. The Chief Medical Officer will have the final say after Robert has been examined in Indianapolis on Thursday. We are prepared in case Robert will not be able to drive. But, of course, we are all hoping that he will line up in the car at the weekend. The ideal scenario for me would be for us all to put the accident behind us quickly with a good performance in the race," Theissen commented.

At present, BMW is inspecting what was left in Kubica’s car including BMW radiator fan and chassis. [Kubica's F1.07] chassis will be examined in Hinwil and we will try to understand as much as possible about the accident. However, the damage profile gives us information we can use to further refine our calculations and further improve monocoque construction in the future. At any rate, the damage to the F1.07-07 chassis is so severe that it will not be used again on the track. If it can be repaired at all we will use it on the test rig. If it is totally beyond repair, it will be scrapped."

The Montreal race triggered debate on the efficiency of life-saving safety technology in Formula One cars and the possibility of transferring them to road vehicles. Theissen said, "The demands involved in series production are different from those in F1, as are the materials used. However, the aim is the same - to produce a durable passenger cell surrounded by crash elements which efficiently absorb impact energy. Everyday practicality, comfort and manufacturing costs all play a role in the production of road cars. In Formula One we do whatever is technically possible. The passenger cell and restraint systems are tailored to one person.”

He added, "In a series-produced vehicle, there are four, five or even more people on board. A road vehicle will generally be built from steel or aluminium, whereas an F1 monocoque is made of carbon fibre. While road vehicles have a crumple zone, the passenger cell of a formula racing car is surrounded by crash elements and designed to absorb the extreme forces generated by a collision. Formula One cars have to pass increasingly stringent FIA tests."

Despite Kubica’s horrible crash, BMW Sauber has one thing to celebrate - Nick Heidfeld grabbing second place. Moreover, the victory pulled the team’s score upwards. "I'm really proud of this team. Nick certainly did not finish second by default. All the incidents in Sunday's race took place behind him. That second place was his on merit - he was simply faster than one of the McLarens and both Ferraris."