SPARKY: Hot pants during cold times

With Germany’s Nick Heidfeld and Canada’s Jacques Villeneuve driving the teams new BMW Sauber F1.06, there was clear indication that they weren’t expecting to win, nor challenge the front of the grid during 2006. Instead, this year will be a year of transition and learning, as BMW take the fight to the top teams with its own chassis and engine in the future.

But, if Jacques Villeneuve’s latest hairstyle didn’t get you talking, their ultra dull livery would. With the equivalent of putting on a pair of blue, tightly fitted hot pants, the F1.06 bears little excitement in its design livery. Although the team were also advertising its new clothing range today, I wasn’t expecting the new F1.06 to be apart of the same show. At lest with Toyota, their famous red splashes give the car the impression it’s moving, whereas with BMW it looks as though they aren’t looking for any points in the beauty contest.

Alas, looks don’t win you championships. But on the other hand: speed, reliability and good teamwork do. On comparing the new BMW to the new Toyota, the BMW is a brand new layout whereas the Toyota is an on going development. The front nose, similar in looks to that of last years McLaren, is branded an “all new concept” which surely has months of development ahead of it, and that’s why it isn’t going to win at first glance. I wouldn’t expect to see a BMW driver on the podium at all this year, because teams like Ferrari, Toyota and Honda are much better prepared than last year, building faster, race winning machines capable of challenging for the championship.

In conclusion this years BMW will be the foundations for next years replacement, but it will be interesting to see how BMW fair against Williams, as both are starting out with new pieces of equipment, but as outright challenger to Toyota, its hard to see it happening today.