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Brazil GP: The situation prior to the race
By BMW Sauber F1 Team October 21 2007
The BMW Sauber F1 Team can hope to secure a good result in the final round of the 2007 Formula One World Championship season. Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica are in a good position to reach the 100-point barrier... .

- In qualifying for the Brazilian GP, held at the "Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace", Nick took sixth position on the grid, while Robert qualified seventh, right behind his team-mate.

- Nick will share the third row of the grid with Red Bull driver Mark Webber, with Robert Kubica starting the race on Sunday alongside Jarno Trulli.

- In the team-internal qualifying battle, Nick extended his lead over Robert to 11:5 at Sao Paulo.

- For the eighth time in his career, Nick will start from sixth on a Formula One GP starting grid. In the current season he started sixth on the grid for the Turkish and Belgian Grands Prix. Both times he scored points - finishing fourth and fifth respectively. For Robert, it's the third time that he will start a race from seventh position.

- The BMW Sauber F1 Team needs to score just six points to break the 100-point barrier in the Constructors' Championship.

- When scoring points the BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers have secured fourth place more often than any other result when scoring points. To date, Nick and Robert between them have finished fourth in a Grand Prix eight times this season. Furthermore, they have gained one runner-up finish, one third, five fifth and four sixth places. The list of results is completed by three seventh places while a BMW Sauber F1.07 has crossed the line in eight position twice.

- Nick has fond memories of Brazil: back in 2001 he celebrated his maiden Formula One podium finish by coming home third for the Sauber Team. For Robert, last year's Brazilian GP was his first F1 race at Sao Paulo and by finishing ninth he narrowly missed out on a points finish.

 More Facts from the Brazilian GP:

On Saturday, the battle for the Formula One World Championship became even more intense. The stage is set for a thrilling season finale. Robert Kubica contested today's sessions at Sao Paulo with a new helmet design, while the BMW Sauber F1 Team successfully completed its long streak of success...

Impressive consistency: In each of the 2007 season's 17 qualifying sessions, both BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers have succeeded in advancing to the top-ten shootout. Nick Heidfeld qualified sixth at Sao Paulo's "Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace", while Robert secured seventh position on the grid.

- New colour scheme: Robert Kubica contests the final round of the 2007 season with a new helmet livery. Instead of the mainly red helmet design the BMW Sauber F1 Team driver has been using since he entered Formula One in 2006, Robert races at Interlagos in a black and white helmet.

- Three title contenders: On eight previous occasions since Formula One's creation back in 1950, three drivers have taken the battle for the title to the final round. Five times, the championship leader failed to secure the title. The last time that three drivers travelled to the season finale as championship contenders was the 1986 season, with Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet being the protagonists involved. For Mansell, finishing third would have been enough to claim the title but a burst tyre brought an end to the Briton's hopes. Consequently, his team called his team-mate, Nelson Piquet, in for a tyre change, as a precaution - thus offering Prost the chance of clinching the title. And, against the odds, the Frenchman succeeded in doing so. In 2007, Lewis Hamilton (107 points), Fernando Alonso (103) and Kimi Räikkönen (100) can still hope to finish the season as World Champion.

- Sauber bets on Hamilton: Peter Sauber has decided on his World Championship favourite. "I've found it hard to decide," admits the Swiss. "In the middle of the season I'd put my money on Hamilton, and then I changed to Alonso, simply because I said to myself: 'Alonso has more experience, he must be the cooler of the two.' Then it all changed again and I went back to Hamilton, and that's where I'm staying."

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