Formula One: BMW-Sauber—the Best of the Rest

I'm going to take a brief look at what is now known as the third team in Formula One, and their journey which has taken them to brink of real success in this competitive sport.
 

The title race for the 2008 Formula One World Championship has kicked into full gear after four races, and the prospects for the main contenders, McLaren and Ferrari, are the same as predicted before the season began.

Now, with BMW-Sauber beginning to put themselves in a position where they can interfere with strategies, the championship becomes slightly trickier.
 
Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica have both already been on the second step of the podium this year, and Kubica spectacularly planted his car on pole at Bahrain. The big test has yet to be achieved, getting that BMW power across the finish line before anyone else.
 
Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, and Felipe Massa have all taken chequered flags this season so far, while BMW have been an ominous presence. With double world-chamion Fernando Alonso back at Renault, and beginning to build momentum folllowing that heroic P2 at Catalunya, time may be running out for the German/Swiss squad. Kubica continues to maintain a consistency worthy of a potential title contender.
 
Upcoming tracks like the Hungaroring are said to be more favourable for BMW, but that race doesn't take place until August, and there's a whole heap of racing to be done betweeen now and then.
 
Much has been said about the likes of Raikkonen, Hamilton, and Alonso, but the BMW drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica are something of a different nature.

Heidfeld is the quiet man in the grid, who gets his head down and produces impressive results. Kubica on the other hand, has clearly stated his intent, moving from test driver to full race seat. In testing, he often topped the sheets in practice sessions, and replaced the outgoing Jacques Villeneuve in 2006.
 
In terms of racing prospects, both drivers have been rumoured to have been sought by McLaren and Ferrari. Heidfeld, now in his 30s, may be considered the elder statesman in this sport, which is quickly gaining younger and younger talent, but the speed is still there. Germany certainly has certainly a strong track-record in producing quick drivers.
 
Kubica is in the same age range as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, and is as equally talented as those guys. He's bounced back from a massive crash in Canada last year, more competitive and more determined to win. You knock him down, he comes back faster and stronger.
 
What was formerly the Sauber team has evolved into a real prospect, and a potential hinderence to McLaren and Ferrari, with that fighting spirit and driven determination.

All I can say is that I'm looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.