On 15th January at Valencia, the BMW Sauber F1.08 had its first outing on a race track. The roll-out was the first step on a long development chain that will be continued right up to the season kick-off at Melbourne, reveals Willy Rampf. For the BMW Sauber F1.08, the roll-out at Valencia's "Circuit de la Comunitat" represented merely the start of preparations for the 2008 Formula One season. "The roll-out is simply step one," says Willy Rampf. "It is the first time that the car goes out on the track." "During the roll-out you focus on checking all the systems," explains the BMW Sauber F1 Team's Technical Director. "It's about finding out whether the cooling system and hydraulics work as planned, if the brakes are cooled down as they are supposed to be. How do the electronics work? Do all the sensors provide the signals we expect them to? More than anything it's a system check." The true testing only begins afterwards. Rampf adds: "When the car is checked to a level whereby it can be used without problems, the following tests are used to work on the performance. And during the first tests with a new car, measuring the aerodynamic efficiency represents the top priority." During this week's testing programme at Valencia, the BMW Sauber F1 Team already made the next step in the new car's development.
