BMW Sauber F1 Team - GP Canada - Preview

Canadian Grand Prix.

23rd - 25th June 2006
9th of 18 World Championship rounds

Preview.

Munich/Hinwil, 16th June 2006. The next venue played by Formula One will rob
the Football World Cup of some of its limelight, with Montreal keyed up for the
Canadian Grand Prix to be held on 25th June in its picturesque island location
in the St Lawrence River. The BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park in downtown
Montreal could well become a new magnet for fans, who are particularly thrilled
at the prospect of seeing their compatriot Jacques Villeneuve perform on the
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve named after his father. This is a fast circuit and
the BMW Sauber F1 Team believes it has a good chance of making it into the
points again in the ninth World Championship race this season. By way of
preparation, the team spent three days at the high-speed Monza track, with
Villeneuve, Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica taking it in turns at the wheel of
the BMW Sauber F1.06.

Nick Heidfeld:
"For me, Montreal and Melbourne are the grands prix I enjoy going to the most.
Irrespective of the circuit, I just love the city of Montreal, which is why I'm
looking forward to flying out there a few days early.

It's a circuit with a character of its own. This is one of the last high-speed
tracks we still have. There are long straights with relatively slow turns and
chicanes in between. I really like the second chicane. Once enough rubber has
been laid down on the track to give you the right grip and provided the car is
running well, you really hammer the kerbs there. But that turn also has an
incline, and on exiting you get very close to the wall.

Right now we believe our car is particularly good on fast stretches. The proof
of the pudding will be when we get to Montreal."

Jacques Villeneuve:
"It's always nice to come to Montreal. I hold very fond memories of my home.
Since my childhood, I have spent more time in Europe and I have had fewer and
fewer opportunities to visit Canada. That makes it even nicer to return here
for the Grand Prix every year. I have many friends that I meet on this occasion
and, of course, I can see my family as well. My motto is to relax in a familiar
atmosphere before completing a strenuous weekend.

Naturally, the media and the fans are more interested during my home GP and I
have a lot of PR appointments. That's all part of the game and actually fun to
do in Montreal. It is fantastic to feel the support. In May we celebrated the
five-year anniversary of my club Newtown in the city centre. I will definitely
drop by during the race weekend as well.

The difficulty on the circuit is a lot of heavy braking and we don't have many
tracks like that any more. Because it is a track no one goes on in the year, we
never know what to expect grip-wise, how the asphalt will be, how bumpy it will
be, because there are normal road cars during the week. It is a little bit like
Melbourne - always a bit of a surprise. The difficulty there is low grip, and
because of the layout, all the braking zones and the chicanes and overtaking
opportunities, a lot of people forget themselves once in a while and you have
quite a few incidents, but that is what creates the excitement.

It is a special weekend, and seeing how everybody is happy to be in Canada
makes me proud. The crowd is fantastic for any driver. You can be from any
country and they will cheer you on. They are there all weekend and it is like a
party the whole time. You can really feel the positive energy. The whole town
is into the race big time - it's a bit like Monaco. The attitude there is very
young and upbeat."

Robert Kubica:
"I am now going to Montreal and facing another new circuit. I have heard a lot
about it, but when I go out on Friday it will be the first time in any sort of
car. This is always a challenge for me as I have to learn the circuit before I
can start the hard work for the team. Luckily this year I have been able to do
this very quickly, so this is another new challenge I am looking forward to. I
already know that the track is hard on braking and that my tyre work will be
very important."

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
"For the first time in the last grand prix, our young team emerged as the
fourth force to be reckoned with. It was a great success and a tremendous
incentive for us. In Montreal we aim to carry on from where we left off and
bring the first half of the season to a positive close.

The Canadian Grand Prix is definitely one of the highlights of the season. That
is not only because the circuit is a challenge in terms of technology and
driving, but also on account of the atmosphere. The people there are great
Formula One enthusiasts, and the proportion of BMW fans is traditionally high.
Canada is an important and strong market for BMW. The American region overall,
i.e. the USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Latin America, is BMW Group's
second-largest sales market after Europe.

The race track is in an attractive location on the island in the St Lawrence
River with its legacy from the World Expo and the Olympic Games. It is an
idyllic place with lots of trees, but they can prove a menace as leaves can
easily block the radiator. The long straights of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
push the P86 engines to the limit. The only circuits with higher speeds are in
Monza and Indianapolis. Nick will race with a new engine as scheduled, while
Jacques retains the P86 that has already served him well in Silverstone."

Willy Rampf, Technical Director Chassis:
"The outstanding characteristic of the Montreal race track has traditionally
been the heavy braking it demands. In a few places that will not be so critical
in 2006 because top speeds have come down through the switch to V8 engines. But
the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve still remains the toughest endurance test for the
brakes. That demands highly efficient cooling and circumspect use of the brakes
on the part of the drivers.

In aerodynamic terms, the circuit requires a medium downforce level. With that
in mind, we have already tested an aero package with a new front wing and yet
another new rear wing at Paul Ricard, with further testing completed in Monza
during the week after the British GP. It is proving to be the case that, due to
the reduced output of the V8 engines, running with maximum downforce has
decreased considerably in 2006.

Montreal has a good passing place: the hairpin is followed by a long straight
with a hard braking point. It is also important to approach the right-left
combination before the start/finish with caution and not drive over the kerbs
too roughly. In general, the run-off zones are relatively few and restricted.
To perform fast and safely in Montreal the car must respond with great
precision. It's an unforgiving track even if you make a minor mistake. Everyone
looks forward to this circuit not only because it presents a real challenge,
but also because of its scenic setting on the island in the St Lawrence River."

After eight of 18 rounds of the World Championship, the BMW Sauber F1 Team is
in fifth place in the constructors' standings with 17 points.

BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park:
The BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park will be set up in the buzzy downtown area
of Montreal at the Bell Center car park, which is enclosed by the René-Lévesque
Boulevard, De la Gauchetière, De la Montagne and Drummond streets.

The high-tech theme park will hold a Media/VIP Grand Opening at 9.00am on
Thursday morning, 22nd June. It will display Formula One exhibits as well as
computer animations and features provided by Official Corporate Partner Intel.
Attending the opening will be Jacques Villeneuve, who will inaugurate the Park
with a few introductory pirouettes in the F1 car. Also present will be BMW
Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, Lindsay Duffield (President BMW Canada),
Norman Legault (President of the Canadian GP and mayor of the city) and
motorcycle stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer, who will give a taster of his skills on
wheels right after Villeneuve.

On the many demonstration rides over the weekend, the F1 race car will again be
piloted by World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx (GBR). Jonathan Summerton
(USA) will be at the wheel of the Formula BMW car, while Chris Pfeiffer
straddles his BMW F 800 S.

Admission to the 5,400-square-metre Park with its 90-metre section of track is
free and open to anyone, capacity permitting. There is a Fast Lane for the
media. The Park opens to the public at 12.00 hrs on Thursday and at 10.00 hrs
on Friday and Saturday. It closes its gates at 22.00 hrs.

If you require detailed information on the Pit Lane Park, please contact
joerg.kottmeier@bmw.de or bmw@heikehientzsch.de. The press contact on site is
Benjamin Titz, telephone +49 179 743 8088.

A press conference with Jacques Villeneuve will take place on Tuesday morning,
20th June, in Montreal. Interested media can contact Johanne Lépine or Paul
Vaillancourt (Torchia Communications) directly: telephone +1 514 288-8290 or
email jlepine@torchiacom.com.

For TV media: footage of Villeneuve's drive in London's Hyde Park on 13th June
and of the BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park can be ordered through
benjamin.maschauer@bmw.de or collected at the BMW Sauber F1 Team Hospitality in
Montreal from Heike Hientzsch. Abridged versions are downloadable at
www.thenewsmarket.com.

The latest photos are available at www.press.bmwgroup.com.

History and background:
2006 marks the 38th Canadian Grand Prix and the 28th held in Montreal. The
first Canadian Grand Prix took place in 1967 in Mosport, which went on to host
a further seven GPs. Mont-Tremblant was the venue for two GPs. Formula One
moved to Montreal in 1978, where it has been held ever since on the circuit
named after the winner of the inaugural race, Gilles Villeneuve.

The city of Montreal, which takes its name from the Mont Royal mountain, was
founded by French explorers in 1642 as Ville-Marie-de-Montréal. Montreal is the
capital of the French-speaking province of Quebec and is situated between a
branch of the Ottawa River mouth and the St Lawrence River. The city of more
than a million inhabitants has extremely cold winters but generally a
pleasantly warm summer season.

The complex on Notre Dame island where the non-permanent race track is located
was the site of the 1967 World Expo and hosted the 1976 Olympic Games. The
Formula One paddock runs along the former rowing basin.

Schedule for group interviews at the weekend:

Thursday:
11.00 - Jacques Villeneuve - FIA press conference
12.00-12.20 - Nick Heidfeld - print media
12.20-12.30 - Nick Heidfeld - TV
12.00-12.10 - Robert Kubica - TV
12.10-12.30 - Robert Kubica - print media
12.30-13.00 - Mario Theissen - TV and print media

Friday:
16:00 - Mario Theissen - FIA press conference
16.20-16.40 - Robert Kubica - print media
16.20-16.30 - Nick Heidfeld - TV
16.30-16.40 - Jacques Villeneuve - TV
16.40-16.50 - Robert Kubica - TV

Saturday:
15.30-15.40 - Nick Heidfeld - TV
15.40-16.00 - Nick Heidfeld - print media
15.30-15.50 - Jacques Villeneuve - print media
15.50-16.00 - Jacques Villeneuve -TV
17.00-17.30 - Mario Theissen - TV and print media

Sunday:
Approx. 30 minutes after the end of the race, Heidfeld, Villeneuve, Theissen
and Rampf will be on hand in the Hospitality area.

Involvement in the FIA Press Conference means the relevant group interviews
will be cancelled on the day in question.