The BMW Sauber F1.08 has been built on high-class foundations, its predecessor - the F1.07 - having comfortably lived up to everything expected of it. The designers, therefore, enjoyed a sound basis on which to build, and were under no pressure to take any major risks. "That's why we decided to go for evolution rather than revolution," says Technical Director Willy Rampf. Added to which, the engineers benefited from the achievement of the BMW Sauber F1 Team in establishing itself as the third-strongest team on the grid early on in 2007. "That gave us the chance to divert more resources to the development of the new car," explains Rampf. "We put our faith in some logically consistent approaches, which led to interesting solutions." The result is a car which Rampf describes as a "radical evolution".

"Our aim was to build a car with impressive aerodynamic efficiency, but which also boasted a very stable aero balance. Which means that it hardly loses any downforce when the wheels are turned in, and thus gives the driver a lot of confidence," says Rampf, offering a glimpse into his team's thinking. Two other items on the priority list were an improvement in mechanical grip - in order to fully exploit the potential of the tyres - and a reduction in the weight of numerous components. This approach was designed to allow a high level of flexibility in terms of weight distribution through the maximum use of ballast. There was, however, no room for compromise as far as rigidity was concerned.

The F1 regulations inevitably play a central role in the construction of a new car. The two key changes to the rulebook for 2008 were the introduction of a standard electronics unit (SECU) and the new running time stipulation for the gearbox, which is now required to survive four consecutive grands prix.

The development of the chassis was particularly hard hit by the incorporation of the SECU, with the traction control and engine braking control systems among the casualties of the new standard unit. This had the effect of making the car considerably more nervous under acceleration and braking. In order to counteract the loss of traction control as far as possible, the engineers focused particular attention on improving mechanical grip.

The concept phase got underway in May. "The scheduling looked after itself really, as we wanted to evaluate the data from the first few races of the season before getting down to work on the design of the new car," says Rampf. Among the areas of the car decided on at this point were the position of the engine, the length of the gearbox, the wheelbase, weight distribution, tank size and suspension concept. Here, the experience collected by the technicians with the standard Bridgestone tyre played an important role.

Look the F1.08 in the eye and its front wing cuts an imposing figure. A totally new development, it now consists of three elements. The BMW Sauber F1 Team's aerodynamics experts invested a considerable amount of time in its design; after all, the front wing affects the aerodynamics of the whole car. Only if this component possesses extremely high downforce potential will the car be able to show perfect balance.

The nose section of the car, which is significantly slimmer than that of its predecessor, has to work harmoniously with the front wing, as Rampf confirms: "You can't treat the individual components in isolation. At the end of the day, it is critical that they work together to optimum effect."

When it came to developing the concept for the side turning vanes, the aerodynamics experts returned to their experience with the F1.07. On the new car these are once again made up of two elements - the forward turning vane and the main turning vane. Although appearing identical to the turning vanes on the 2007 car, when you take a closer look they are actually totally different. The endeavours of the aerodynamics team have ensured improved airflow around the sidepods and enabled the underbody to work with great efficiency.