Motorsport
Mercedes and BMW hopeful ahead of first home race
By Elmar Dreher
May 3, 2006, 23:01 GMT

Nurburg, Germany - Michael Schumacher is not the only German eyeing a top result at the European Formula One Grand Prix in his home country on Sunday - so are local carmakers Mercedes and BMW.

McLaren-Mercedes want to enter the title fight for good and rebound from last year's Nurburgring trauma when Kimi Raikkonen had to retire with a damaged car in the final lap in leading position.

'We want to fight for both titles (drivers and constructors) like last year,' Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug said in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

BMW can not expect a podium place in the first of two races in the country (the other being the German gp at Hockenheim on July 30), but at least want points in their first season as a manufacturers team.

The season has so far been dominated by the 2005 champions Renault and their star driver, world champion Fernando Alonso. Ferrari also have one season win, from the ex-champion Schumacher.

Alonso leads the drivers standings with 36 points, double the amount of third-placed Raikkonen (18 points), with his McLaren team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya fifth on 15 points). BMW drivers Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve have five points each.

McLaren rank second in the constructors standings with 33 points, BMW are fifth with 10 points in the list led by Renault with 51 points.

'We have won only once at the Nurburgring but had many other chances to win there,' said Haug, hoping that Raikkonen can do better than in 2005.

Haug named Renault favourites and expects several teams to fight for top positions as well, ranking from Ferrari to Honda, Toyota and BMW, but that his outfit is also highly competitive.

McLaren-Mercedes' best season results are so far one third-place finish from each, Raikkonen and Montoya.

'Our reliability is better than that of other teams. Kimi and Juan Pablo had accidents in Malaysia and Australia, respectively, which cost us further podium finishes.

'The team has worked well and now we want to take the next step towards being able to win races,' said Haug.

While McLaren-Mercedes have been at the top for years highlighted by world titles 1998 and 1999 from Mika Hakkinen, BMW are in a new situation.

The Bavarian carmakers have made the transition from Williams engine suppliers to their own team by buying up Sauber, but a lot of additional work is still needed in all aspects of the team.

As a result, the expectations are more modest one fourth-place finish from Hiedfeld and Montoya each seen as a success.

'You can't have success from scratch. Other teams have far bigger resources than we do...What we have achieved so far meets the expectations,' BMW motorsports chief Mario Theissen told dpa.

'The car has speed. We we manage to show that in the race we have a chance to win points at the Nurburgring,' said Theissen.