BMW Trivia: Last Successful Weekend BMW had at Albert Park?

The Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend as teams and drivers take to the Albert Park Street Circuit in Melbourne, Australia. Can you remember the last successful weekend BMW had at Albert Park?

For the 2008 season, traction control was banned in the open wheel racing series, putting more emphasis on driver skill rather than technological prowess. Fans and drivers were thrilled with the ban—not since 2001 had they heard an F1 engine without the gurgle of traction control in the exhaust note. BMW Sauber ‘s 2008 campaign retained its two drivers from the prior season, Polish driver Robert Kubican and German driver Nick Heidfeld. They hoped to improve upon their 2007 season where they scored only one podium finish.

The first race in Australia proved BMW had done good by keeping the two drivers.

On Saturday’s qualifying, Robert Kubica seriously threatened the field for pole position. Fastest on all sectors of the street circuit, Kubica snatched provisional pole even with a massive slide through the artificial turf at turn 12. Eventual champion, Lewis Hamilton pipped Kubica by .2 seconds with a clean final lap in the qualifying session. Nonetheless, Kubica was on the front row, and Heidfeld qualified a respectable 5th.

Race day saw mixed fortunes for the German-Swiss team. Kubica was stuck behind Kazuki Nakajima under safety car conditions, but Heidfeld moved from his 5th grid spot to finish 2nd on Sunday. His podium finish served as a harbinger of success for the first half the season for BMW, with more strong qualifying and race sessions to come.

Watch the video below to see driver Nick Heidfeld take the BMW F1 around the circuit in Sepang, Malaysia.