Initial pre-season testing was very positive, with many speculating that BMW could surprise some of the top teams with their performances when the season got underway.

The rear wing is mounted by the endplates, rather than the pylon-mounted arrangement used by some rivals' cars (such as the McLaren MP4-22).

[1] The BMW Sauber team adopted a seamless shift sequential transmission mechanism, known as QuickShift, for its gearbox.

Sebastian Vettel scored points for 8th place in his only appearance for the team, the United States Grand Prix.

Heidfeld was the only driver to frequently break the Ferrari/McLaren deadlock at the front of qualifying, with his best result being 2nd on the grid in Hungary.