Jan.27 (GMM) BMW-Sauber third and reserve driver Christian Klien in 2009 intends to once again contest the Le Mans 24-hour race.
Last year, the 25-year-old Austrian, and a plethora of other F1 faces, teamed up for the famous event with Peugeot.Given formula one's even harsher test restrictions this year, Klien joked to motorsport-magazin.com that he wants to again turn to Le Mans in addition to playing "chef" at grands prix to BMW's race drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica."It is not yet fixed, but that (Le Mans) would be a good addition to my programme with BMW-Sauber," he said.Klien said F1's new test rules, including a total in-season ban following the Australian grand prix, make life "difficult" for the third drivers."I have some pre-season tests but from March until the end of the season there will be nothing other than straight-line tests," he explained."It is therefore important for me that I can still race, in order to keep myself fit," Klien added.On the other hand, the announcement of the test ban this winter was timely for BMW-Sauber, given the Hinwil based team's prior efforts to prepare interim test cars conforming with the 2009 regulations."At the time we still knew nothing about the test ban, but the work is now paying off," Klien said."Last year it was a huge effort to build two B-cars," he continued, "but we were able to learn a lot about the new regulations."
