BMW Sauber hope to be snapping at the heels of Formula One's top teams this year before winning races next year and challenging for the championship in 2009.

BMW Sauber's Formula One driver Nick Heidfeld of Germany sits on the new F107 car during the official presentation of the BMW Sauber F1 Team in Valencia January 16, 2007.[Reuters]

Presenting the team's new car in Valencia on Tuesday, team boss Mario Theissen said he had high hopes for the season starting in Australia on March 18.

"In 2006 we exceeded our own targets," he said in a statement. "Now expectations are rising faster than the team can develop. That's the punishment for excelling yourself.

"Our aim is to make it onto the podium on our own merit," he said of the target for 2007.

"If the leading teams show any sign of weakness, we want to be ready to breach the gap. Victories on our own merit are not yet a realistic prospect for 2007. We are aiming for that in 2008," added Theissen.

"In 2009 we want to be in contention for the world championship title."

BMW, formerly Williams' engine partners, took over Swiss-based Sauber at the end of 2005 and Theissen said the new F1.07 was effectively the first fruit of their joint labours.

The car has a shorter, more raised nose with a revised cooling system and bigger radiators. The rear end has been slimmed down with a seamless-shift gearbox introduced for the first time.

"It's really the first BMW Sauber. That's a very special day for us," said Theissen.

RARIFIED

The team finished fifth overall last year with 36 points, an impressive position considering Sauber's eighth place the previous season, but they were still 50 points adrift of fourth-ranked Honda.

"After our good maiden season we now have to continue along our set path," said German driver Nick Heidfeld, appearing with a new bearded look. "But one can't expect too much because the higher you go, the more rarified the atmosphere."

Heidfeld is partnered by Poland's Robert Kubica, starting his first full season after taking over from Canadian former champion Jacques Villeneuve last August.

The Pole finished third in only his third race, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

"I learned a lot in 2006," said Kubica. "And I want to put it into practice in 2007 and learn more. To stand on the podium for the first time after a Formula One race was an incredible experience. I want more of it."