BMW merely looking for finish in Australia.

Despite emerging as the surprise contenders to 'big three' of Ferrari, McLaren and Renault over the course of the winter period, BMW have nonetheless set themselves modest targets for the first round of the Formula 1 season in Australia.

Indeed, while both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica have featured amongst the front runners throughout the off-season with their F1.07 and have been touted as potential race winners at Albert Park, BMW admit that while they are pleased with their pace, reliability is still causing concerns.

As such, Heidfeld is merely targeting a finish at Albert Park rather than a repeat of the fourth place he managed at last season's race.

"The Albert Park circuit is nice to drive, but also a demanding one for the drivers," he said. "Because it isn't a permanent race track, there isn't much grip at the start of the weekend. So it will help that the cars will spend more time on the track on the Friday, as extra rubber will quickly be laid down on the asphalt.

"We were pretty quick in testing, but unfortunately not that reliable, so for us the most important thing in the first race of the season will be to get to the finish."

It is a sentiment reiterated by team principal Mario Theissen who has been flattered by the praise heaped on them by rival teams but at the same insists those worries about durability mean they have had to develop the car right up to the first race of the season.

"Last year we put in a very good performance in Albert Park, and it would be nice if we had something to celebrate once again on Sunday evening. As ever, it is difficult to make predictions. Our rivals have been generous with praise at times, but we also had a few problems in testing. As always, it is a race against time to get the car ready for the first race of the season."