Munich - BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen has set his sights on BMW-sauber drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica fighting for the Formula One title in 2009, starting with strong performances in the weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

"The impression from testing has been good so we are going into the season feeling strong and with high expectations," Theissen told German Press Agency dpa.

"The route we have taken with the BMW-Sauber F1.09 has been the correct one. This season we want to be in there battling for the world championship."

Kubica won the first race for the German team last year in Canada and was a title contender until the closing stages in 2008.

Now the ambitions are even higher and Theissen believes that BMW can use a series of major rule changes - in the area of aerodynamics, the new KERS energy recovery system, and the reintroduction of slick tyres - to its advantage.

"The wide-ranging rule changes could lead to surprises but I trust both drivers to be able to compete at the front," said the 56-year- old German.

"I like to compare the situation with last year," he continued. "Then we had 10 hard weeks between presenting our car and the Melbourne race but were still competing at the front. This time around, the car has been going well from the start."

Theissen refused to confirm whether Heidfeld and Kubica would run with the KERS system at Albert Park this weekend, saying only that their system was "race ready."

"We've driven with KERS regularly during testing and it ran very well," said Theissen.

"Now we have to weigh up whether the positive performance of an extra 82PS is negated by the weight of the system and the wear on tyres. We will decide on a race-by-race and driver-by driver basis." (dpa)