This article discusses BMW’s participation in Formula One and the BMW Sauber racing team. See Sauber Motorsport for the independent racing team.
Since the World Drivers’ Championship was established in 1950, BMW has been involved in Formula One in a variety of capacities. Before developing the BMW M12/13 inline-four turbocharged engine in the 1980s, the business competed in sporadic races in the 1950s and 1960s (typically under Formula Two rules). Nelson Piquet won the 1983 championship while driving a Brabham BT52-BMW during this time, and BMW also provided the M12/13 on a customer basis to the ATS, Arrows, Benetton, and Ligier teams during this time, with varying degrees of success. This engine was the result of a deal between BMW and Brabham, which resulted in the team’s chassis being powered by BMW engines from 1982 until 1987. Brabham briefly left the sport in 1988, and BMW stopped officially supporting the engines, which were still being used by the Arrows team under the Megatron moniker. The 1989 revision of the Formula One Technical Regulations outlawed turbocharged engines, making the M12/13 obsolete.
In the late 1990s, BMW made the decision to return to Formula One and entered into an exclusive agreement with the Williams team, which was in need of a new long-term engine supplier following the departure of Renault in 1997. A new V10 engine was developed as a result of the initiative and debuted in competition in the Williams FW22 in 2000. The collaboration advanced from the midfield to contending for race victories the next year, but the desired title remained elusive due to Michael Schumacher and Ferrari’s domination in the first half of the 2000s. BMW decided to sever ways with Williams in 2005 as their relationship had deteriorated, and instead decided to purchase the rival Sauber team outright.
The BMW Sauber project, which ran from 2006 to 2009, significantly raised the Swiss former privateer team’s competitiveness. A strong third place performance in the Constructors’ Championship in 2007 followed two podium places in the inaugural season. Robert Kubica won the team’s lone race in 2008, the Canadian Grand Prix, and briefly held the lead in the Drivers’ Championship, but the team decided to concentrate on 2009 car development and fell back in the standings at the end of the season. Due to the F1.09 chassis’ lack of competitiveness, the 2009 season was a significant letdown. BMW decided to leave the sport, returning the team to its founder, Peter Sauber, in addition to the global financial downturn and the company’s displeasure with the constraints of the current technical standards in developing technology relevant to road cars.
In This Article...
BMW is uninterested in a 2021 F1 comeback.
Since the power unit period has no bearing on their road vehicle technology, BMW has made it clear that they have no interest in returning to F1.
In 2006, BMW acquired the Sauber team, and the BMW Sauber entry went on to enjoy a successful run in the competition.
The team finished the inaugural season with two P3 finishes and finished P5 in the Constructors’ Championship.
They would earn two more podium places the next year as they finished third in the constructors’ standings, moving up to second after McLaren was disqualified.
Robert Kubica’s victory in Canada in 2008 would be BMW Sauber’s first and only victory; however, later in the season, they would shift their attention to designing the 2009 vehicle.
BMW would leave the race at the end of that year, selling the team back to founder Peter Sauber, but the F1.09 would be a significant step down.
As with many of their rival automakers, BMW is now concentrating on Formula E with the Andretti team after joining forces with them in 2018.
BMW does not care about the new Formula 1 regulations that will be implemented starting in 2021 because they believe that the F1 technology has no application to their road car technology.
The V6 turbo hybrid has little to do with what we do in (road) car production, according to BMW racing head Jens Marquardt in an interview with Auto Bild.
“From an engineering standpoint, I salute what they achieve in Formula 1, but the technology has no application on the road,” the speaker said.
Aston Martin is one automaker whose participation in Formula One has been confirmed as of 2021. Lawrence Stroll purchased a stake in the British luxury automaker, opening the door for a rebranding of his Racing Point team.
A higher priority is LMDh.
Herbert Diess, the CEO of the Volkswagen Group, recently reaffirmed the German conglomerate’s aim to compete in Formula 1 alongside Porsche and Audi. Combustion engines won’t switch to fully synthetic fuel until 2026, when a new set of laws will restructure the market (again). In about four years, our colleagues at BMWBLOG were interested to learn if Bayerische Motoren Werke AG intended to reenter the game.
The folks from Bavaria, however, have no such plans, according to BMW M head Frank Van Meel, who stated that the business has “no goals for Formula 1” when asked why it won’t make a comeback after splitting with Sauber in 2009 and citing laws governing powertrains as the reason:
“For us, it was really clear: Let’s go faster into that [electrification] area. Formula 1 is still contemplating the laws around electrification. So, for us, it was extremely vital to have the [electrification] tale of transformation embraced as fast as possible.”
Since a 2023 entry has been ruled out, the business is now significantly investing in its Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) racer, which is now anticipated to debut for the 2024 season. Since Lamborghini, Porsche, and Audi are all engaged in LMDh projects, BMW will still have to compete with the VW Group even if it decides not to return to Formula 1. Acura, Cadillac, Alpine, and Peugeot will accompany them.
BMW’s motorsport division also includes the M4 GT3 race vehicle, which will be launched in mid-June at the Virginia International Raceway during rounds five and six of the 2022 SRO Americas Championship. In addition to the LMDh program, this division also runs the LMDh. The entry-level M2 CS Racing, which is based on the previous M2 F87, is another option. In the upcoming months, the small sports coupe will become the G87 vehicle in its road-going configuration.
A fresh teaser image for the LMDh race car will reportedly be unveiled in June as well, according to reliable sources at BMWBLOG.
History
BMW spent two periods as an engine supplier before becoming an official F1 constructor in 2006. With the first turbo engine, it made history in the 1980s and helped a driver win the world championship in 1983.
It made a comeback in 2000 with Williams, and the following year, it began winning Grands Prix. The Munich label, however, assumed control of the struggling Sauber squad when the collaboration failed to produce a championship. BMW’s first victory in 2008 came courtesy of Robert Kubica at the Canadian Grand Prix.
But following a disappointing 2009 and feeling the impact of the recession, BMW left Formula One, even though its brand was still technically tied to the team in 2010.
Is BMW an F1 team?
Have you ever pondered why some manufacturers, like BMW, choose not to participate in Formula One despite the sport’s rising popularity? Knowing a team’s history can often help you appreciate them more, in my experience as an F1 and BMW enthusiast. Does BMW compete in Formula One?
BMW does not participate in Formula One and does not have any immediate plans to do so. Due to a poor performance, the global financial crisis, and their desire to raise the technological requirements for their road vehicles, they discontinued their participation in F1 in 2009.
BMW has historically been one of the strongest racing competitors, despite not participating in Formula 1. Let’s look at where they started, what they think about Formula One, and why they still don’t want to compete.
Check out the great products from the official F1 store here if you’re looking for some F1 memorabilia.
Will BMW return to the F1?
BMW claims that the reason for its lack of involvement in the racing is the F1 organizers’ tardiness in implementing electrification technology.
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BMW doesn’t appear to be prepared to return to Formula One. Frank Van Meet, head of BMW M, stated that the carmaker has no desire to compete in Formula One. When it comes to its goals in motorsports, the automaker is instead expressing a greater interest in the Le Mans Daytona hybrid, or LMDh, according to BMWBlog.
BMW left the Formula One sport in 2009 after splitting with Sauber. Since then, rumors have circulated that the carmaker might return to the premier racing venue. Meel’s explanation, however, puts an end to the rumor. He stated that in order for the business to accept the shift as quickly as possible, it is crucial to concentrate on electrification. “Let’s push quicker into that market,” he continued, “Formula 1 is still negotiating the laws around electrification. So, for us, it was pretty straightforward.
Why aren’t BMW and Audi in F1?
The road has no bearing on this. Audi has long participated in motorsports that our customers care about, like rallying and touring cars, which helped develop the quattro, FSI, and TFSI systems that are now included in our road cars. This is the reason we rejected F1 in 1999. Instead, we made the decision to compete in the world’s biggest race.
Why did Toyota quit Formula One?
Kawasaki, a manufacturer of motorcycles, also disbanded its MotoGP squad as a result of a severe market downturn.
After the 2010 season, Japanese tire manufacturer Bridgestone said on Monday that they will not extend their supply agreement with Formula One.
To cut costs during the worldwide economic downturn, Toyota’s Fuji International Speedway circuit gave up hosting rights for the Japanese Grand Prix in 2010 and beyond in July.
Honda-backed Super Aguri, which departed from F1 early last year because to financial concerns, marked the beginning of Japanese corporations leaving the sport.
With Toyota’s departure, Ferrari (FIAT), Mercedes, and Renault are the only remaining Formula One manufacturers.
It also gives BMW-Sauber’s new Swiss owners the opportunity to join the grid as the 13th team.
Toyota committed to F1 until at least 2012 by signing the Concorde deal earlier this year, so a withdrawal could have legal repercussions.
On 16 trillion yen in sales, Toyota expects an operational loss of 750 billion yen ($8.3 billion). Results for the second quarter are expected to be announced on Thursday.
Yumiko Nishitani contributed more reporting, while Peter Rutherford and John O’Brien edited the article.
Toyota left Formula One when?
Toyota left Formula One at the end of 2009 due to the world economic downturn. But if it had lived up to the potential of what could have been a very rapid car at times, that choice might have been very different. The Brawn and the Toyota TF109 were the only vehicles to use both the contentious double diffuser and the revolutionary front wing design. However, the team was unable to take advantage of the solid foundation that was established by perfecting the car design.
Toyota had a very real chance to win its first major championship as the 2009 campaign got underway. Three podium results in the first four races ought to have been more impressive, and when Toyota locked up the front row in Bahrain and finished first and second with Glock and Trulli, a tactical oversight of switching to the tougher tyre at the first pit stops denied it a chance at victory. This was still a squad that didn’t always get the most out of the vehicle trackside and seemed to make some odd decisions that constrained its potential, as it had done for a few years.
The team lost faith in its Spanish GP improvement, which it removed off the car during practice, and the season started to falter. The squad struggled throughout the middle of the campaign. Some members of the team believed Toyota’s excessive conservatism was holding it back. However, Toyota perhaps squandered its biggest opportunity at Spa. Before an electrical issue slowed down his start and he sustained front-wing damage in Turn 1, Trulli started second but was the fastest when fuel correction was applied during qualifying. Without that, there was a good chance of winning easily.
This led to a brief comeback, with Glock and Trulli taking second in breathtaking drives at Suzuka and Singapore, respectively. But this was insufficient to keep Toyota in Formula 1. Regardless of the state of the economy, a victory and the improved season that might have occurred would have convinced Toyota to continue.
It was hoped that the stillborn Toyota TF110 would have been a significant development. However, Toyota’s decision to withdraw means that we will never know if a car thought to have immense promise finally helped it win in Formula 1.