Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey – April 9, 2019 – BMW will
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Entering the MotoGP has more to lose than gain.
While it is evident that motorsport is ingrained in BMW’s DNA, its road-going motorcycles have been less in line with the philosophy of power, handling, and enjoyment, favoring durability and practicality instead. This is in contrast to its four-wheel vehicles, which are primarily sports saloons.
In fact, competing in MotoGP doesn’t always result in more GS sales, much like competing in F1, Le Mans, or Formula E doesn’t always result in greater sales of 3-Series, 8-Series, and i8 automobiles.
Being a middling MotoGP would raise concerns from the board level to the customer level, and BMW’s great brand power needs to be preserved.
In contrast to a dominant MotoGP effort that would make you want to buy a GS exclusively, would a mediocre MotoGP effort cause you to second-guess purchasing a BMW GS?
MotoGPTM Safety Car, a new BMW M2 CS Racing model.
The first thoroughbred race car to serve as the lead vehicle in MotoGPTM is the BMW M2 CS Racing. The 2022 season, which kicks off on March 6 with the Grand Prix of Qatar, will feature a fleet of strong BMW M safety vehicles led by the BMW M2 CS Racing MotoGPTM Safety Car.
The livery of the new Safety Cars is a nod to the 50th anniversary and is based on the anniversary logo of BMW M GmbH, in addition to having an engine that can produce up to 450 horsepower (depending on the version).
On a bike, those M Sport colors look fantastic.
The first MotoGP race of the 2021 season will take place at the end of March, which is hard to comprehend. At the Losail International Circuit, the Qatar Grand Prix will officially begin the new racing year. If you watch racing for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed the safety cars that the majority of racing series employ. At the start of races, they will lead the drivers on warm-up laps, or if a yellow flag situation occurs, they will emerge to slow down the activity.
On March 9, 2021, BMW unveiled their new fleet of safety vehicles for the MotoGP competition. Since 1999, the Bavarian company has provided the MotoGP series with a fleet of safety cars that are fully equipped. BMW, though, is making a very major adjustment for 2021.
Three vehicles, an M3, an M4, and an M5 CS, will make up the 2021 BMW MotoGP safety fleet in Qatar. But this year, BMW Motorrad is also dispatching a M 1000 RR Safety Bike to join the safety fleet on the course. It’s also the first motorcycle ever to bear the M badge from BMW, and the manufacturer says a race version will compete in the WSBK in 2021.
Just a few weeks later, on April 18 in Portimao, Portugal, BMW will formally unveil the entirety of its 2021 MotoGP safety fleet. At that point, the first BMW safety squad will expand to include an M8 Competition Coupe Safety Car, an M8 Competition Gran Coupe Safety Car, an X5 M Medical Car, and an additional M1000RR Safety Bike.
“The safety car fleet is the focal point of our commitment in the MotoGP,” BMW M CEO Markus Flasch said in a statement. “We are very delighted to be starting the season with four new cars for the first time in our 20-year history as “Official Car of MotoGP.”
“Based on production models, our three new safety vehicles have exceptional performance and driving dynamics, making them perfect for use in the MotoGP. The new BMW M 1000 RR will accompany them as the safety bike. The first M model on two wheels was created for racing and will adhere to the strictest standards on the racetrack. We are eager to debut our new fleet in Qatar for the start of the season.”
BMW might consider a MotoGP project.
With the withdrawal of Team Suzuki Ecstar, a team will be eligible to compete in MotoGP starting in 2019. When pondering an unprecedented presence in the elite class, BMW might envision it occupying it.
One of them would be GasGas, which is part of the same company as KTM but is unable to launch the project in the near future. While MV Agusta is now focused on Moto2 and has not been financially stable in recent years, Kawasaki has consistently refused a return to MotoGP. BMW keeps going without the parts.
Since 2009, the Bavarians have partnered with the safety car in the MotoGP series. Although it is true that its director Markus Schramm has been refusing team involvement, a former manufacturer’s management recently asserted that the topic of MotoGP is frequently discussed – though he stumbles in the direction of BMW AG’s leadership.
BMW has previously been very near to competing in MotoGP, as in 2007, when it lacked only the direction’s approval. The director of the manufacturer’s two-wheel division attempted to obtain a MotoGP quote in 2012, during the new 1000cc era, but was unsuccessful.
BMW has a successful history competing in racing. It was formerly the Superbike world champion on two wheels, and on four wheels, she has won and held championships in Formula 1 and endurance racing, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
BMW has no plans to compete in MotoGP; “Our position is unchanged.”
One manufacturer that has been mentioned as one that might replace Suzuki in the MotoGP in the future is BMW. However, as can be seen from director Marc Bongers’ words, the manufacturer currently competing in the Superbike World Championship has no plans to make such a move.
In contrast, Bongers pointed out that, unlike WSBK and the World Endurance Championship, MotoGP has no connection to the market. He also emphasized that there is the issue of the WSBK’s high prices and lack of human resources:
– Both sales statistics and earnings data for BMW and BMW Motorrad are available to the public. That makes no sense when you consider how much money MotoGP must spend to build its brand. Of course we have tracks and rules, but it’s hard to estimate how much MotoGP costs. Anything over 40 or 50 million euros is spent every year. Furthermore, simply saying, “Here is 50 million euros a year,” is insufficient. There must be a reason behind this. These are only prototypes; more than 100 individuals are required for this. This is not in balance. There are cost estimation models for World Superbikes that specify what should be included and excluded. Between five and 10 times more money is spent on a compromise with MotoGP.
Will BMW compete in the MotoGP?
At the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022, the first-ever BMW M3 Touring MotoGPTM Safety Car was introduced. For the start of the season this year, the brand-new BMW M2 CS Racing MotoGPTM Safety Car also leaves the pit lane. The BMW M3, BMW M4, and BMW M5 CS Safety Cars, as well as the BMW M 1000 RR Safety Bike, are present alongside the two vehicles. The BMW M 1000 RR, the company’s first M model, will be featured in the Superbike World Championship in a racing configuration.
Why doesn’t BMW compete in Formula One?
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). The team’s chassis were powered by BMW engines from 1982 to 1987 as a consequence of an agreement between BMW and Brabham. Nelson Piquet won the 1983 title while operating a Brabham BT52-BMW during this time. ATS, Arrows, Benetton, and Ligier teams were also given the M12/13 by BMW during this time, with varying degrees of success. 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 (which became second when McLaren was disqualified). 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.