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.
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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.
Will BMW return to Formula One?
The 2026 was introduced, in part, to entice more automakers to the Formula One, since Volkswagen had been involved in discussions over new regulations through Audi and Porsche.
While Porsche, who was expected to enter the sport alongside Red Bull, confirmed that talks with the energy drink company had broken down, Audi declared their plans to become F1 power unit suppliers by 2026 with their plans on the chassis side still to be announced.
BMW, on the other hand, claims that the 2026 F1 power unit requirements have not piqued their interest and that their current priority—the LMDh program—precludes them from doing so.
The Bavarian automaker will compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2019 with Team RLL before switching to WRT in 2024 to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours and FIA World Endurance Championship.
The organization just unveiled their brand-new M Hybrid V8 racer, which was created in accordance with the new rules that will take effect in 2023.
BMW motorsport chief Andreas Roos confirmed that the company has no plans to compete in next F1 season, citing cost and LMDh as the main deterrents.
Why aren’t Porsche and BMW in Formula One?
One of the most well-known brands in auto racing is Porsche, and they have vehicles in several races. Additionally, they are among the most well-known automobile names outside of the racing world. It is therefore reasonable to inquire why Porsche does not have an F1 vehicle.
Porsche doesn’t own an F1 car for a number of reasons, but the primary one is that it doesn’t align with their corporate ideals because it deviates too much from their focus on road cars. They don’t have an F1 car for another major reason, but they do compete in other motorsports.
Porsche dominates the luxury and sports car markets, which deters them from prioritizing motorsport. To understand why they are no longer in Formula 1, however, it is important to consider their former involvement in the sport as well as their numerous other motorsport ventures.
Why left Formula One Lamborghini?
When the governing body, the FIA, abruptly outlawed turbochargers in 1989, forcing all teams to quickly adapt, Lamborghini saw an opportunity to begin producing engines for Formula 1. The 80deg V12 naturally aspirated engine for the Lamborghini LE3512 was designed by the firm. The engine was up against those from Ferrari, Honda, Ford, and Renault.
The engine’s best finish was third, and neither it nor the F1 team that used it did very well. Then-Chrysler-owned Lamborghini anticipated a sluggish start and initially collaborated with a mid-tier squad.
After the 1993 season, Lamborghini discontinued the program due to unreliability and bad press.
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.
Are Audi’s F1 days numbered?
It follows the publication earlier this month of new power unit regulations, which were created expressly to make it practical and appealing for newcomers to enter the sport at a competitive level.
The 2026 power units will retain the current V6 internal combustion engine architecture but will have more electrical power and only use 100 percent sustainable fuels, according to Audi, two elements that were important in it joining.
Audi, a member of the Volkswagen Group, also stated that it supports F1’s goals to become more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. F1 has set a target of becoming Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and will establish a cost cap for power unit makers in 2023.
It also marks a significant acknowledgment of the importance of the automotive industry’s transition to hybrid engines powered by sustainable fuels in 2026. We are all anticipating seeing the Audi insignia on the starting grid and will learn more about their plans in due course. a
In advance of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Audi made its 2026 entry official at a press conference at Spa. Speakers included Domenicali, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development Oliver Hoffmann, and Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG Markus Duesmann.
The manufacturer stated that by the end of this year, they will disclose their choice of team for 2026.
The engine will be constructed at Audi Sport’s Neuburg factory, the first time an F1 powertrain has been made in Germany in more than ten years.
According to Audi, its Neuburg base already has test stands for evaluating F1 engines as well as electric motors and batteries. By the end of the year, they are working to have the necessary individuals, structures, and technical infrastructure in place. After that, they will have three years to perfect the PU before moving on to F1.
Why did Maserati abandon Formula One?
The last of Maserati’s two F1 championships, which it shared with Alfa Romeo, its corporate cousin, came in 1957, thanks to famous drivers Juan Manuel Fangio and the 250F, respectively. Maserati was forced to quit F1 as its financial situation worsened.
Why isn’t Ferrari in Formula One?
Ferrari has used its advantageous position to demand concessions from the F1 World Championship’s organizers ever since 1950, the sport’s debut season. (And that has actually occurred since 1950; according to James Allen, the Ferrari team skipped the opening championship race due to a disagreement over the start money.)