BMW to exit Formula One
July 29, 2009 by George Skentzos
The BMW Group has today announced its official withdrawal from Formula One at the end of the current season.
The official statement from BMW did not include definitive justification for the landmark decision, although the poor performance of the BMW Sauber F1 team this season is certainly a contributing factor.
Dr Klaus Draeger, the member of the Board of Management responsible for development, has said that it was unfortunate that the team was “unable to meet expectations in the current season”.
As it currently stands, the BMW Sauber F1 team is ranked eighth in the constructors title with a total of eight points, ahead of only STR and Force India.
“Of course, we, the employees in Hinwil and Munich, would all have liked to continue this ambitious campaign and show that this season was just a hiccup following three successful years. But I can understand why this decision was made from a corporate perspective.” said BMW Motorsport director Dr Mario Theissen.
The landmark decision to restructure BMW Motorsport’s activities was made at the Board of Management’s meeting yesterday, with BMW confirming that it would continue to be actively involved in other areas of motor sport.
Possible redundancies in Munich and Hinwil as a result of this decision are yet to be announced, although have not been ruled out.
“Since we only made this decision yesterday, we cannot provide any more precise information. We will develop and assess various scenarios and do our best to find a solution for the employees in Hinwil and the staff members involved in the Formula One project in Munich. We are aware of the responsibility we shoulder and will inform the staff as soon as we can make a clear statement.” said Dr Draeger.
Since its debut season in 2006, the BMW Sauber F1 team has taken one pole position with Kubica finishing first in Bahrain in 2008, and has accumulated a total of 16 podium finishes.
Print it: 
Another scalpel to the GFC and with BMW sales down 30% across Europe budget cuts had to come from somewhere.
Yeah rightio Observer,if you were observing you would have noticed Toyota sales were down more world wide .Too many hoops and rules, Im sure more will join their exit after many weeks of F1 controversy .
Bernie did say 1 of the maufacturer would be leaving F1 by the end of this year, and I thought it would be Toyota. I didn’t really expect BMW to pull out this quickly.
I guess BMW had their eyes on LeMann with their diesel engines possibly in 2010?
As a viewer, I’ve lost interest in F1. Too much expensive development which doesn’t translate to usable technologies. Too many restrictions. Too expensive. Not enough visible innovation.
BMW diesels will certainly cream those Audis in LeMans. But it’s a sad thing the best F1 engine manufacturers are leaving the sport. At least they could supply motors to private teams. The poor collaboration with Williams saw both parties fall from the top.
Kubica did claim pole but didnt finish first in Bahrain, It was in fact Canada where he won
Let’s hope that Toyota or Renault don’t follow suit.
It will be interesting to see where Kubica and Heidfeld end up. I could see Kubica with Renault or Williams and Heidfeld with Brawn or one of the new teams.
You have to remember that BMW are still a privately owned company. They are owned by the Quandt family and the $300mil needed to support the team each year must be harder to find from an ever decreasing number of sponsors. Now that tobacco is (almost) gone and the 2012 European alcohol regulations cutting back on advertising making things a bit harder it looks like BMW have made a sensible call. I also think Toyota will join them, if not this year then at the end of 2010. Who will be next?
In almost any other racing catagory worldwide, this would be a big wake up call. But not in F1 where heads are firmly buried in the sand.
Wow, 1 backward season and they pull the plug. Lets face it the real reason they are pulling out is because they are at the back of the field.
S, plenty of manufacturers have been at the back of the field longer than BMW ,look at Toyota over the last 6 years. BMW have been strong up till now and like before Im sure they will be back if not as manufacturing team then by someone using their engines.
Yes Ross R, but Toyota is still there. They don’t give up after 1 bad season.
BTW, Michael Schumacher back in F1 for Ferrari for the next race in Valencia. I cannot wait!
S,Toyota gave it till the end of this year if they didnt succeed finally after trying for 6 years . BMW are leaving for other reasons ,hell knows they have the capabilities to win.
Wrong Ross R, they have committed till 2012. Their president is the head of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA).
And the only reason Kubica won for BMW last year was because Lewis Hamilton crashed into the back of Kimi when he was stopped at a red light in the pit lane. So they haven’t yet proved they can win on their own merits. This year they are struggling to get past Force India.
Wrong S, at the beginning of the year they said THEY WOULD ONLY RESIGN IF THEY GOT SOME PODIUMS. They resigned after a few podiums :P
Your looking for excuses for losses now dude to support your argument. Crashes are part and parcel of racing.
Have you forgot about the recent controversy in F1 where the whole shebang was about to fold ? More will follow BMW leaving and dont be surprised if Toyota is one.
Ross R, please click to the attached link. Toyota are commited to F1 till 2012.
“How committed is Toyota to Formula 1?
We have consistently said we want to continue to participate in Formula 1 and if our conditional entry is accepted we will commit to the sport until at least the end of the 2012 season. If and when that happens, the unfounded rumours surrounding our future should stop”.
http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news.....hn-howett/
I am sad to see BMW leave. The more competition in F1 the better. I am just disappointed that they have pulled the plug after 1 bad season.
I understand they resigned S, but this is what they said prior.
” In a stark message, John Howett has stated that Toyota has ‘no future’ in Formula 1 if it suffers a bad season in 2009 – and that, he makes clear, means having to finally win a grand prix.
Since its debut in the top flight back in 2002, the big-budget Japanese manufacturer has competed in 123 races with no victories, and a meagre return of just seven rostrum finishes and two pole positions to its name.”
Oh you meant re-sign, I understood it as resign as in step down or quit. Yea they haven’t been very successful so far.
But as I said at least they haven’t given up and they are still trying. F1 is so close now that 1 mistake and you are gone. They were the fastest car in Bahrain, but they stuffed up the strategy and finished 3rd.
I am resigned to the fact that resigned and resigned have confusing meanings :)
Toyota have the biggest budget of all the teams remember S.BMW is a privately owned Company .
Again read what Mad Max says “You have to remember that BMW are still a privately owned company. They are owned by the Quandt family and the $300mil needed to support the team each year must be harder to find from an ever decreasing number of sponsors. Now that tobacco is (almost) gone and the 2012 European alcohol regulations cutting back on advertising making things a bit harder it looks like BMW have made a sensible call. I also think Toyota will join them, if not this year then at the end of 2010. Who will be next?
In almost any other racing catagory worldwide, this would be a big wake up call. But not in F1 where heads are firmly buried in the sand.”
You need to read more about BMW history in F1,they started back in 1952 before discounting them as a team that gives up.
Times are hard at the moment for all manufacturers ,BMW as I said may be leaving but dont discount their engines still being used like they have in the past,and successfully.
Renault’s next………..
Its sad but imo, if the likes of BMW, Renault, Mercedes & toyota just put their efforts into providing customer engines and leave the teams to build the chassis’s the sport and the car manufacturer’s might be better for it.
Obviuosly Ferrari are the exception here because they own F1 and even if they made trabants they’d still turn a profit.
either way BMW’s crown for me will always be their force in the piquet brabhams. 1300bhp from 1500cc is some talent.
I don’t really like F1 racing at all. I like my racecars to at least resemble a road car, like in rally. Also the car’s noise irritates me no end. It’s like a mosquito crossed with a superbike.
S Says – July 30th, 2009 at 10:06 am:
“How committed is Toyota to Formula 1? – We have consistently said we want to continue to participate in Formula 1 and if our CONDITIONAL entry is accepted we will COMMIT to the sport until at least the end of the 2012 season.
Interesting term that; “Conditional” its almost as if Toyota are saying they will “Commit” themselves to the F1 Circus for the next 3 years [and continue to waste over $50m a year in the process] provided that F1 change the rules and regulations etc to suit Toyota..
Just as they did with AVESCO Yeah that’s real commitment isn’t it?
If Toyota are as good as we are lead to believe [which they should be given that their F1 budget is as much as the other major teams combined] then they should accept the F1s terms and conditions and compete in the sport regardless just like McLaren and Ferrari have contined to do
This move is one step towards ensuring the company remains in private hands during the current economic climate.
That’s sad.
Now that they have pulled the pin, update-engineering will totally stop, and this racecar will really head back towards the rear of the field, rapidly!
But like haonda though, it could be sold as a going concern so will live on in one shape, form and brand.
What about giving it a go Hyundai/Kia group, or as per normal a cashed up Chinese CarCo, what about it GreatWall?
:-)
Easiest way to the front today in F1 is employ Adrian Newey quicker and cheaper than pissing 100’s millions away for nothing…..