325i Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 BMW has announced it is to quit Formula 1 at the end of the 2009 season, as AUTOSPORT predicted last night. The news was confirmed at a press conference in Munich this morning, and comes on the back of a disappointing campaign for the outfit. Dr. Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the BMW board, said that the decision was made after a refining of the company's future strategy. "Of course, this was a difficult decision for us. But it's a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment," he said. "Premium will increasingly be defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead. In line with our Strategy Number ONE, we are continually reviewing all projects and initiatives to check them for future viability and sustainability. Our Formula 1 campaign is thus less a key promoter for us. "Mario Theissen has been in charge of our motor sports program since 1999. We have scored a large number of successes in this period, including some in Formula 1 racing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mario Theissen and his team for this." BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen, who spearheaded the company's efforts as an engine supplier with Williams and then later with BMW Sauber, said he understood the reasons behind the withdrawal. "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," he said. "But I can understand why this decision was made from a corporate perspective. We will now focus sharply on the remaining races and demonstrate our fighting spirit and put in a good result as we bid farewell to Formula 1 racing." Dr. Klaus Draeger, member of the board who is responsible for development, said this season's poor results had played a part in the move to quit F1. "It only took us three years to establish ourselves as a top team," he said. "Unfortunately, we were unable to meet expectations in the current season. "Nevertheless, our ten years of Formula 1 experience have had a major impact on our development engineers. We have racing to thank for numerous technological innovations as well as the competitive spirit that drives us to develop mass-produced cars." source: autosport.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgiitk Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 So essentially they wish to try and become the Cosworth of the 1970's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
achinth Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 BMW is hit by recession and they don't have money for F1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archit Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 well they are doing extremely bad this season... even Honda were this bad last year and quit so by chance (though i know it is not going to happen) if Ferrari or Mclaren have tough time next season, will they quit too? then the "fun factor" will be gone from F1 this are only my thoughts to this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
achinth Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 If that happens it will be good for Vijay Mallya and Force India Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archit Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 well ya, all these teams will on the front of the grid and will be so happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speed Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 F1 scene needs a change, their rules & regulations have made life difficult for most manufacturers. Its the utmost boring sport these days to watch with almost predictable results. BMW, Honda achieved nothing this time around, it was more of a money spending exercise with negative publicity due to bad performance. Quitting was probably the only option left for them.speed2009-07-29 12:15:24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CYRUS43 Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 It is sad to see such a great team go. If one remembers, they pioneered Turbochargers way back in the 1970s if im correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
325i Posted July 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 @Cyrus. Renault pioneered the turbo engines for F1 in the late 70s but it was BMW that took it to new heights in the mid-80s. The 1.5 BMW turbo engine produced 1400bhp in qualifying trim! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rahul1810 Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 Thats really sad. If a major company suffers this much I really wonder how mallya has kept it going for Force India Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgiitk Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 @Cyrus. Renault pioneered the turbo engines for F1 in the late 70s but it was BMW that took it to new heights in the mid-80s. The 1.5 BMW turbo engine produced 1400bhp in qualifying trim! Agreed. I remember seeing the Renault Turbo in the British Grand Prix of 1976 (or was in 1975)! Till then everybody thought that a 2x disadvantage in capacity was too much to overcome. Also, was it not Honda who went up to 1200bhp! sgiitk2009-07-30 07:24:23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugs_tachy Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 My inner feeling tells me that they will return by 2010 before the start of the grand prix... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavallino Posted August 11, 2009 Report Share Posted August 11, 2009 I forget the name of the Austrian driver who was quoted in Autosport as saying that manufacturer's should essentially be just engine suppliers rather than propreiters of teams. I think that makes the most sense as it allows them to better focus on making engines with a good balance between power and fuel efficiency as well as alternate fuels or technology like KERS. Sure beats having to do it all yourself. That way you can also have more teams in F1 with better options in terms of choices of powerplants rather than stick to Cosworth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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