BMW to Exit Formula One at End of 2009 Season.
July 29, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Munich.The BMW Group will not continue its Formula One campaign after the end of the 2009 season. Resources freed up as a result are to be dedicated to the development of new drive technologies and projects in the field of sustainability. BMW will continue to be actively involved in other motor sports series. The landmark decision to restructure BMW Motorsport’s activities was made at the Board of Management’s meeting yesterday.
“Of course, this was a difficult decision for us. But it’s a resolute step in view of our company’s strategic realignment,” explained Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “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 One 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 One racing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mario Theissen and his team for this,” said, Reithofer.
Dr. Klaus Draeger, the member of the Board of Management responsible for development, said: “It only took us three years to establish ourselves as a top team with the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Unfortunately, we were unable to meet expectations in the current season. Nevertheless, our ten years of Formula One 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.” Possible redundancies in Munich and Hinwil cannot be quantified at present. Says Draeger: “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.”
Says BMW Motorsport director Dr. Mario Theissen: “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. 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 One racing.”
BMW will continue its programs in a number of motor sports series: BMW will appear on the starting grid in the touring car series and young driver promotion program in Formula BMW. This will be supplemented by BMW’s participation in ALMS, the American Le Mans Series, endurance races and close-to-production customer sports. Furthermore, BMW Motorrad Motorsport will continue its campaigns, with the super bike world championship leading the way.
BMW looks back on a long track record of success in the field of motor sports:
BMW achieved eight Formula One victories from 1982 to 1985 with Brabham. In 1983, BMW won the driver’s championship with Nelson Piquet (Brabham BMW). The last win with the legendary turbo engine followed with Benetton in 1986. Ten victories were scored during the partnership with Williams (2000-2005). BMW had a total of 19 grand prix wins and 33 pole positions before the BMW Sauber F1 Team era.
In its debut season in 2006, the newly established BMW Sauber F1 Team wound up fifth in the constructor’s championship. In 2007, the German-Swiss team came in second after McLaren-Mercedes’ exclusion from the points standings. The 2008 season saw the team in the hunt for the world championship until the end of the season, winding up third. Polish-born Robert Kubica achieved the first and hitherto only GP victory in Canada on June 8, 2008. So far, the BMW Sauber F1 Team has taken one pole position (Kubica in Bahrain in 2008) and 16 podium finishes. The BMW Sauber F1 Team occupies the eighth spot in the manufacturer’s standings in the season presently underway.
BMW Exit Stage Left
July 29, 2009 by Mr. C
Filed under F1 Big Picture
BMW hold a press conference on Wednesday morning to announce their decision to withdraw from Formula 1 at the end of the season. The company cite many reasons, but have taken into account this year’s slump in results as part of the decision-making process. It is unclear at the moment whether the team will fold or be sold.
Credit: BMW AG
Thursday Afternoon Preparations
March 26, 2009 by Mr. C
Filed under F1 Big Picture
The Red Bull team prepare their tyres ahead of the Australian Grand Prix weekend. This year, Bridgestone are changing the white stripes to green, and moving them to the sidewalls. They’ve also adjusted the compound selection so we’ll be watching drivers choose between softs and mediums, rather than adjacent compounds.
Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
2009 FIA Formula One World Championship – Entry List
January 12, 2009 by Mr. C
Filed under Press Releases
| N° | DRIVER | TEAM | CONSTRUCTOR |
| 1 | Lewis HAMILTON (GB) | VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES | McLAREN MERCEDES |
| 2 | Heikki KOVALAINEN (FIN) | VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES | McLAREN MERCEDES |
| 3 | Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (FIN) | SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO | FERRARI |
| 4 | Felipe MASSA (BR) | SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO | FERRARI |
| 5 | Robert KUBICA (PL) | BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM | BMW SAUBER |
| 6 | Nick HEIDFELD (D) | BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM | BMW SAUBER |
| 7 | Fernando ALONSO (E) | ING RENAULT F1 TEAM | RENAULT |
| 8 | Nelson PIQUET (BR) | ING RENAULT F1 TEAM | RENAULT |
| 9 | Jarno TRULLI (I) | PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING | TOYOTA |
| 10 | Timo GLOCK (D) | PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING | TOYOTA |
| 11 | Sébastien BUEMI (CH) | SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO | STR FERRARI |
| 12 | TBA | SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO | STR FERRARI |
| 14 | Mark WEBBER (AUS) | RED BULL RACING | RBR RENAULT |
| 15 | Sebastian VETTEL (D) | RED BULL RACING | RBR RENAULT |
| 16 | Nico ROSBERG (D) | AT&T WILLIAMS | WILLIAMS TOYOTA |
| 17 | Kazuki NAKAJIMA (J) | AT&T WILLIAMS | WILLIAMS TOYOTA |
| 18 | TBA | TBA HONDA RACING F1 TEAM | HONDA * |
| 19 | TBA | TBA HONDA RACING F1 TEAM | HONDA * |
| 20 | Adrian SUTIL (D) | FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM | FORCE INDIA MERCEDES |
| 21 | Giancarlo FISICHELLA (I) | FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM | FORCE INDIA MERCEDES |
* The Honda Motor Company announced their withdrawal from Formula One on December 5th, 2008. The Honda Racing team has not withdrawn its entry from the 2009 Formula One World Championship. The FIA understands the team is now for sale.
Force India Formula One Team Announces Technical Partnerships With Mclaren Applied Technologies, Mercedes-Benz Highperformanceengines And Eads
November 10, 2008 by Mr. C
Filed under Press Releases
Force India Formula One Team is pleased to announce a major new partnership that will propel the team forward for the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship and beyond; a ground-breaking technical partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies (which is a company wholly owned by the McLaren Group) and with Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines.
In a unique long term deal, the Force India Formula One Team VJM02 cars will be powered by engines designed and built by Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines, the first time that the legendary manufacturer has supplied another chassis constructor other than McLaren. Additionally, Force India will have access to the McLaren Group’s network of bespoke suppliers that has supported this year’s World Championship victory.
McLaren Applied Technologies will additionally supply the Force India Formula One Team cars with McLaren Racing gearboxes and hydraulic systems and will provide operational support to ensure Force India functions at its highest possible level.
The Force India Formula One Team also plans to fit its cars with a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) that is currently being developed by Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines and McLaren Racing (which is also a company wholly owned by the McLaren Group).
In conjunction with aerospace company EADS – which, like McLaren and Mercedes, is also a global leader in its field – Force India Formula One Team announced that it will soon be expanding the computational fluid dynamics capability of its Brackley Aero Centre facility.
Dr. Vijay Mallya, chairman and managing director of Force India, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to announce a technical partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies and Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines, and also our plan to expand the composite manufacturing capability and drawing office within our Silverstone facility.”
“McLaren and Mercedes-Benz are two of the most famous names in motorsport history, having achieved great success in Grand Prix racing over many years, and most recently, a superb victory in probably the most dramatic World Championship Formula 1 has seen.”
“These new resources and developments will provide an enormous boost to our technical armoury and, as a result, we have high hopes of making good progress in 2009 and beyond.”
“Force India Formula One Team has been in existence for only one year, and inevitably our first season has constituted a learning period. But we said at the outset that we meant business and were not interested in merely making up the numbers. The announcement of our new technical partnership, combined with the new developments and resources outlined above, clearly underlines that we meant what we said. I would like personally to thank Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Max Mosley, both of whom offered their assistance and support throughout the gestation of this deal.”
“Interest in Formula One in India, especially among the 300-million-plus professional-class demographic as well as in neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Abu Dhabi with a large Indian population, is growing at astonishing levels. Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone has declared plans to stage an Indian Grand Prix in 2011, in Delhi, our capital city, by which time Force India Formula One Team will be exactly that: a Formula One force in, and for, India.”
Force India to Part Company with Ferrari for 2009 Season
November 7, 2008 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Force India Formula One Team today announces that it has ended its contract with Ferrari. The agreement signed in 2007 also provided for a supply of engines in 2009, but will now terminate ahead of schedule at the request of Force India.
Force India wishes to thank Ferrari for its much appreciated and valued support to date, which has always been carried out at the highest level; technically and professionally and within an excellent relationship
