Despite the spectacular growth of Formula 1 in recent years and the arrival of new manufacturers, BMW still does not plan to return to the discipline despite its visibility.
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The German manufacturer believes that endurance racing better matches its philosophy, notably thanks to the more direct technological links between its race cars and its production models.
BMW left Formula 1 at the end of the 2009 season and, unlike Audi, which chose to join the discipline, the Bavarian brand does not seem interested in a return in the short or medium term.
F1 too far from production cars
Frank van Meel, head of the BMW M sports division, considers in particular that the technology used in F1 has become too far removed from that used in vehicles sold by the brand: “Formula 1 is too far for us. It is too much of a laboratory and the technologies cannot be sufficiently transferred to production cars.”
For BMW, an F1 program would also require the creation of a technical structure almost entirely independent from the rest of the manufacturer’s activities: “In Formula 1, you would need a technology center completely separate, detached from the rest.”
Van Meel acknowledges that the current popularity of F1 is obviously an interesting argument for any manufacturer. BMW customers also follow the discipline, but that is not enough to justify the necessary investments: “Our customers and our fans certainly appreciate Formula 1, but they also like a more direct motorsport, closer to production cars.”
BMW favors endurance
That is precisely what BMW believes to find in endurance racing. The manufacturer currently focuses its top-level program around the BMW M Hybrid V8 (photo above), entered both in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and in IMSA in the United States by the Belgian team WRT: “For us, it is not just about the WEC, but also about IMSA.”
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This American presence is particularly important for BMW M. The United States represents about 40% of its volumes and is its main individual market: “The United States, with about 40% of our volumes, is the most important market for BMW M. BMW has grown in the United States thanks to motorsport.”
Beyond the commercial aspect, BMW mainly considers that endurance offers a better platform for technological development: “The WEC and IMSA suit us very well also because of the direct transfer of technologies.”
V8s on the track as on the road
The manufacturer can thus work on architectures presenting more similarities with those of its road models. Van Meel notably takes the example of hybrid V8 powertrains: “We use a hybrid V8 in competition and we have hybrid V8s in the M5 and XM. In some cases, it is the same engineers who work on these powertrains.”
This closeness between competition and production is an essential element of BMW M’s strategy. The sports programs are therefore not only used to promote the brand: they must also allow the development of technologies likely to be exploited on vehicles intended for customers.
Despite the growing attractiveness of Formula 1, BMW therefore does not seem ready to follow Audi in the discipline. As long as the brand considers endurance as a platform offering more synergies with its production cars, the WEC and IMSA will remain at the heart of its strategy at the highest level of motorsport.
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