Grand Prix Rejects

BMW's future in Formula 1 is in serious doubt tonight amid mounting speculation that the German car manufacturer will announce its withdrawal from the sport at the end of this season, on Wednesday.

An emergency press conference has been called at BMW's headquarters in Munich, where it is suggested that the car company may reveal that it has decided to end its involvement in F1.

The invite to the press conference said it had been called because of 'current developments in motor sport.'

hclw wrote:I imagine they have a buyer lined up. The team will probably go on under new management. If this is the end of BMW in F1, then I think the project has been failure. To spend so much money and to win only 1 race is a poor show and this year's car has been a disaster. Although its odd that BMW are quitting now given that they played such a big role in the FOTA-FIA wars, helped FOTA win and agreed in principle a plan to cut costs dramatically over the next two years. Why did they bother?

thehemogoblin wrote:

hclw wrote:I imagine they have a buyer lined up. The team will probably go on under new management. If this is the end of BMW in F1, then I think the project has been failure. To spend so much money and to win only 1 race is a poor show and this year's car has been a disaster. Although its odd that BMW are quitting now given that they played such a big role in the FOTA-FIA wars, helped FOTA win and agreed in principle a plan to cut costs dramatically over the next two years. Why did they bother?

Because a) the money they had put in was a sunk cost, and b) their team is much less valuable with a neutered F1.

Henrique wrote:This is a little bit Honda style. The failure of a car that they have right now is doing more harm than good to BMW's image. If they can't be sure that they'll go back to the top3 next year, this may be a wise decision.

Maybe they'll give it back to Peter Sauber.

Nin13 wrote:I hope they allow Peter Sauber to retake control of Hinwii based factory and rerun as Sauber.

We all were expecting this. And we thought Max Mosley was fool to get costs down.
BMW, Renault and Toyota are not dedicated to F1!!
Hence Max Mosley's idea to get new teams was crucial, hopefully people will get my point now!!

Nin13 wrote:I hope they allow Peter Sauber to retake control of Hinwii based factory and rerun as Sauber.

jackanderton wrote:The major car manufacturers price the privateers out of the sport, a global recession happens. Then any major car manufcaturer not with a chance of winning or performing respectably considers pulling out of the sport to cut costs.

That's what happens when you let an organisation like FOTA come into being to attempt to dictate terms to the people supposedly running the sport. Renault, BMW and Toyota have just poured a huge effort to try and dampen the reform of costs, yet those teams might not even exist in Formula 1 in the near future. What say should they have? Very little.

And did anyone seriously believe those teams would participate in a less prestigious breakaway series given they're under pressure from the execs at the top on the amount they're already wasting in being also-rans as well as crappy fair weather teams?

We have to try and return to a sport competed by privateers or teams with long term commitments to the art and the spectacle of Motor Racing. These major manufacturers gradually hollow the sport out with their spending power and then flee like rats in the face of economic hardships they're better placed than any other car companies to weather. Screw them.

JDOD wrote:Max's policies were never the main problem. It was always his pathetic attitude.

The FIA regrets the announcement of BMW’s intended withdrawal from Formula 1 but is not surprised by it.

It has been clear for some time that motor sport cannot ignore the world economic crisis. Car manufacturers cannot be expected to continue to pour large sums of money into Formula I when their survival depends on redundancies, plant closures and the support of the taxpayer.

This is why the FIA prepared regulations to reduce costs drastically. These measures were needed to alleviate the pressure on manufacturers following Honda's withdrawal but also to make it possible for new teams to enter.

Had these regulations not been so strongly opposed by a number of team principals, the withdrawal of BMW and further such announcements in the future might have been avoided.

Nevertheless, as a result of a sustained cost-cutting campaign by the FIA, new measures are in the process of being agreed which should make it easier for new teams to enter and enable existing ones to participate on much reduced budgets.

It is no secret that these measures do not go as far as the FIA would have liked but a compromise was needed in the interests of harmony in the sport. Hopefully it will be enough to prevent further withdrawals and provide a solid foundation for Formula One.

As the guardian of the sport, the FIA is committed to ensuring that Formula One remains financially sustainable for all competing teams and it will always act to ensure that this remains the case

JDOD wrote:Next years signitures are still conditional from the FOTA IIRC.

TBH, I don't see the point in them bothering to complete the season. Its not like they are going to develop the car, they have already been passed by Force India and a fighting with STR. Might aswell give up now, then at least Obi Wan can drive the Renault and Bobby K can drive the Ferrari.

EDIT to add: The FIA have already started politicking on this one
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21690.html

CarlosFerreira wrote:

JDOD wrote:Max's policies were never the main problem. It was always his pathetic attitude.

Bingo! Someone give that man a beer.

Ross Prawn wrote:

CarlosFerreira wrote:

JDOD wrote:Max's policies were never the main problem. It was always his pathetic attitude.

Bingo! Someone give that man a beer.

Bingo indeed. And the FIA press announcement this week shows that Max still doesn't understand that his cack-handed method of negotiation was part of the problem.

eytl wrote:Yes I can agree with JDOD, Carlos and Mr Prawn. But despite Max's lack of diplomacy, he's had a point all the way through ...

JDOD wrote:

eytl wrote:Yes I can agree with JDOD, Carlos and Mr Prawn. But despite Max's lack of diplomacy, he's had a point all the way through ...

Maybe, maybe not. The teams knew they couldn't go on haemoraging cash. Without max's dictatorial governence they may have decided to stay. I can't imagine they are overly thrilled a the idea of having The Toad in charge.

Yannick wrote:Apparently, Peter Sauber still owns a stake in the team and when he sold it to BMW, he was happy to see it in good hands, since he was going to retire anyway. He is in his 60s now and it's rather questionable if they can talk him out of retirement for a management buyout. I think he'd rather take the team into a different series.

Cynon wrote:This accentuates the problem with manufacturer teams instead of privateers. When they aren't winning, they pull out, unless they're Dodge (and every Mopar person out there knows how much of a thrashing they're getting in NASCAR), but when the manufacturers weren't getting thoroughly thrashed by the privateers, the privateers stuck around, or manufacturers just identified themselves with a privateer. See: McLaren and Honda, Mercedes...