Comments on: BMW Power – 10 years in Formula One

By: _Auday_

_Auday_ — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:57:54 +0000

Matt, I see your point, however Mclaren and Ferrari were on the same boat (no double diffuser and with KERS), so I dont see why Kers had anything to do with the delay in the D-Diffuser package, plus KERS sits closer to the middle of the car the diffusers are at the end. Unless if you mean the use of KERS eliminated the chance of using ballast and that affected the D-Diffuser. Regardless, Mclaren and Ferrari both bounced back quickly and kept KERS, so I dont see why BMW is in disadvantage there.

As for wasting mony on F1, yes F1 is costly, but it pays off. First the income from points and wins, the TV rights revenue shares (Concord agreement), and most importantly sponsors who cover most of the expensis (you dont think Ferrari pays for F1 from their road cars sales income, do you?).
Cost is absolutly not the reason, it’s more of BMW being scared of negative reputation and probably the instable and frequently and unpredictable changing world of F1 didnt fit well with thier German systematic micro planing.

By: wazon

wazon — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:34:15 +0000

I will miss them in F1, but I’m not especially sad about their leaving it. After all, it led them to save huge amount of money on projects connected with WTCC and LeMans which have much bigger influence on regular street cars than developements in current F1 with its regularities.

By: Matt Stokes

Matt Stokes — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:55:35 +0000

I disagree. It all started with the double diffusers… BMW didn’t have one, they could not easily integrate one because it interferred with the packaging of the KERS system in the bodyshell, hence it took so long to redesign everything. It meant compromising the design and set the cars development back severley. The KERS itself, though not the best on the grid, did the job suitably for Nick, but would only have compromised Kubica, so ANOTHER redesign to build a super light car for Robert..

.. the overiding factor though, is that they built a duff car, it could never get it’s tyre’s to temperature and it lacked outright pace. This would probably have led to an average season next year too… so that would be $400,000,000 to $500,000,000 down the toilet for both seasons…. BMW would have to be retarded to commit to that kind of expenditure in the current economic climate.. I’d rather they spent that money on improving their road cars and introducing new models (an M1 for instance)

I’m not sad they’re out of F1, it’s becoming a Joke with all it’s petty squabbles, reduced technology levels and severe lack of quality on track racing. Seriously – I much prefer NASCAR even to F1 these days.

By: Auday

Auday — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:50:07 +0000

A sad day indeed… F1 will not be the same for me without BMW or BMW engines.

Regardless of all reasons given like the politics in F1 and BMW change of direction, I think the main reason was the embarrassment of the KERS saga in which BMW insisted to keep it for 2009 against the wish of all other teams then shamefully dropped it before mid season.
With BMW focusing so much on energy recovery in their road prodution cars this would have given a bad indication of how good this is going, and I think this made Munich managers very upset with the team and decided to kill it.

F1 is passing through bad days, but the future will be better and I’m sure if BMW stayed they would have scored the championship in a year or two. But they seem to be very systematic about their business affairs and wouldn’t like to take risks at all. Shame!