BMW to leave Formula One at end of 2009

[Conceptual]

I trade the USF1, Campos, Force India or whatever kit-cars for a third RBR, Ferrari, McLaren or Brawn any day of the week. Let me repeat that , any day of the week.

There was a time where Mclaren, Tyrell and the likes were called "kit Cars".

Small teams need a chance to become big teams! and innovation is likely in smaller teams (if they are given a chance to innovate)

I do kinda get what you mean tho

Super Aguri comes to mind with this. The innovation that was shown to beat the works team with their own year old equipment was impressive.

[seanhrcc]

CAn you PLEASE stop crying about this one? Man! Every team has one now, and BMW still cant BUY a podium finish.

BMW has a podium finish this year...and spare us the "it wasnt a legitimate podium finish", points are points, and a podium finish is no more or less legitimate whether you get it from a monsoon or sheer dumb luck from whatever happens in the 1st corner.

Do i blame the DDD for BMW's woes this year? Not entirely...nor do i think they were the only team to suffer from it, every team but Brawn and Toyota i think suffered for atleast 2 races because of the DDD. I think the fault is a buffet of reasons, but i dont see BMW Sauber itself being the primary target...this season is like a wacky circus show, and god only knows what will happen between now and November...and while i am pained to see my favorite team leaving F1, i dont blame them a bit...this sport has gone to the can this season, and with little changed so far in the "agreement", i dont see 2010 being much different. I

t must be just a total abortion of plans when you spend tons of money to produce one of the top 3 best cars of last season only to prep for 2009 and find out "Sorry guys, heres your block of wood...build yourself another car but this time, forget everything you know about F1..." Ferrari has SUCKED this year...a team that has pretty much every kind of support known to the sport, and their car is still not fantastic...it's a year of in race testing and development, and if BMW says "Screw that, it aint worth it...", there just might be something to it.

[Conceptual]

CAn you PLEASE stop crying about this one? Man! Every team has one now, and BMW still cant BUY a podium finish.

BMW has a podium finish this year...and spare us the "it wasnt a legitimate podium finish", points are points, and a podium finish is no more or less legitimate whether you get it from a monsoon or sheer dumb luck from whatever happens in the 1st corner.

Do i blame the DDD for BMW's woes this year? Not entirely...nor do i think they were the only team to suffer from it, every team but Brawn and Toyota i think suffered for atleast 2 races because of the DDD. I think the fault is a buffet of reasons, but i dont see BMW Sauber itself being the primary target...this season is like a wacky circus show, and god only knows what will happen between now and November...and while i am pained to see my favorite team leaving F1, i dont blame them a bit...this sport has gone to the can this season, and with little changed so far in the "agreement", i dont see 2010 being much different. I

t must be just a total abortion of plans when you spend tons of money to produce one of the top 3 best cars of last season only to prep for 2009 and find out "Sorry guys, heres your block of wood...build yourself another car but this time, forget everything you know about F1..." Ferrari has SUCKED this year...a team that has pretty much every kind of support known to the sport, and their car is still not fantastic...it's a year of in race testing and development, and if BMW says "Screw that, it aint worth it...", there just might be something to it.

I was talking about BMW with the DDD not getting a podium.

You don't blame BMW for their situation? Dr. Mario has pushed on several issues that have lead to nowhere. So it is HIS fault instead of BMW's?

If BMW think that it isn't worth it, that is fine with me.

Just don't blame everyone/thing BUT BMW for their lack of results, because at the end of the day, they were the masters of their own destiny, and they have obviously decided to screw the pooch instead.

See, this is why I do not have favorites. It doesn't lead me into making myself a mystical defender of wrongs. I don't think I could look myself in the mirror if I was...

By the way, I feel very special that you registered just to defend BMW against my post. That makes you their #1 fan in my book! (Sorry WB, looks like you have slipped down in the rankings... )

[sticky667]

Ferrari has SUCKED this year...a team that has pretty much every kind of support known to the sport, and their car is still not fantastic...

actually their car wasn't half bad in the beginning of the year, the strategy team/management is what put them in the spot they are now. of course that was overlooked with the full attention on the lack of points.

[mr moda]

This is a sad day. BMW has taken the same decision as Honda and will not supply engines.

Although he was not interested when interviewed some months ago (at the age of 66) Peter Sauber is widely expected to continue the team.

The decision is a surprise but one has to say that to a large degree it was caused by the chaotic politics of F1. BMW had the promise by the FIA that issues like environmental sustainebility and road relevance would be pursued. The politics of FOTA have ruined that aproach. The FiA decision to allow DDDs has distorted the 2009 championship and have put the team into a position where success was not possible any more.

It is expected that Toyota will follow BMW's exit very soon. Congratulations to FOTA for destroying Formula 1!

Complete nonsense. Theres only one sure thing to blame for BMW's exit, and thats the economic climate.

If BMW transforms back in to Sauber, or possibly another privateer I'd see this as more of a positive step for F1. The big car manufacturers have waded in over recent years all of them spitting out the same targets about dominating within x number of years and few of them have achieved it.

I would much rather see the departure of BMW, Toyota & Renault and see them replaced with the likes of Prodrive, Lola and more real racing organisations who aren't in the sport to just make money.

These super budgets were created by the big time manufacturers coming in and throwing their money about, once they are gone it'll be much easier to keep the costs down because the budgets of teams like Williams & Brawn are going to be much less.

Manufacturers should only be in the sport as engine suppliers, I think its completely wrong for teams like Prodrive to be denied entry, but for teams like Toyota to be allowed to compete when they keep talking about pulling out.

Well said Diesel my sentiments exactly. If Frank and Co can still compete the big boys only have themselves to blame for the win at all costs mentality.

[ISLAMATRON]

Williams have been losing money by the buckets and have nothing to show for it. Williams can not compete, not on the track nor in the battle for sponsorship money. Ferrari will always outspend the competition and since they held a veto on the rules they make it so that any innovations that hinder their domination are quickly deemed illegal. Ferrari like F1 as it is and rather try to destroy it rather than see it progress, that is their Mafia like mindset.

FOTA has definitely destroyed any chance of F1 being relevant for at least the next 5 years... and it will go the way of MotoGP with decimated grids... they see it now and their response is 3 cars per manufacturer, thus increasing the costs and speeding up the exit of the only entities capable of competing with Ferrari on their financial level.

Soon we will have 3 Ferraris and a bunch of teams who spend 1/10th as much as FErrari and wont have the technical freedom to innovate ways to beat them.

Thank you again Ferrai &toyOTA and its supporters for the destruction of F1.

[timbo]

So, why did BMW followed FOTA teams when they decided to split? A damn great chance for BMW to become team #1 in bright FIA future.

[-KMR_NH-]

So, why did BMW followed FOTA teams when they decided to split? A damn great chance for BMW to become team #1 in bright FIA future.

I guess, BMW followed because of Theissen and split because of BMW's CEO and as it seems to me they didn't think that much.

[axle]

Williams have been losing money by the buckets and have nothing to show for it. Williams can not compete, not on the track nor in the battle for sponsorship money.

Slightly off topic but...

I take issue with that, Nico Rosberg has been 4th, 2 races running. The FW31 has been in the top 10 all year, bar 1 weather related hiccup.

Whilst their driver line up does not feature 2 competent racers the car is proven. Whilst the final step is currently elluding them, when everyone's budget spend comes down to a similar level to their own then I feel that Williams will be able to continue its fight.

So they can compete on the track and in the development race and with that they will compete for sponsorship + they will earn more FOM money next year as they will be higher up the constructors charts come the end of the year.

To date the FW31 IMO is the 3rd (maybe 4th) quickest car IMO, when you take a long view look at performance across all circuit types.

And to bring it back on subject, I believe that a lot of BMW's sponsors will be looking for a new home and I would imagine that for many of them Williams would be seen as a good option.

[i70q7m7ghw]

Williams have been losing money by the buckets and have nothing to show for it. Williams can not compete, not on the track nor in the battle for sponsorship money.

What a load of complete trash. I think I'm going to stop reading your posts because they are a waste of space, I mean come on! Ferrari Toyota = F-OTA?!? Go back to trying to debunk the landing on the moon.

Williams have been having a brilliant season, they just don't have a leading driver, Rosberg just seems to have settled down in to a midfielder.

[pjobmathew]

Oh man i've had a heart ache . BMW's been my favorite team alongside Williams .

[axle]

I'm praying the other Nico (Hulkenberg) replaces Kazuki and give NR a run for his money...but I expect money is the issue - Toyota's...

Williams have been losing money by the buckets and have nothing to show for it. Williams can not compete, not on the track nor in the battle for sponsorship money.

What a load of complete trash. I think I'm going to stop reading your posts because they are a waste of space, I mean come on! Ferrari Toyota = F-OTA?!? Go back to trying to debunk the landing on the moon.

Williams have been having a brilliant season, they just don't have a leading driver, Rosberg just seems to have settled down in to a midfielder.

[xpensive]

You know Diesel, sometimes you are simply brilliant, nothing less.

[SZ]

Williams have been losing money by the buckets and have nothing to show for it. Williams can not compete, not on the track nor in the battle for sponsorship money. Ferrari will always outspend the competition and since they held a veto on the rules they make it so that any innovations that hinder their domination are quickly deemed illegal. Ferrari like F1 as it is and rather try to destroy it rather than see it progress, that is their Mafia like mindset.

FOTA has definitely destroyed any chance of F1 being relevant for at least the next 5 years... and it will go the way of MotoGP with decimated grids... they see it now and their response is 3 cars per manufacturer, thus increasing the costs and speeding up the exit of the only entities capable of competing with Ferrari on their financial level.

Soon we will have 3 Ferraris and a bunch of teams who spend 1/10th as much as FErrari and wont have the technical freedom to innovate ways to beat them.

Thank you again Ferrai &toyOTA and its supporters for the destruction of F1.

Someone's very close to the truth here (MotoGP analogy aside).

[ISLAMATRON]

Williams have been losing money by the buckets and have nothing to show for it. Williams can not compete, not on the track nor in the battle for sponsorship money.

What a load of complete trash. I think I'm going to stop reading your posts because they are a waste of space, I mean come on! Ferrari Toyota = F-OTA?!? Go back to trying to debunk the landing on the moon.

Williams have been having a brilliant season, they just don't have a leading driver, Rosberg just seems to have settled down in to a midfielder.

Williams are indeed having a good season, but watch as FErrari & McLaren join the fight they will be lucky to score points, but my point is that it has been well reported that Williams has lost in excess of $50M US from their once solid bank accounts, and that is with big Toyota subsidies to run Kazoo, and their points tallies the last 2 seasons have been miniscule. Williams have always been at the head of F1 racing technology, and when KERS was announced they went out a purchased a company on the leading edge of flywheel technology only to have FOTA ban it.

And if FOTA is not primarily doing the bidding of FErrari & Toyota tell me then who is the President and vice president of FOTA. I refuse to be blinded by the propaganda put forth by Ferrari, just today they say that BMW's departure is natural.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77433

IS it natural for a company to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to buy an F1 team and build up its infrastructure and to abandon it just 4 years into the project? Just as the madman himself MAx said, it is absurd to try and justify the costs of F1 to the board of directors when the companies are losing money hand over foot. I truly doubt that with the budget cap in place next year that the BMW board would have taken this drastic step.

The teams had the chance to pull F1 out of a downward cycle of huge costs and zero innovation, but instead of seeing the message for what it was they attacked the evil messenger for who he was... and then the ran to Bernie as if he is any better of a human being. All under the leadership of Luca, as if he wasnt a devil himself, who had sold all the teams out in the first place for a couple humdred mil and a illegal "veto".