BMW issue statement over F1 return

Vettel during F1 debut with BMW Sauber — Photo: © IMAGO

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BMW issue statement over F1 return

BMW staying away

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Monday 31 August 2026 12:28

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BMW have once again rejected the chance to try and secure a Formula 1 return with an emphatic message.

The German manufacturer's most recent stint in the sport came between 2000 and 2009 when up until and including 2005 they supplied Williams with engines, before then becoming a full team for four seasons.

The team made a shock exit from the sport at the end of 2009 following the fallout from the global financial crisis.

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But despite F1 since having gained Mercedes in 2010 and Audi this year, BMW are not tempted to make a return to challenge their German rivals.

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BMW: F1 doesn't fit in our plans

BMW's M (BMW's motorsport division) chief Frank van Meel insists that F1 does not offer an opportunity where they can transfer F1 technology to their road cars

Van Meel explained to Motor1: "Formula 1 is too far removed for us; it’s too much of a laboratory and doesn’t translate well enough to production cars.

“In Formula 1, it would be a completely separate technology centre, detached from the rest.

“Our customers and fans certainly like Formula 1, but they also like motorsport that’s more direct and closer to production cars. The story behind M is that we bring motorsport into production cars. And Formula 1 simply doesn’t fit into that for us.”

BMW have consistently snubbed talks of an F1 return, instead prioritising motorsport involvement into other areas including the Word Endurance Championship (WEC), including the world famous Le Mans 24 hour race, and the North American based IMSA SportsCar championship.

Van Meel insists this avenues offer a much closer technology transfer between race cars and road cars.

He added: “For us, it's not just about the WEC, but also about IMSA.

“The USA, with around 40 per cent of our volume, is the most important single market for BMW M. BMW grew big in the USA through motorsport. That's why IMSA is extremely important for us.

“WEC and IMSA are also a good fit for us because of the direct technology transfer. For example, the M Concept New Class incorporates elements from the M4 GT3, such as the airflow-optimized hood and diffuser. The lighting graphics come from our LMDh race car.

“There are also transfers of technology to the powertrains. We use a V8 hybrid in motorsport and have V8 hybrids in the M5 and XM. In some cases, the same engineers work on these powertrains. We can test certain aspects more quickly and in a more production-ready way through these racing series.”

Robert Kubica (centre) won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix for BMW

When did BMW have an F1 team?

Most notably, BMW produced one of the best v10 engines in F1 between 2000 and 2005 when they supplied the Williams outfit, before taking over the Sauber team between 2006 and 2009.

The team then made a sudden exit at the end of 2009, and while in 2010 Sauber officially competed as BMW-Sauber, this was purely admin related and BMW had nothing to do with the team by that point.

BMW engines helped Nelson Piquet win the world championship with Brabham in 1983, while Benetton, ATS and Arrows in the main were also supplied engines during the period BMW competed in F1 between 1982 and 1987.

In their F1 history they have recorded 20 race wins, the last of those coming at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix with Robert Kubica. Their best season as a team came in 2008 when they finished fourth in the drivers' championship as well as third in the constructors' championship.

The Sauber team that BMW took over has now since been bought out by Audi who are making their F1 debut in the 2026 season.

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