BMW reveal stance on potential Formula 1 comeback

Nick Heidfeld, Sebastian Vettel, Robert Kubica, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

BMW reveal stance on potential Formula 1 comeback

BMW's rivals Mercedes and Audi compete in Formula 1

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Tuesday 24 March 2026 19:00

BMW have outlined their position on a possible return to Formula 1 following a recent media showing.

The manufacturer has been absent from the sport since its sudden withdrawal at the end of the 2009 season, having previously competed as a full works team after acquiring Sauber ahead of the 2006 campaign.

Prior to that, BMW enjoyed a successful engine partnership with Williams between 2000 and 2005, producing one of the strongest power units on the grid during that period, despite not securing a world championship.

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BMW engines helped Nelson Piquet win the world championship with Brabham in 1983, while Benetton, ATS and Arrows 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.

BMW rivals entered after their exit

Since their exit, BMW's national rivals Mercedes (2010) and Audi (2026) have entered the sport, with the former dominating much of the 2010s winning 15 world championships between 2014 and 2021 and the latter taking over from the Sauber team, like BMW did.

Despite the temptation of going toe-to-toe with Mercedes and Audi, BMW have once again ruled out competing in F1, with BMW M CEO Frank van Meel blaming the current era of hybrid engines being too far removed from the company's production cars.

Van Meel told journalists, in quotes carried by Soy Motor: “F1 is interesting from a marketing perspective because the return on investment is enormous and global. But from a technological standpoint, the current hybrid system is very far removed from the technology used in our road cars. We try to concentrate on the disciplines that are closest to our production cars."

The latest BMW rebuff doesn't come as a surprise given Van Meel gave a similar response last July.

BMW prefer WEC to F1

"We're not ignoring (F1). We're just not participating", he said at a vintage car event.

"That is on purpose, for us, the WEC (World Endurance Championship) was the place to go. The (WEC) cars are closer to series-production models. We can learn things and transfer things.

"In Formula 1, to learn things and transfer things to series-production cars is almost impossible. It's too far away."

BMW also ruled out returning to F1 in 2022, 2017 and 2013, and look set to focus their motorsport goals on the WEC series and IMSA championship it has been competing in for four seasons.

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