A History Of BMWs F1 Involvement
BMW are an German car brand hailing Bavaria, they are proprietors of a vast model range, selling anything from superminis or 4x4s. They are considered as a prestigious marquee like most Germanic manufacturers and Audi Mercedes and VW rank among their closest rivals. BMW have a rich motorsport heritage, having a stake Touring car series around the world as well as single seater racing and engine provision for other teams.
BMW entered the realm of Formula One, the world’s most competitive racing series in 2003 as an engine supplier, immediately striking up an effective partnership, they had a temporaray deal with the chassis maker that was something akin to a Contract hire. With drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Scumacher at the wheel Williams chalked up their first wins for a while and provided a real threat to the then dominant Micheal Schumacher and Ferrari.
The next few seasons saw Williams and BMW going through some ups and downs, just like you may find ups and downs with a BMW contract hire plans. The team went through a number of Drivers on their way to fighting for the title including Mark Webber and Nick Heidfield but never quite launched a credible championship challenge.
In 2006 BMW broke away from Williams and formed their own team. Despite facing initial difficulties the team made it good the following year as their star driver, Robert Kubica was able to fight for the title before BMW pulled the plug on development. A poor 2009 season caused the team to pull out of the sport in 2010 following financial difficulties but they now supply engines to the Sauber team who operate under the BMW name despite the fact that they have minimal involvement in the team aside from the name plastered across the side of the car.
Tags: BMW contract hire, contract hire
Leave a Comment