BMW in Formula One facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
BMW

Full name	BMW Sauber F1 Team (2006–2009)
Base	Hinwil, Switzerland Munich, Germany
Noted staff	Mario Theissen Peter Sauber Willy Rampf Willem Toet Andy Cowell
Noted drivers	Ernst Klodwig Marcel Balsa "Bernhard Nacke" Rudolf Krause Juan Pablo Montoya Nick Heidfeld Jacques Villeneuve Robert Kubica Sebastian Vettel
Formula One World Championship career
First entry	1952 German Grand Prix
Races entered	72
Engines	BMW
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0
Race victories	1
Podiums	17
Points	308
Pole positions	1
Fastest laps	2
Final entry	2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Robert Kubica crosses the finish line to win the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, the only Formula One race that BMW has won as a full works team.

BMW is a famous German car company. They have been involved in Formula One racing since it began in 1950. BMW first entered a few races in the 1950s and 1960s. These cars often followed Formula Two rules.

In the 1980s, BMW built a powerful turbocharged engine called the BMW M12/13. This engine was used by the Brabham team from 1982 to 1987. During this time, Nelson Piquet won the 1983 championship with a Brabham-BMW car. BMW also sold these engines to other teams like Arrows and Benetton. In 1988, the engines were used by Arrows under the name "Megatron." Turbocharged engines were banned in 1989, so the M12/13 engine could no longer be used.

BMW returned to Formula One in the late 1990s. They made a deal to supply engines to the Williams team. Williams needed a new engine partner after Renault left in 1997. BMW created a new V10 engine for the Williams FW22 car, which first raced in 2000. The team started winning races in 2001. However, they could not win a championship because Michael Schumacher and Ferrari were very strong. By 2005, BMW and Williams had problems. BMW decided to leave Williams and buy the Sauber team instead.

The BMW Sauber team raced from 2006 to 2009. This made the Sauber team much more competitive. They had two podium finishes in their first year. In 2007, they finished third in the Constructors' Championship. This became second after McLaren was disqualified. In 2008, Robert Kubica won the team's only race, the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. He even led the Drivers' Championship for a while. But the team focused on their 2009 car and fell behind. The 2009 season was not good for the team. The F1.09 car was not fast enough. Also, there was a worldwide money problem. BMW decided to leave Formula One and sold the team back to its founder, Peter Sauber.

Early Formula One Races (1950s-1960s)

Gerhard Mitter was sadly killed in a crash during practice for the 1969 German Grand Prix. He was driving a BMW 269 Formula Two car.

In the early years of the World Drivers' Championship, private teams used BMW racing cars. These cars were based on the older BMW 328 design. They raced in the 1952 and 1953 German Grands Prix. Other companies like Alex von Falkenhausen Motorenbau (AFM) and Veritas also entered BMW-powered cars. This was possible because the championship used Formula Two rules back then. One special BMW car had its engine at the back. This design became common in Formula One later on.

In the 1960s, the German Grand Prix often included Formula Two races. This allowed BMW F2 cars to compete. In 1967, BMW entered Hubert Hahne in a Lola F2 car. It had a larger BMW engine that met Formula One rules. Hahne finished tenth in the 1968 race, which was BMW's best result so far. For the 1969 race, BMW entered three of its own 269 F2 cars. Sadly, Gerhard Mitter died in a practice accident. The rest of the team then pulled out of the race.

BMW as an Engine Supplier

Brabham, ATS, Arrows, Benetton and Ligier (1982–1988)

Bernie Ecclestone, who ran the Brabham team, made a deal with BMW in 1980 for their M12/13 engines.

After Renault started using turbocharged engines in Formula One in 1977, BMW decided to make their own. They announced this plan in April 1980. The engine was based on the M10 unit, a four-cylinder engine from the 1950s. A racing version, the M12, had already won races in Formula Two. BMW also ran the BMW M1 Procar Championship in 1979 and 1980. This series used identical M1 cars and was held during Grand Prix weekends. This helped BMW connect with Formula One.

BMW developed a 1.4-litre turbo engine that made 600 horsepower. This engine became the M12/13. It was used by five teams from 1982 to 1988. BMW decided to supply these engines only to the Brabham team first.

Testing of the M12/13 engine began in late 1980. The Brabham team designed a new car, the BT50, for the engine. This car was longer and had a bigger fuel tank. It was also one of the first F1 cars with telemetry, which helped monitor the engine. The BT50 was not very reliable at first. But a new electronic system from Bosch improved things a lot.

Brabham started the 1982 season with two BMW-powered BT50 cars. Nelson Piquet and Riccardo Patrese qualified well but retired from the first race. The team had some struggles and even used their old Cosworth-powered cars for a few races. At the Detroit Grand Prix, Piquet could not even qualify due to engine problems.

BMW and Brabham worked together from 1981 to 1987. Here is Nelson Piquet driving the BMW-powered Brabham BT54 at the 1985 German Grand Prix.

However, things got much better for BMW at the Canadian Grand Prix. The cool weather helped the turbo engines. Piquet won the race, giving BMW its first Formula One victory. For the rest of the season, both drivers used the BT50. They often led races but the car was still unreliable. Piquet retired from the lead in three races. Patrese also retired from the lead in one race. Patrese set BMW's first fastest lap, and Piquet took their first pole position.

In 1983, the BMW engine became more reliable in the new BT52 car. Piquet won the Drivers' Championship, beating Alain Prost. Brabham finished third in the Constructors' Championship. BMW also supplied engines to the ATS team, but they did not score any points.

For 1984, BMW supplied engines to three teams, including Arrows. Arrows scored a few points with BMW engines. ATS did not score points and left the sport. Piquet could not defend his title. McLaren drivers Niki Lauda and Prost dominated that year. Piquet took nine pole positions but retired from many races. He still won two races.

In 1985, Brabham switched to Pirelli tyres. This did not work out well. Piquet only won one race, the French Grand Prix. Arrows had a much better season, scoring 17 points. Gerhard Berger and Thierry Boutsen drove for Arrows, with Boutsen getting a podium finish.

Benetton was the only other team with a BMW engine to win a race.

For the 1986 season, Brabham used a new car, the BT55. It had a special engine designed to fit low in the car. But the car was not competitive and had many problems. The Arrows team also struggled. BMW's best partner in 1986 was the new Benetton team. They scored 19 points and won the Mexican Grand Prix with Berger.

In 1987, BMW only supplied engines to Brabham. Brabham scored ten points. At the end of the year, Brabham's owner, Bernie Ecclestone, decided not to race in 1988. This ended BMW's time as a main engine supplier. However, the Arrows team still wanted the BMW engines. They bought the remaining engines and renamed them "Megatrons." Arrows used these engines in 1987 and 1988. Ligier also used them in 1987. Arrows finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship in 1988, their best result ever.

In 1989, turbocharged engines were banned. This meant the M12/13 engine could no longer be used. During its time in F1, the engine won the 1983 Drivers' Championship and nine Grand Prix races. It also achieved 14 pole positions and 13 fastest laps.

Williams (2000–2005)

After ten years away from Formula One, BMW decided to return in the late 1990s. In 1998, they signed a deal to supply engines to the Williams team. Williams had won many championships with Renault. But Renault left F1, so Williams needed a new engine partner. BMW spent 18 months building and testing a new 3-litre V10 engine.

BMW's E41 engine was ready for the 2000 season. It was used in the FW22 car, driven by Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button. Schumacher got a podium finish in the engine's first race. Williams finished third in the Constructors' Championship. They were behind Ferrari and McLaren, but ahead of other engine makers.

Ralf Schumacher at the 2003 United States Grand Prix. The 2003 season was the most successful for Williams using BMW engines.

For 2001, BMW designed a more powerful engine, the P80. This engine helped Schumacher and his new teammate Juan Pablo Montoya fight for wins. They won four races, but also lost chances due to car problems or accidents. The FW23 car was very fast on tracks that needed a lot of power.

In 2002, the FW24 car was more reliable. But Ferrari's F2002 car was much better and dominated the championships. Williams finished second in the Constructors' Championship. But they only won one race with Schumacher. Montoya did not win any races, even though he took seven pole positions.

The Williams team was more competitive in 2003. Both drivers won two races each. Montoya was even fighting for the Drivers' Championship until almost the end of the season. The FW25 car was very strong in the second half of the season.

For 2004, the team used the FW26 car with a strange nose design. This design did not work well. Ferrari dominated again, and Williams fell to fourth place. Montoya's win in the Brazilian Grand Prix was their only victory. Schumacher also had a big crash and missed six races. Both drivers left the team at the end of the season.

The last year of BMW's partnership with Williams was 2005. The team's performance continued to drop. None of their drivers won a race. BMW felt their engines were good enough to win championships. They thought the Williams cars were holding them back. BMW offered to buy the team, but Frank Williams refused. So, BMW decided to buy the rival Sauber team for 2006 instead.

BMW Sauber Team

BMW Sauber

Full name	BMW Sauber F1 Team
Base	Hinwil, Switzerland
Noted staff	Mario Theissen Peter Sauber Willy Rampf Mike Krack
Noted drivers	Nick Heidfeld Robert Kubica Sebastian Vettel Jacques Villeneuve
Formula One World Championship career
First entry	2006 Bahrain Grand Prix
Races entered	70
Constructors' Championships	0 (Best finish: 2nd – 2007)
Drivers' Championships	0 (Best finish: 4th – Robert Kubica, 2008)
Race victories	1
Podiums	17
Pole positions	1
Fastest laps	2
Final entry	2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

BMW bought the Swiss team Sauber in June 2005. They formed the BMW Sauber F1 Team. This happened because BMW's relationship with Williams had become difficult. The team raced under a German racing licence. It was based at Sauber's place in Hinwil, Switzerland, and BMW's place in Munich, Germany. BMW kept the "Sauber" name from 2006 to 2009 because of the team's history.

The team got two podium finishes and came fifth in 2006. This was their first season. In 2007, they finished second in the Constructors' Championship. This was after the McLaren team was removed from the championship. Robert Kubica won the team's only Grand Prix victory at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. After a tough 2009 season, BMW left Formula One. They sold the team back to its founder, Peter Sauber.

2006 Season

For the 2006 season, BMW Sauber signed Nick Heidfeld as their main driver. Jacques Villeneuve, a former World Champion, also stayed with the team. Robert Kubica became the team's test driver. The team used Sauber's buildings for making cars. BMW's Munich base built the new 2.4-litre P86 V8 engine. This new engine was needed because of new rules. The team's main sponsors, Petronas and Credit Suisse, stayed with BMW. They also partnered with Intel. The cars were blue, white, and a little red.

Nick Heidfeld got the team's first podium finish at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Villeneuve scored the team's first points in Malaysia. Heidfeld got a fourth-place finish in Australia. The team tried a new "twin towers" design on the front of the car in France. But the FIA (the sport's governing body) quickly banned them for safety reasons.

Heidfeld got the team's first podium finish in Hungary. This race was also Robert Kubica's first race. He replaced Villeneuve after Villeneuve crashed. Kubica finished seventh but was later disqualified because his car was too light. Kubica then got BMW Sauber's second podium finish in Italy. The team scored 36 points and finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship. This was much better than Sauber's previous year.

2007 Season

For the 2007 Formula One season, BMW announced that Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld would be their drivers. Sebastian Vettel became the test driver. The team launched their new car, the F1.07, in January 2007.

The new car looked good in testing. But the team boss, Mario Theissen, worried about its reliability. Kubica retired from the first race, but Heidfeld finished fourth. In the early races, Heidfeld and Kubica consistently scored points. They showed BMW Sauber was the third-fastest team.

The Canadian Grand Prix had mixed results. Heidfeld finished second, the team's best result so far. But Kubica had a huge crash. Luckily, he only had a sprained ankle and concussion. Sebastian Vettel took his place in the next race. Vettel finished eighth, becoming the youngest driver to score a Formula One point. Later, Vettel moved to the Toro Rosso team.

Kubica returned to racing and finished fourth in France. He and Heidfeld continued to perform well. They scored 101 points in total. This secured the team second place in the Constructors' Championship after McLaren was disqualified.

2008 Season

BMW confirmed that Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica would drive for them in the 2008 season. Their new car, the F1.08, was launched in January 2008. The team's goal was to win their first race.

BMW Sauber started the season well. Kubica almost got pole position in Australia. He retired after a crash, but Heidfeld finished second. Kubica took second place in Malaysia. In Bahrain, Kubica got his and the team's first ever pole position. The team finished third and fourth in the race. This put them in first place in the constructors' championship for the first time.

The team also finished second in the Monaco Grand Prix with Robert Kubica. He beat both Ferraris.

BMW Sauber's first race victory came at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. The team finished first and second, with Robert Kubica winning. This happened after Lewis Hamilton crashed with Kimi Räikkönen. Kubica had a different pit stop plan from Heidfeld. Heidfeld also led the race briefly.

After this win, the team decided to focus on developing their 2009 car. This made Kubica unhappy, as he was leading the championship. The team's performance dropped in the second half of the season. Despite this, Kubica still had a small chance to win the championship until near the end of the season.

2009 Season

BMW Sauber hoped to challenge for the title in the 2009 season. But their start was disappointing. Kubica crashed in the first race. Heidfeld got the team's first podium of the year in Malaysia. But after six races, the team only had 6 points. They were in eighth place. The team planned many upgrades, including a better KERS system. But the KERS system did not fit the new car. So, both drivers raced without it. The team later decided to stop developing KERS. They focused on improving the car's aerodynamics instead.

After a meeting in July, BMW announced they would leave Formula One at the end of 2009. They said it was a strategic decision. The Formula One Teams Association said they would help the team stay in F1.

In September 2009, it was announced that a company called Qadbak Investments Limited would buy BMW Sauber. However, another team, Lotus F1 Racing, got the last spot for the 2010 Championship. BMW Sauber was given a "14th entry." This meant they could race if another team left or if all teams agreed to have 28 cars.

Later, it was found that Qadbak's attempt to buy the team failed. They did not have enough money. In November 2009, Peter Sauber announced he would buy the team back. This depended on the team getting an entry for the 2010 season. The FIA then gave Sauber an entry in December, after Toyota left the sport. The team used Ferrari engines in 2010.

BMW Customer Engine Results (1952–2005)

This table shows how teams using BMW engines (but not the official BMW team) performed in Formula One.

Entrant	Season(s)	Total wins	First win	Last win	Pole Positions	First Pole	Last Pole
Frazer Nash	1952	0	-	-	0	-	-
Ernst Klodwig	1952–1953	0	-	-	0	-	-
Rudolf Krause	1952	0	-	-	0	-	-
"Bernhard Nacke"	1952	0	-	-	0	-	-
Willi Krakau	1952	0	-	-	0	-	-
Marcel Balsa	1952	0	-	-	0	-	-
Dora Greifzu	1953	0	-	-	0	-	-
Hans Klenk	1954	0	-	-	0	-	-
Bayerische Motoren Werke	1967–1968	0	-	-	0	-	-
Lola Racing Ltd	1967	0	-	-	0	-	-
Brabham	1981–1987	8	1982 Canadian Grand Prix	1985 French Grand Prix	13	1982 Austrian Grand Prix	1985 Dutch Grand Prix
ATS	1983–1984	0	-	-	0	-	-
Arrows	1984–1988†	0	-	-	0	-	-
Benetton	1986	1	1986 Mexican Grand Prix	1986 Mexican Grand Prix	2	1986 Austrian Grand Prix	1986 Italian Grand Prix
Ligier	1987†	0	-	-	0	-	-
Williams	2000–2005	10	2001 San Marino Grand Prix	2004 Brazilian Grand Prix	17	2001 French Grand Prix	2005 European Grand Prix
Total	1952–2005	19	1982 Canadian Grand Prix	2004 Brazilian Grand Prix	32	1982 Austrian Grand Prix	2005 European Grand Prix

• Excludes factory team.
  

† BMW engine re-badged as Megatron in 1987 and 1988.

Formula One Results

See also

In Spanish: BMW en Fórmula 1 para niños

• BMW in motorsport