| Welcome to The Pit Lane. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
| BMW admit F1 quit possible | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: May 24 2009, 10:49 AM (475 Views) | |
| John | May 26 2009, 11:30 AM Post #16 |
|
Team Boss
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
That is what I mean by they have had a reality check... every team get it wrong from time to time and until this season BMW.Sauber where riding high... Hopefully this will spur them on... as I have said I expect a WTCC withdrawal but will be deeply saddened if they depart F1 as well... it is great they will support customer teams in other series but I have followed the 'works teams for quite a while and it would be a shame for me personally if I did not have a works team to support... The only silver lining (for me) is that it would save a some money as there would be no works team models for me to collect |
![]() |
|
| andy_vs_monkeykong | May 26 2009, 11:37 AM Post #17 |
|
Refueller
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
To be honest i don't think they'll be missed that much |
![]() |
|
| John | May 26 2009, 11:45 AM Post #18 |
|
Team Boss
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Who BMW.... in the long term you are right but no new team coming in will be up to their level (2009 aside ) so in that sense their withdrawal will increase the divide between the top teams and the back markers so in that sense they would be missed... but the sport as a whole would move on
|
![]() |
|
| GordonB | May 26 2009, 03:36 PM Post #19 |
|
Chief Engineer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Hence the source of my (and many others') bitterness. I know that other people have similar feelings about Honda's pull-out in the nineties. And again in the noughties. Probably ex-Jordan fans have similar feelings about both Honda and Ford. Basically, manufacturers are simply in it for the marketing. Racing teams are in it for the racing. Ferrari are a special case because they are a racing team which then built a decent specialised road car manufacturing business. Something that McLaren have not yet been able to do, but have tried quite hard. |
![]() |
|
| Red Andy | May 26 2009, 03:44 PM Post #20 |
![]()
|
![]() Especially Honda. |
![]() |
|
| John | May 26 2009, 03:47 PM Post #21 |
|
Team Boss
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
The failings were by both parties yet all this bitterness is often solely directed at BMW... I too was a team supporter before I started to follow Schumacher and that team was Williams, and was delighted they teamed up with BMW... after all they built BMW's 1999 Le Mans winning car. I still like Williams over just about all the other teams (BMW not included) and if BMW should leave it would be Williams I'd be cheering... and maybe Brawn GP as they have made an impact on me |
![]() |
|
| Craze_b0i | May 26 2009, 09:12 PM Post #22 |
|
Refueller
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I don't think the split with Williams has cost BMW any meaningful results. In their last season together with Williams the Williams team were in the doldrums. And look at Williams today, they have a works engine from Toyota and they are still in the doldrums. At first I was doubtful that BMW would fare any better than Williams. But actually BMW have done very well on their own... until 2009. |
![]() |
|
| flood1 | May 27 2009, 01:53 AM Post #23 |
|
Chief Engineer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
This is a little bit off topic, but Gordon hit a nerve with me as I had been looking at this very subject.
The McLaren Group is a range of companies under the McLaren umbrella that includes McLaren Automotive, McLaren Racing, McLaren Electronics Systems, McLaren Applied Technologies, and Absolute Taste (a catering company). Of these companies, McLaren Automotive designs and builds road supercars. The BMW powered F1 was their first product and was followed by the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren. Ron Dennis announced at the launch of the MP4-24 that control over McLaren F1 would be handed down to Martin Whitmarsh and that he would move on to other pursuits within the company. It was not clear exactly what he would do, but behind the scenes there were some things going on. The opening F1 race at Oz had proven that the new car was not fast enough to challenge for the lead, but worse than that, the team had found itself in another controversy of its own making. We all know what happened with the so called "liegate affair.” Things worked out ok for the team as they were given a mild spanking by Max and the FIA, but major changes were in the works for management at McLaren. Dennis announced that he would be further removing himself from F1 by resigning as CEO of the McLaren Group. Richard Lapthorne was named Non Executive Chairman of the Group and Martin Whitmarsh now answers directly to him. Many suspected that the announcement was timed to try to appease the FIA and the World Motor Sports Council prior to their liegate hearings. Perhaps, but along with this change in leadership came the announcement of a restructuring of McLaren companies. Dennis is now to head McLaren Automotive as the Executive Chairman and the company will become independent of the Group. This seemed to me at the time as small change for Mr. Dennis. In a decade and a half the company had only produced about 1500 cars. The F1 was built from 1992 through 1998. There were 64 road cars produced and about 20 race models. There were also a number of special editions that resulted in 16 other varieties of the F1. It was very successful on the race track, but not successful as a road car. The SLR did much better, mostly due to being half the cost of an F1. The Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren sold about 1400 units over a six year period beginning in 2003. This fell well below the projections of 500 per year and was a disappointment to both partners in this deal. The relationship was coming to an end as Mercedes planned to end production and move the SLR to AMG for 2010. I hardly saw the point in Dennis moving to this division as it had never really required the complete attention of a man of Ron’s skills. But, upon closer inspection, there’s more than meets the eye. As mentioned above, the company is to become independent. Credit Suisse has been employed to develop $375 million USD to capitalize the company. Plans for an ultramodern production facility have been submitted to planning authorities for an expected late July approval. The facility will be the most modern in the UK and perhaps the world. The factory will have a production capability of 20 cars per day with a yearly production capacity of 5,200. The first year of production, 2011, will see 1000 cars roll off the line with increases to 4000 by 2015. About 800 people will be employed there doing all parts of design, fabrication, and assembly. It is unclear at this point what engine will be used, but spy shots of the car have already been seen. It is designated P11 at this time. ![]() The long term plan is to produce three different road cars in different price ranges to compete with the other supercars available. Details are sketchy about the models and the prices, but it is evident that McLaren plans to take this effort much further than previous ones. Perhaps Ron planned this all along and only the timing was influenced by current events. The plans are much further along than I realized and may be more than two years in development. I wish him the best, but I won’t miss him much in the F1 paddock. |
![]() |
|
| GordonB | May 27 2009, 10:41 AM Post #24 |
|
Chief Engineer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Wow flood! a. Thanks for the detailed info. b. For once in my life it looks like my hare-brained, can't-be-arsed-with-the-details view of stuff turned out to be correct! hooray!
|
![]() |
|
| AndyW76 | May 27 2009, 11:27 AM Post #25 |
|
Team Boss
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I wouldn't say Williams are in the doldrums. They are certainly fairing far better than BMW at the moment. |
![]() |
|
| GordonB | May 27 2009, 12:08 PM Post #26 |
|
Chief Engineer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
|
![]() |
|
| « Previous Topic · Formula 1 · Next Topic » |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2





![]](http://z6.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)



) so in that sense their withdrawal will increase the divide between the top teams and the back markers so in that sense they would be missed... but the sport as a whole would move on



1:00 AM Jul 11