[Car-Addicted]

Of course, BMW has a long history with F1, powering Brabham and others in the Eighties turbo era with some high strung engines. Then it reentered in 2000 with Williams as an engine supplier (pictured at top), staying with the team until the end of the 2005 season. Then with its purchase of the Sauber team in mid-2005—ironically the team now owned by Audi—BMW became a full-works team, with BMW Sauber F1 on the grid. The team scored a few podiums and one win with Robert Kubica in 2008, but sold back to Sauber at the end of the 2009 season. BMW hasn’t been involved with F1 since.

But now with unprecedented automaker involvement, should BMW consider rejoining the series? Its direct competitors from Germany, Mercedes and Audi, now have factory teams. Cadillac, an automaker that has aimed directly at BMW for decades now, has a new team that will have its own power unit in 2028, making it a factory team.

https://bimmerlife.com/2026/02/10/sh...tm_name=member

[Car-Addicted]

[Killed by Death]

YES

[Davil]

12 makes an even number.

[Car-Addicted]

I would love to see it as I could really use some new BMW Formula One based Swag. That said, I just don't see the current BMW corporate leaders (can I use that word, leader?) going big time Formula One auto racing. They have shown the attention spam of a labradoodle in past motorsports endeavors. Now if Formula one came up with a support series running BMW i4's they would be more at home in the land of Net Zero.

Maybe the new Subaru Formula One car?
https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-g...engine-history

[jaffles]

To play devils advocate, do they need to? I'm no motoring or F1 enthusiasts but from the casual observation there are far more BMWs on the roads than Mercedies, Audi, Honda around hear. Ferrari will always be a small bespoke manufacture and only for the above average rich. Perhaps why Porsche is so popular.

Recently in France I noted plenty of patriotism for Renault, no small manufacture, but seems not enough to boast an F1 engine or full blown team anymore.

F1 would be like a ferocious leach on the coffers of a company. Not saying its wrong just reality. I reckon someone should put an electric F1 ageist a ICE and see where it goes. Now that would be racing R&D.

[Chihuahua]

Won't happen, especially with the current engine formula.

[Rono63]

Originally Posted by Chihuahua

Won't happen, especially with the current engine formula.

I agree. With the current F1 requirements being a V6 configuration.

BMW has stated it is unwilling to invest research and development into a configuration that they don’t use for their production vehicles.

[afadeev]

The last time they left the stated reason was something along the lines of "tech in F1 has no relevance for road vehicles".

Unless the answer changed recently (I don't see why it would have), the answer has to be a "NO".

a

[Autobacs]

^^^^ Exactly and why spend money when enough money is coming in just fine.

[SMURF80]

As fan I think they should. The rivalry with Mercedes and Audi would be awesome.

However, I think is highly unlikely they will join F1 any time soon. BMW has positioned itself as the "sensible" manufacturer, choosing to dominate endurance racing at a fraction of the cost of an F1 entry. Unless F1 pivots toward a technology that BMW deems truly "future-frontier" (like hydrogen combustion), they seem content to watch from the sidelines.

[0-60Motorsports]

yes FFS YES! and bring the God Damn V10s back.........

[FrankL]

Originally Posted by spam__EmilySlark_d14bb3a

The article link you shared seems to be broken, but the question you're raising is exactly what a lot of BMW fans and F1 followers are debating right now.

You're right about the history. BMW's F1 legacy is solid - those turbo engines in the 80s were monsters, and the Williams partnership in the early 2000s gave us some genuinely competitive years. The 2008 Canadian GP win with Kubica is still one of those moments fans remember.

The landscape now is completely different from 2009 when BMW walked away. Mercedes and Audi are both in as factory teams. Cadillac is coming in with their own engines by 2028. Honda is back. Ford is partnering with Red Bull. The grid is filling up with automakers again, and BMW's two biggest domestic rivals are both there.

The question isn't really whether BMW *could* come back. They absolutely could. The question is whether they *want* to, and what they'd get out of it. F1's popularity in the US has exploded since they left, and the 2026 regulations are designed to attract manufacturers with more relevant hybrid tech and sustainable fuels. That plays right into BMW's messaging around sustainability and electrification.

The counterargument is that F1 is brutally expensive and BMW has been pouring resources into electrification, the Neue Klasse platform, and other racing programs like IMSA and WEC where they're winning. Spreading themselves too thin could backfire.

My gut feeling? If Cadillac starts beating them in the US market and using F1 success as marketing ammunition, BMW might not have a choice. Racing has always been part of their identity, and letting rivals own that space forever feels unlikely.

No thanks. Audi's sales are tanking. They want to waste hundreds of millions on F1? Caddy? I knew someone who had one of their EV SUVs. It was pretty but they had endless problems and used lemon law to get them to take it back.

What is the Caddy anyway? Dallara-Ferrari? I would never buy a Caddy. Mercedes did not have a great year last year in F1. F1 has become very Hollywood and almost NASCAR-ish. It is more popular but it is like junk food.
Attention spans are even shorter. I cannot watch a race and rarely have the patience to watch a 15 minute recap.

One interesting story is, can anyone catch Max Verstappen as far as speed. McLaren had a better car last year. Max decides to do a sports car race in a Ferrari. Did he first run a BMW to get that license? Max goes out to the N Ring and is like 7 seconds a lap faster than anyone else.

[Car-Addicted]

The underlying reason could be a seat at a profitable Formula One table. It may now be hard to lose money in Formula One but if it's possible, Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors will figure out a way to do it.

[FrankL]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

A very funny video where Gerhard Berger, head of BMW F1 back in the day, pranks Eddie Jordan (RIP). BMW was with Williams.

Eddie just signed a big deal with Ford for a Cosworth V10. Berger pranks Jordan into thinking BMW was going to supply a second engine to the small norther Italian team Minardi for FREE. This was probably $15 to 20 million dollars worth of free engine. Gerhard is such a prankster.

Oddly, later Dieter M of Red Bull bought Minardi and Gerhard was part owner. Minardi's only win was with 21 year old Sebastian Vettel in the Minardi with Ferrari power.

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by afadeev

The last time they left the stated reason was something along the lines of "tech in F1 has no relevance for road vehicles".

Unless the answer changed recently (I don't see why it would have), the answer has to be a "NO".

a

Mercedes brought "F1 Tech" to their C63 AMG with a 600 HP 4Cylinder... not doing so great for sales.

[jaffles]

Last weekend I watched BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, McLaren and a few others do time trial laps around a 6.3km circuit with a vernicle elevation of 200m for 12 hours, and some 2000km.

Last year BMW was 1st and 2nd. This year they were 3rd and 4th with 6.2 seconds separating 1 to 3 on the drop of the finishing flag.

BMW's 3lt inline turbo 6 easily matched Mercedes 6.3lt V8, and Audi 5.2lt V10 who were 1st and 2nd. I'm thinking BMW is doing just fine.

[Alfisti]

It's a BOP formula, the engines are balanced.

[silvermanor]

F1 is a waste of time these days. Walking dead sport that used to be good. Much better race series out there and BMW are in them.

[Martini11]

YES, let's make bmw great again haha, would be much more interesting than following cadillac and audi imo

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

It's a BOP formula, the engines are balanced.

Oh No, not the Formula One and BOP discussion. That never turns out well.

[jkoral]

I was around for their second foray in F1, 2000-2009, and I have no desire for them to return. Ready for the season to start, this will be my 30th year of not missing an F1 race.