The following video takes us through the process of building a Formula One car. The 30 minutes footage focuses on the BMW Sauber F1 racing car and it’s quite fascinating.
When BMW announced their retirement from Formula 1 in 2009, it left BMW and F1 fans with the feeling that the Motorsport division has yet to achieved its potential. Looking in retrospective, the decision to leave the F1 ring was the right decision for the brand, on the eve of the world financial crisis and decreasing popularity of the most exciting racing championship in the world.
In Summer of 2005 BMW acquired a 80 percent stake in Sauber for a reported $100 million. As per the agreement, the engine was to be designed at BMW’s headquarters in Munich, while Sauber’s Hinwil factory was used for chassis construction and wind tunnel testing. The livery of the cars showcased the traditional BMW white and blue color-combination with a touch of red.
Petronas and Credit Suisse- Sauber’s sponsors, signed deals with BMW while the latter also agreed a “technical partnership” with Intel.
The only race won by the BMW Sauber team was the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.
Before the start of the 2009 season, BMW hoped to challenge for the title. They focused extensively on better aerodynamics and their cars featured a double-check diffuser. Yet, the team was off to a mediocre start and couldn’t even accumulate ten points by mid-season. The new technical regulations also halted the BMW’s progress and with the financial meltdown making the company vulnerable to huge losses, in July 2009, they announced their decision to leave F1.
