{"id":22826,"date":"2022-05-22T06:53:03","date_gmt":"2022-05-22T10:53:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=22826"},"modified":"2022-05-22T06:53:03","modified_gmt":"2022-05-22T10:53:03","slug":"bmw-say-no-to-formula-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=22826","title":{"rendered":"“We have no ambitions for Formula 1,” says BMW M Boss"},"content":{"rendered":"

The increased popularity of the Formula 1 racing championship will bring several automakers into the fold. Audi and Porsche will join the Formula 1 circuit in 2026, but BMW has mostly being quiet on the subject. Today, BMW M boss Frank Van Meel<\/a> confirmed in an interview that the Munich-based automaker has no intention to join Formula 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no ambitions for Formula 1,\u201d Van Meel firmly stated. Instead, the company continues to focus its motorsport efforts on the upcoming LMDh project. \u201cFor us, it\u2019s really important to have the [electrification] story of transformation embraced as fast as possible. Formula 1 is still discussing the regulations around electrification. So for us, it was very clear. Let\u2019s go faster into that [electrification] segment,\u201d Van Meel says.<\/p>\n

Focus on LMDh (GTP)<\/h3>\n

And LMDh presents the perfect opportunity to test BMW M\u2019s road technology in a racing setup. Van Meel says that the LMDh cars will use a variant of the V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain<\/a> introduced recently by the BMW XM<\/a> and likely to be used in the future BMW M5 G90<\/a>. Therefore, BMW Motorsport will\u00a0focus on Le Mans Daytona Hybrid (LMDh)<\/a>, or more recently called IMSA GTP.<\/p>\n

BMW announced plans to develop a Le Mans Daytona hybrid prototype in June 2021 and race it from 2023. Several months later, the head of the motorsport division said the spiritual successor to the V12 LMR would not take part in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans<\/a>. The good news is we might see the LMDh machine at the endurance race the year after that.<\/p>\n