Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[BMW reaches agreement to sell F1 team back to founder Peter Sauber]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/27/bmw-reaches-agreement-to-sell-f1-team-back-to-founder-peter-saub/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/27/bmw-reaches-agreement-to-sell-f1-team-back-to-founder-peter-saub/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/27/bmw-reaches-agreement-to-sell-f1-team-back-to-founder-peter-saub/#commentsFiled under: ,



The future of Sauber F1 looks a little more secure. After BMW's announcement earlier this year that it would withdraw from its involvement in Formula one at the end of the 2009, the automaker has reached a deal to sell the team back to eponymous founder Peter Sauber.

The new deal comes just days after it became clear that the previously unknown Qadbak investment company that had a deal to buy the team may have in fact been nothing more than a scam. According to previous reports, Qadbak apparently just wanted to collect Sauber's share of the F1 commercial money.

Peter Sauber has apparently raised the financing to buy back the team he sold to BMW in 2005 although the announcement does not disclose the purchase price. The team is being restructured in accordance with new F1 rules designed to bring down costs, and the staff at team headquarters will be cut from the current 388 to 250, with the first batch of layoff notices landing in inboxes today.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW reaches agreement to sell F1 team back to founder Peter Sauber

BMW reaches agreement to sell F1 team back to founder Peter Sauber originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren's Formula One cars have been powered by Mercedes-Benz engines since 1995, but that could soon come to an end. The relationship between Daimler and McLaren has become increasingly strained over the past two years, following the Spygate scandal and the automaker's decision to have AMG build the SLS.

With BMW withdrawing from Formula One at the close of this season, the hot rumor in the paddock at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend is that McLaren chairman Ron Dennis is considering scooping up rival BMW F1's engine-building operations. Mercedes supplies engines to the this year's likely champions, the Brawn team, and a split with McLaren would allow MB to concentrate its efforts there.

McLaren's Middle Eastern investors reportedly support the move, which would allow the team to join Ferrari, Renault (if the French team remains in F1) and Toyota in building its own chassis and engine. Apparently, BMW's deal to sell the Sauber F1 team doesn't include the engine operation in Munich, leaving McLaren free to make its move.

[Source: F1-Live]

REPORT: McLaren F1 considering acquisition of BMW F1 engine ops originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus Type 72 - Click above for high-res image gallery

When BMW announced several weeks ago that it would be withdrawing from Formula One at the end of the 2009 season, the automaker left open the fate of the operations it bought from Peter Sauber. Since then, reports have indicated that the automaker has been evaluating possible buyers for the team.

According to Autocar, one of the possible suitors is Malaysian automaker Proton and the British sportscar maker it owns, Lotus. Team Lotus was a staple of F1 from 1958 until 1994 - winning seven Constructors Championships in that span. During its heyday in the Sixties, Seventies and early Eighties, Team Lotus was one of the greatest innovators in the sport. Unfortunately, after founder Colin Chapman's death, the team eventually withered.

The new Lotus effort would likely be sponsored by long-time Sauber backer Petronas and the team could be led by former Renault and Toyota technical director Mike Gascoyne. So far, there has been no official comment from anyone reported to be involved.


Gallery: Lotus F1 cars


[Source: Autocar]

REPORT: Proton could take the reins from BMW Sauber, return Lotus to F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's anything but business as usual this year in Formula One, and this past week has been no exception, with one team scrambling to secure its future, another receiving the go-ahead to continue racing, and others re-submitting applications in the hope of joining the grid for next year.

First up is BMW, which announced it would be withdrawing its support from the Sauber team at the end of this year. After the team's eponymous founder failed to put the cash together to buy his team back from the Bavarians, the outfit is going ahead with its program to launch successive updates to its current car for Valencia this coming weekend and Singapore later this season in to demonstrate its capabilities in the hope of finding a new buyer before the season's out.

The FIA isn't holding its breath, however, and has informed seven outfits that submitted so-far unsuccessful bids to participate in F1 next season that there'll be another spot opening up on the grid for next year. In addition to BMW Sauber, reports suggest that Epsilon Euskadi and Prodrive are vying for the spot.

Meanwhile the Renault team has been given the green light to race at Valencia after successfully appealing the ban imposed on the team at the last grand prix for a loose wheel nut. The team will have to pay a $50,000 fine, whiole newcomer Romain Grosjean is confirmed to replace Nelsinho Piquet and partner Fernando Alonso.

As for Felipe Massa, the injured Ferrari driver currently recovering, the latest reports indicate that while he could be ready as soon as the Italian Grand Prix - the home race for his team - he'll more likely wait until the later race in his home country of Brazil to make his comeback.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty]

F1 Updates: BMW seeks new buyer, FIA re-opens selection process, Renault granted appeal, etc. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for high-res image gallery of the BMW Sauber F1.09

When it rains, it pours. Formula One racing fans spend most of the year watching the same crop of cars running around in circles, until the off season when all the teams unveil their new cars in the same two-week window of time. So after Ferrari, Toyota, McLaren, Williams and Renault have uncovered their 2009 challengers, with Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Force India not expected to unveil their new cars until next month, and with Honda's F1 future still in limbo, the BMW Sauber team have become the latest to join the party.

Called, simply enough, the F1.09, this will be the car in which Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, with the support of perennial test driver Christian Klein, will take on the rest of the field in the coming season. Its form is dictated by the same new aero regulations as its competitors, with BMW's own battery-based Kinetic Energy Recovery System installed underneath. Several teams have stated that, given the short timeframe they had to develop the hybrid system, they may delay its implementation, and Sauber's troubled gestation process was well publicized. Notably absent, meanwhile, from the car's livery this year is longtime sponsor Credit Suisse, the banking giant that cited a change in marketing strategies as its reason for not renewing its sponsorship. BMW Sauber unveiled the F1.09 on Tuesday morning at the test track in Valencia, Spain, which you can see in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: BMW Sauber F1.09


[Source: BMW Motorsport]

BMW Sauber launches F1.09 at Valencia originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 f12009 formula one2009F12009FormulaOnebmwbmw f1bmw f1.09bmw motorsportbmw sauberbmw sauber f1.09BmwF1BmwF1.09BmwMotorsportBmwSauberBmwSauberF1.09credit suissecredit suisse bmw sauberCreditSuisseCreditSuisseBmwSauberf1.09Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:59:00 EST<![CDATA[F1 mechanic gets a big shock from KERS]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/22/f1-mechanic-gets-a-big-shock-from-kers/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/22/f1-mechanic-gets-a-big-shock-from-kers/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/22/f1-mechanic-gets-a-big-shock-from-kers/#commentsFiled under: ,



Next year Formula 1 will see the introduction of KERS -- the Kinetic Energy Recovery System. The system stores the energy from braking and makes it available to the driver in an on-demand burst. Due to the magnificent braking forces in braking an F1 car, the system must be called on to store a sizable amount of electricity.

Red Bull got things buzzing last week when an eruption of smoke and fumes lead to a call to the fire department. Today, BMW test driver Christian Klien did three laps in a car equipped with an early edition of KERS, and came back to the pits. When a mechanic touched the car, he got a shock strong enough to throw him to the ground. The mechanic suffered slight injuries to a hand and a grazed arm, but was otherwise unhurt. BMW halted all testing while it looks into the issue, which could simply be a matter of improper grounding. Or, it could be time to suit pit crews up in rubber gear...

[Source: F1 Daily]

F1 mechanic gets a big shock from KERS originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bmw f1BmwF1f1formula 1formula oneFormula1FormulaOnekersmotorsportsTue, 22 Jul 2008 18:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Theissen: more automakers considering entering F1]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/07/theissen-more-automakers-considering-entering-f1/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/07/theissen-more-automakers-considering-entering-f1/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/07/theissen-more-automakers-considering-entering-f1/#commentsFiled under:


According to Mario Theissen, a number of carmakers are carefully thinking about getting into Formula One. Theissen is head of BMW Motorsports, and after running the Bavarian automakers foray into engine supply in partnership with the Williams team, led the company towards buying the Sauber team wholesale. In a short span of time and with minimal investment, Theissen has transformed the team from a solid midfield contender to a legitimate challenger for the championship alongside McLaren and Ferrari. Theissen believes that other automakers, inspired by BMW's success, are re-examining the prospect of joining Formula One. The BMW chief also believes that the development of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) being implemented in F1 is a strong motivator for automaker participation, noting that BMW's own R&D departments are anxiously knocking at Sauber's door to derive road-going systems based on KERS.

Although Formula One presents a lackluster case for American automakers, many of the world's leading foreign manufacturers participate in the sport, including BMW, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat, Honda and Toyota. So who does that leave? Theissen says Volkswagen/Audi/Porsche are closely considering entering F1, along with several unnamed Asian automakers. Although its sister company Renault already runs a team, Nissan has been touted as a possible entry. More likely, however, is that Hyundai/Kia will seek the prominence and the technology to go with its rise in the ranks by joining the fray.

[Source: F1-Live, Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty]

Theissen: more automakers considering entering F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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