BMW Explains Why It's Not Interested in a Formula 1 Return

Pulse Sports Team 13:10 - 28 August 2026

BMW has cited a lack of technological transfer opportunities as the primary reason for its disinterest in joining Mercedes and Audi in Formula 1.

The Munich-based manufacturer has been absent from the sport since selling its majority stake in Sauber at the end of 2009. Despite the championship's growing popularity making it more attractive than ever for car companies, BMW has remained on the sidelines. The same Sauber team, formerly owned by BMW, has now been acquired by Audi, and regulatory changes for 2026 have also drawn in other major brands like Cadillac and Ford (as a power unit partner for Red Bull).

Even Porsche seriously considered a partnership with Red Bull before negotiations fell through in late 2022, leaving BMW as the only major German manufacturer not to have expressed interest in joining Formula 1 in recent years. According to BMW M boss Frank van Meel, Formula 1 simply doesn't "fit" their motorsport philosophy, which is built on transferring technology from racing to production cars.

“Formula 1 is too far removed from us; it's too much of a laboratory and doesn't translate well enough to production cars,” Van Meel told the German edition of motorsport.com. “In Formula 1, it would be a completely separate technology center, disconnected from everything else. Our customers and fans certainly like Formula 1, but they also like motorsports that are more direct and closer to production cars. The story behind M is that we transfer motorsport into production cars. And Formula 1 simply doesn't fit that for us.”

While BMW may be absent from F1, the company is heavily involved in other forms of motorsport, particularly sports car racing.

The BMW M Hybrid V8 is now the brand's flagship motorsport vehicle, competing with the factory WRT team in both the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA championship in the United States. This dual program allows the company to compete in some of the world's biggest endurance races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona.

BMW also sells GT3 and GT4 versions of its popular M4 model to customer teams worldwide. Van Meel states that these programs are a better fit for BMW, crediting their involvement in championships like IMSA for their growing popularity in the lucrative American market.

“For us, it's not just about WEC, but also IMSA. The USA, with about 40% of our volume, is the most important single market for BMW M. BMW has grown in the USA through motorsport. That's why IMSA is extremely important to us. WEC and IMSA are also suitable for us due to the direct technological transfer. For example, the M Concept New Class includes elements from the M4 GT3, such as the airflow-optimized hood and diffuser. The lighting graphics come from our LMDh race car. There is also technology transfer to the powertrains. We use a V8 hybrid in motorsport and have V8 hybrids in the M5 and XM. In some cases, the same engineers work on these powertrains. We can test certain aspects faster and closer to series production through these racing series,” Van Meel explained.

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