BMW “never threw in the towel”

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last event of the 2009 season Formula 1, will welcome the premier single-seater category for the first time, on the brand new Yas Marina circuit. For BMW, this will be the German manufacturer's last event in Formula 1, four years after buying the team from Peter Sauber. “ We will head to Abu Dhabi with mixed feelings, confides Mario Theissen, director of BMW Motorsport. The eight points acquired in Brazil allowed us to gain a place in the constructors' championship and we will, once again, be motivated for the last race of the season. »

After the announcement of BMW?s withdrawal, Mario Theissen confirms that the final event of this 2009 season will be full of emotions. “ There will also be a lot of sadness within the team. This will be our 70th and final race with the BMW Sauber F1 Team »

The director of BMW Motorsport, at the end of the fourth season of the BMW Sauber F1 Team, launches into an initial assessment for a team which enjoyed success before experiencing a difficult final year. “ With the exception of our fourth and unfortunately final season, I am more than satisfied with the work accomplished since 2006. After the first three years, we have achieved and even exceeded the objectives we had set for ourselves. We recorded two podiums in our first season, and in our second year we advanced as the third team in the championship. It was the year that Robert (Kubica) had a spectacular accident in Montreal. It seemed like an eternity before we heard that the news was good. We were able to better measure Nick's (Heidfeld) second place. It was in Montreal, a year later, that we experienced our greatest success. From the moment Robert and Nick crossed the finish line for a record double, there was no reason to stop. We remained part of a three-way fight for the title, almost until the end of the season. Our reliability has been excellent, and we recorded eleven podiums in 2008. »

Mario Theissen ends by regretting not having been able to initiate the technical shift initiated by the FIA ​​regulations between 2008 and 2009. BMW notably failed in the development of a system, the SREC (kinetic energy recovery system). ), wanted by the German manufacturer. “ Of course, the whole team is disappointed that we were not able to build on this success in 2009, when we hoped to have a say in the title race. But we never threw in the towel, even after BMW announced its withdrawal from Formula 1, which shows the strength of character of our team. I hope that the successor of the BMW Sauber F1 Team will continue this path successfully in Formula 1. »