BMW stands by its WEC focus, arguing its race cars reflect real-world technology better than what Formula 1 currently offers.
BMW has no interest in entering Formula 1 alongside its German rivals Mercedes and Audi.
BMW Commits to WEC
Last year, following its last top-class appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999, BMW returned to the World Endurance Championship in the premier Hypercar category. In 2025, former Haas driver Kevin Magnussen will occupy one of the cockpits.
However, BMW Motorsport Director Frank van Meel now emphasizes, “We are not ignoring F1. We are simply not participating.”
“It is a conscious decision,” he stated during the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, an event for legendary, sports, and classic cars. “For us, WEC was the right path.”
BMW Chooses Relevance Over F1
BMW withdrew from Formula 1 at the end of 2009 after owning and partnering with the Sauber team, now owned by Audi ahead of the German brand’s F1 entry in 2026.
To further explain BMW’s ongoing refusal to return to F1, van Meel added, “WEC cars are closer to production models. We can learn things and transfer them.”
“In Formula 1, learning things and transferring them to production cars is almost impossible. It goes too far.”
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Authenticity Drives BMW Strategy
BMW is also present in the GT3 category with the M4, based on the commercially available M3 and M4. Van Meel concluded by stating that car manufacturers in Formula 1 are primarily focused on marketing.
“We also use WEC for marketing purposes of course, but not only that. For us, there must also be a connection to authenticity, to real cars that people can buy. The M4 GT3 is a good example of that.”
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