BMW has not decided the future of its staff

The future of the BMW Sauber team’s factories and staff has not yet been announced. They could be laid off, transferred to other motorsports in which BMW is involved, or sold to one or more teams in the F1 grid.

The BMW team in Formula 1 consists of two facilities. One is based in Munich, Germany, for engine preparation, and the other is based in Hinwil, Switzerland, which dates back to when Sauber was a Formula 1 team.

Having announced its withdrawal from the premier category of motorsports by the 2010 season this Wednesday morning during a press conference, BMW has not yet made a judgment on the future of its factories. The decision should be made very quickly, in order to help FOTA and potential replacement teams propose solutions.

Dr. Klaus Draeger, member of the BMW board of directors and head of brand development, states that the team will know its fate in a few days. However, he believes that the decision must be made with caution and consideration.

« Since we only made our decision yesterday [Tuesday], we cannot provide more information, » confirms the German. « We are currently studying several options to find the best solution for both the employees in Hinwil and those in charge of the F1 sector in Munich. We are aware of the responsibility this entails and will inform the staff as soon as we can. »

In less than 12 months, this is the second major manufacturer to decide to leave Formula 1 following Honda’s withdrawal last year. At the time, Ross Brawn bought the team for a symbolic one pound and is currently leading the Championship with Brawn GP.

BMW entered Formula 1 in 2000 by supplying engines to Williams. As an engine supplier, the German brand achieved 10 victories. It then owned its own team after buying Sauber at the end of 2005. In 4 seasons, the team registered only one victory, last year at the Canadian Grand Prix with Robert Kubica. With 6 points so far, the team is only in 8th place in the constructors’ standings, just ahead of Toro Rosso and Force India.

The very costly development of the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and its subsequent abandonment at the start of the season due to mediocre results certainly did not help in the decision-making of the Board of Directors.