It is sad news indeed that BMW has decided to withdraw from F1 racing at the end of this season. As a supporter, I hoped that the company would sign the Concorde Agreement and so be committed to the sport until 2012 at least but, as it turns out, this has been the sticking point for the board in the end; the management is not prepared to guarantee its continuing support and so lose its freedom to pull out if necessary.
Nick Heidfeld in the unloved BMW F1.09
It is said that the other teams have signed already and that there were just two left to commit themselves. Now we know that BMW is one and my bet is that Renault is the other. Most are saying Toyota but the Japanese company has shown surprising determination throughout the FIA/FOTA war and was, in fact, the most extreme in its opposition to Mosley. I doubt that such aggression is likely to be followed by a meek withdrawal. Watch Renault in the next few days.
So why did BMW decide against the sport when brought to it by the Concorde Agreement? James Allen has a good article that considers this and I tend to agree with him that it was not a matter of economics but of politics. With Jean Todt appearing as the likely successor to Mosley as FIA president, the chances are that the governance of the sport will continue to be a Machiavellian mess and that is exactly what BMW has always detested. Dr Theissen has been a voice of calm and good sense during his time as BMW team leader but there have been moments when his frustration at the inconsistency of the FIA has broken through - his comment that one day Mosley might have as much technical knowledge as Flavio Briatore is an example.
We can be pretty sure that the team's poor results this year have had little bearing on the decision anyway. Companies set targets and do not enjoy failing to meet them and yes, it was the goal this year for BMW to win a championship; but no company worth its salt gives up after one setback and BMW should know all about that, having come close to bankruptcy in the early sixties. It was one car that saved the company then (the BMW 1500, a last gasp design that was so good it influenced all later models) and there is no reason why the F1 team should not have produced a winner for the 2010 season in similar fashion to Brawn's BGP 001.
Which brings to mind the future for the team and its possible survival under another guise. This looks likely, given the excellent facilities at Hinwil and the proven abilities of the staff. Peter Sauber has always been most concerned about the job security of his employees and it is entirely possible that he might be part of a deal with one of the teams so eager to enter the sport next year. Epsilon Euskadi have expressed interest already, it seems.
In which case, it may not be a given that Heidfeld and Kubica are unemployed. Both were looking at possible drives for next year anyway and no doubt that will continue, but there remains a chance that one of them may be able to stay with a rebadged team. In spite of his honesty, talent and consistency, Nick Heidfeld is unlikely to be taken on by any of the top teams and so must be the best bet for the driver to stick with the team in a different guise. Kubica still has the fading glow of his 2008 championship challenge to rely on and is bound to be given a seat in a decent team therefore.
As a supporter, I have to hope that the team survives in one form or another. I am not ready to transfer allegiance to another and would go so far as to say that none of the others appeal to me in particular. Respect is deserved by such teams as Brawn GP and Force India but somehow they lack that underdog appeal that I am such a sucker for. And the big teams don't need me.
So let it be "Welcome back, Sauber or whatever you call yourself now". Here is one ready-made supporter willing to stick with you through thick and thin.
But don't expect to be in the header to this blog - that's the kiss of death, it is...