BMW Is Going Single-Seater Racing Again... But It's Not In F1

BMW is going racing at the highest level again, but sadly it’s not about to recreate its bygone glories in Formula 1. The Munich-based car maker is taking to the street circuits of Formula E; the pinnacle of electrically-powered motorsport.

Alright, so the cars aren’t that quick, the racing hasn’t quite set the world on fire yet and there’s no noise to get excited about, but the interesting angle this news presents is that BMW wants to use and improve its newly-developed electric powertrain to influence its future road cars. Any major improvements aren’t guaranteed to filter through in time for the i3 and i8’s direct replacements, but the cars after that should see the benefits.

Joining the action in the 2018/19 season and run by the Andretti Formula E team, which currently lies seventh in the Formula E Championship. BMW’s money and developmental clout should push them a little higher than that, though. Apparently the German firm has been waiting for the series to ditch the mid-race car changeover before entering its own machines. BMW does, at least, already supply the safety and medical cars – i8s and i3s, natch.

The company will join Audi, which will itself join the fray as a works manufacturer in the 2017/18 season starting later this year. As for what to expect in terms of road cars, BMW’s efforts will go towards improving the performance and range of its next generation of i-branded models. Klaus Frohlich, the man in charge of BMW’s technical development, explains.

“This project is thoroughly driven by technology. We are using Formula E as a development laboratory, operating under the unique conditions that prevail in motor racing – with very unique demands and opportunities.

“The borders between production and motor racing development are more blurred at BMW i Motorsport than in any other project. The result is a technology transfer on a whole new level.”

If it makes future i products even more exciting, I guess we can’t grumble. BMW will join not just Audi, but Jaguar, DS and the dominant Renault team as major mainstream car makers involved in the series, which has vastly lower costs than Formula 1.