BMW engines & drivers for a 2nd team in 2008?

By Jaime M.
October 18 2006

Would BMW be ready to give customer engines to a second smaller team from 2008?... This question suddenly came to my mind now that season is almost over, and I’m looking forward to the future. So I've come across with some interesting thoughts relating the future of BMW and other teams in 2008.

These ideas specially appeared after it was published that FIA would only allow the engine manufactures to give engines for 1 customer team.

And with Ferrari giving their engines to 2 of them, here comes the story:

In 2007 both Red Bull (or Toro Rosso) and Spyker-Midland will be using Ferrari engines, but both contracts end before 2008. And Prodrive is entering F1.
So at least one of them will have to look outside for engines. And there are not too many offers. Toyota is with Williams, one of the Red Bull teams has a Renault deal, Super Aguri has Honda backing...

So only three engine manufacturers left: Cosworth, Mercedes and BMW.
Cosworth has a small budget, and even though showed to be powerful and high revving at the season's beginning, it lost ground in the development camp and struggled to renew his deal with Williams for 2007. Now that they are out of F1, they will probably concentrate in other racing series such as Champcar.

And even though FIA has imposed an engine freeze, it’s only partial, so while manufactures will still make modifications and advances, Cosworth probably will not try to invest money on that. And I don’t see any team risking on getting an engine that is underdeveloped...

So only Mercedes and BMW are in the equation now. Some time ago Merc was rumored to provide engines to Spyker-Midland, but it slowly disappeared. Still possible to happen.... but likely?
To make it even more complex, there is a new party getting in the 'scenario': David Richards’s team Prodrive. The English claimed that they not only wanted engines, but also would be interested in customer chassis. But looks like BMW-Sauber factory will not be ready to supply both by the moment; and Mercedes was rumored to be interested in having a B-Team...

That’s leaves BMW alone as the engine supplier for another team. BMW already offered engines last year to both Williams and Sauber, during the swiss team acquisition. And they could be looking to recover part of his investment in their new team. What’s more, their engines were reputed as being the most powerful both in the 80s and in their F1 return in the 2000s, specially in 2002 and 2003, and after having a low in 2005 they have regained its prestige this year with a radical V8 design. 

Add to that situation that lately the germans have a rising reputation for being 'young talent creators', with Kubica being the most notable case, but also Sebastian Vettel and Timo Glock in their wings. And with 3rd Friday drivers eliminated from 2007, seems like the teams will be interested in having only 3 drivers.

So one of their 'young guns' could be 'lent' to a smaller team in order to gain experience and be the possible replacement for Nick Heidfeld in 2009. So an 'engines in exchange of driver development' deal could happen.

And then Red Bull comes back to scene, as the 19-year-old Vettel has contact with both BMW and Red Bull. Could it be that he could replace Coulthard in 2008 in a Red Bull-BMW team? Then after that BMW could try to get back Vettel...If this idea did not work then another situation could be Glock driving for Spyker in a similar deal.

Spyker are looking to save money and get sponsors, and with BMW they would get that in a better financial terms than with Ferrari. Plus Ferrari said that the F1 deal did not mean collaboration on the road cars side, something that Spyker could be looking for. Maybe Ferrari was reluctant to give support to a possible rival brand, or simply they were not interested.

But BMW would not see Spyker road cars as market rivals, because they work on a different sales sector. And BMW have already supplied engines to some cars successfully (remember the unique 1994 Mclaren F1 road car).

So looks like a logical deal.

Still the other doors are open...

(Remember these are speculations, the teams involved have made NO comment on these possibilities. If more info relating this article topic appear it will be published soon)