BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen has said that his company are leading the way in terms of reducing the costs of racing. The German marque has been involved in modern F1 since 2000 as an engine supplier but according to Theissen is now spending considerably less, even as a car manufacturer.
”Today, BMW is spending 40 percent less on its involvement in Formula 1 than in 2005,” he is quoted as saying by autosport.com.
“Back then we were an engine supplier, but now have our own team, of course. Significant savings have been achieved through increases in the mileage required of each engine,” he added.
The German went on to illustrate exactly how extravagant the sport has been in recent years, and pointed to the new cost-cutting agreements for the future.
“When BMW returned to Formula 1 in 2000, we were using one engine for free practice, replacing it for qualifying and then fitting another new one for the race. This outlay has since been gradually reigned in and today each driver has to make do with eight engines for the full duration of the season.
“The heavily reduced testing schedule has brought further substantial budget savings,” he said.
Theissen insisted that the marque’s future in the sport was safe as long as the race team continued to deliver value for money. But further budget reduction was always good news, he added.
”So we have put together a whole package of measures to reduce costs,” he finished.
