BMW-Powered F1 Cars At 2025 Goodwood Festival Of Speed

The 2025 Goodwood Pageant of Velocity has come and gone. Though we’ve largely centered on street-legal autos just like the new M2 CS, it could be remiss to not point out the Formulation 1 machines. Naturally, our emphasis is on these powered by BMW engines, however we’ve additionally included a couple of pictures of F1 automobiles from different manufacturers. Amongst them, the extremely uncommon six-wheeled Tyrrell P34 with a Ford-Cosworth engine.

The Arrows A8 ought to look acquainted for those who’re well-versed in BMW-powered F1 automobiles. It competed within the 1985 and 1986 seasons, albeit with out notable success. Its greatest outcome was a second-place end on the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix. On the coronary heart of the automobile, designed by Dave Wass, was BMW’s M12/M13, a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine additionally utilized by Brabham and Benetton through the Eighties.

Talking of Brabham, the BT52 pictured under raced within the 1983 season. Designed by none apart from Gordon Murray, the F1 machine was pushed by Nelson Piquet and Riccardo Patrese. Piquet secured the title that yr, ending forward of Renault’s Alain Prost and Ferrari’s René Arnoux, whereas Patrese positioned ninth. Brabham BMW ended the season third within the constructors’ championship.

The M12/13 was rendered out of date in 1989 when Formulation 1 banned turbocharged engines. Nonetheless, BMW returned 11 years later with the V10-powered Williams FW22 for the 2000 season. The three.0-liter E41/4 was changed the next yr by the P80 sequence, which remained in use till 2005. From 2006 till BMW’s exit from F1 in 2009, the BMW Sauber automobiles ran a smaller V8, additionally a part of the P80 sequence.

As for an additional F1 return, that’s unlikely within the close to future. Nonetheless, M boss Frank van Meel informed us on the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este that BMW isn’t ignoring the sport: “We’re not ignoring Formulation 1. We’re simply not collaborating. That’s on goal.”

Why? The BMW M CEO defined that F1 gives restricted tech switch to street automobiles, which is why the motorsport division focuses on endurance racing as an alternative, competing in WEC and IMSA with the M Hybrid V8.

Images: Hardy Mutschler