BMW to quit Formula One

Updated

BMW have given official notice of their decision to pull the BMW Sauber team out of Formula One at the end of 2009, a season that was heralded as the one when the outfit would finally hit the big time. After three years of development and steady progress, the team around Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica initially saw themselves as genuine contenders for the world championship. The plan came to nought as BMW Sauber garnered a meagre eight points from the first ten races of the season and found themselves lying a disappointing eighth in the constructors' standings – only Toro Rosso and Force India have a lower tally. Added to the poor showing on the track came the financial effects of the global downturn and the KERS flop. BMW Sauber were amongst the protagonists of Kinetic Energy Recovery, but during the course of the season, they have uninstalled the system from their car in order to benefit from improved aerodynamics and weight distribution

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