BMW Motorsport

The following extractions are taken from an article in issue no. 25 of Europe's leading Automobile magazine "Auto, Motor und Sport" from Dec. 2nd 1998. It is an interview with ex-Formula One driver Gerhard Berger who is in office as the new BMW Motorsport supervisor since Oct. 1st 1998. Title: "We are going the hardest way" From the interview: "Q: Why are you "hurting" yourself by accepting the job of a BMW Motorsport supervisor? You know from your own experience that you are metaphorically seating yourself on an ejection seat with such a position. A: I'm in competition since 20 years. After my retirement from F1 racing as an active driver, it became quite clear to me that I can't fall into one extreme from the other. I still need the challenge. My job at BMW is such a challenge. The pressure will be the same as for a driver, only in different aspects. It will be the same pressure of appointments, I will be again away from my family and be travelling a lot. On the other hand: I was never interested in a convenient and secure job. I see great perspectives and BMW is a partner many things connect me with and who fits me ideally. Q: What are the difficulties in your new job? A: I have to procure to my environment, how complex the tasks in Formula One have become. After the first few races everyone will notice that himself. But it must not take that long for us. Q: Are you fighting against ignorance and arrogance? A: I do not detect any of that at BMW. [...] Q: What do you want to make better than other Motorsport Supervisors? A: The top teams are working at such a high level, that nobody has to believe that they can reinvent the wheel. I want to reduce the time for reactions to a minimum. This only works within a team, which works well together and where everyone has the same goal. Q: What does that mean for BMW? A: It's important to make clear that we have to grow under control - and such growth takes time. Q: The only problem is that the whole world will follow this growth and won't understand that a huge corporation like BMW will stay behind the field. A: Well, so far we are not driving yet, and surely won't stay behind the field. BMW decided to go the hardest way, to choose a top team and to declare itself as a serious competitor right from the beginning. Others have decided to start collecting experiences in the middle field and to not expose themselves so much in the public. [...] BMW wants to make everything in-house, to use it's own engine technologies and transfer it to the F1. We are standing behind the project with our name from the first day on, and we've chosen the top team Williams as our partners. That might be the hardest way, but it's the shortest way too. [...] Q: Are you afraid that the "duel situation" Mercedes vs. BMW might be exaggerated? A: This can only be exaggerated if Mercedes and BMW jump into it. There are neither indications nor reasons why one of them should do that. Mercedes is currently very successful. They have earned it themselves. They've worked on that goal for five years and were criticized many times during that time. It would be unfair to compare us to Mercedes from the beginning. In the second stage of our engagement however, we will accept the comparison. But it's not our interest to get into a mud battle with Mercedes. [...] Q: Compare the partners of Mercedes and BMW: How does Williams compare to McLaren? A: Ron Dennis is the perfectionist regarding the appearance. The love for details, for the looks - that's where he's the best at. Frank Williams is a dogged racer, who was always able in the last 10 years to offer a strong technical team. Even though he had a bad year this time, his ambitions guarantee me that he will fight to get back at the top. Q: What has to be improved at Williams? A: BMW wants to procure technology. That's Frank's strength. That's why he fits best as a partner for us. Q: How about the current Formula One engine. There are many rumors. Some say it has over 800 hp others say there were many blown up engines? A: Neither one nor the other thing is true. The truth is always somewhere in the middle. We are within the schedule and want to appear at the test track in March or April 1999. Paul Rosche is satisfied with the program. There were problems, as to expect, but there were also many pleasant perceptions about the motor. Q: How about the current Formula One engine? There are many rumors. Some say it has over 800 hp, others say there were many blown up engines. A: Neither one nor the other thing is true. The truth is always somewhere in the middle. We are within the schedule and want to appear at the test track in March or April 1999. Paul Rosche is satisfied with the program. There were problems, as to expect, but there were also many pleasant perceptions about the motor." [...] Translated from German into English by Benjamin Chams-El-Dine Back...

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