BMW might slash its motorsport finances in 2025, with paddock sources suggesting that it might cut back manufacturing facility help from three vehicles to only two within the DTM.
These rumours observe BMW asserting an 84% drop in revenue within the third quarter of 2024, pushed primarily by a decline in gross sales in China and an costly automobile recall programme.
BMW Motorrad, its two-wheel division, has already admitted that it should cope with a smaller finances within the World Superbike Championship subsequent 12 months. Now the query stays if these price cuts can even apply to the marque’s four-wheel racing actions.
“Funds reduce is the flawed time period,” mentioned Frank van Meel, the managing director of BMW M. “We all the time negotiate laborious [with the BMW bosses to get more money for motorsport].”
BMW expanded its manufacturing facility motorsport programme in 2024, coming into a pair of M Hybrid V8 LMDh vehicles within the World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class with WRT.
Requested particularly if BMW’s motorsport division could have roughly cash obtainable to spend in 2025, van Meel mentioned: “Undoubtedly no more cash, as a result of we added the WEC for the primary time this 12 months.
“We have gone up once more as a result of we’re now doing GT4, GT3 and WEC. And there is a good automotive [BMW M2 one-make] out right here that shall be added subsequent 12 months. We’ll stay loyal to motorsport. There is no such thing as a want to fret.”
Marco Wittmann, Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT3
Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz
BMW fielded three earlier champions within the DTM this 12 months, with Rene Rast, Sheldon van der Linde and Marco Wittmann all racing for the factory-supported Schubert staff.
Schubert received the groups’ championship this 12 months forward of Audi’s Abt Sportsline, whereas BMW completed third within the producers’ standings behind Mercedes and Lamborghini.
BMW motorsport director Andreas Roos mentioned the German marque remains to be finalising the make-up of its DTM programme subsequent 12 months when requested if it might cut back its involvement to 2 vehicles.
“We’re nonetheless utterly open about that in the mean time,” he mentioned. “We even have sponsors hooked up to the vehicles and so forth.
“These are the subjects that we are actually discussing after the season and we wish to guarantee that we’re correctly positioned for subsequent 12 months.
“We wish to orient ourselves on what we have now achieved lately.”
Amid the latest disaster in Germany’s auto business, BMW will not be the one automotive producer that must think about price cuts subsequent 12 months. Volkswagen’s troubles have been effectively documented, with discuss of the corporate reportedly shutting down not less than three crops in its residence nation.
Nevertheless, BMW’s van Meel burdened that the marque’s high-performance M division is performing effectively regardless of the general decline in gross sales.
Franciscus van Meel, Managing Director BMW M GmbH
Photograph by: BMW
“It helps that M GmbH stays on the street to success,” he mentioned.
“We communicated that in September of this 12 months our gross sales have been nonetheless barely above the earlier 12 months.
“Motorsport is and can stay related, it’s our DNA. After all you all the time have to take a look at the cash, however that does not simply apply to subsequent 12 months.
“That applies to this 12 months and to the final a long time. This can be a success story, let’s proceed it.”
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