BMW are an German car brand hailing Bavaria, they are proprietors of a vast model range, selling anything from superminis or 4x4s. They are considered a premium brand, not least because of their Germanic roots and are in direct competition with native rivals Audi and Mercedes. BMW have a wide involvement in many forms of motorsport, from single seater cars to touring cars and have always been there or thereabouts in the results.
BMW entered the realm of Formula One, the world’s most competitive racing series in 2003 as an engine supplier, immediately striking up an effective partnership, they had a temporaray deal with the chassis maker that was something akin to a car lease deal. With a couple of quality drivers in Montoya and R Scumachet at the helm, Williams were one of three teams able to fight for the title that year along with McLaren and Ferrari.
The next few seasons saw Williams and BMW going through some ups and downs, just like you may find ups and downs with a BMW contract hire plans. The team tried a number of design philosophies and driver lineups on their way to mounting title challenges including a Walrus type nose, they never quite managed to achieve their goal however.
In 2006 BMW broke away from Williams and formed their own team. Despite facing initial difficulties the team made it good the following year as their star driver, Robert Kubica was able to fight for the title before BMW pulled the plug on development. A dire 2009 season that saw the squad slip to the back of the grid following money troubles coming off the back of poor car sales due to the recession, the team still exists in part as an element of the Sauber team, though this partnership is expected to end next year.
