BMW Motorsport sets out on a new track in junior talent promotion.

Munich, As part of the strategic realignment of its motorsport involvement, BMW is embarking on new paths in its promotion of young racing talent following almost ten successful Formula BMW championship years. Starting next season, the “Formula BMW Talent Cup” will be established. BMW will no longer be running its Formula BMW racing series in Europe and Asia.



The Formula BMW Talent Cup concept has two aims: to offer young racing drivers a comprehensive education and to prepare them for a professional career in motorsport. The target group are talented young drivers aged 14 and above, bringing the Formula BMW Talent Cup even closer to the junior base in karting than the current Formula BMW series. The Formula BMW FB02 will continue to be used as the race vehicle centrally operated by BMW Motorsport.



BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen explains: “Promoting young talent continues to be an important strand of our realigned project landscape. BMW has been actively involved in supporting talented young drivers since the 1970s and aims to continue this tradition. With the Formula BMW Talent Cup we are positioning ourselves between karting and professional motorsport, so starting out a stage earlier than with our previous Formula BMW concept. This realignment allows us to react to new conditions and the increase in costs seen in junior, single-seater racing. As such we are offering young drivers an extremely cost-effective platform and are sharpening our focus on practical driving experience and driver education so to provide them with the best possible preparation for their future career on and beside the track. At the end of the one-year training, the greatest talent will win a season in an appropriate higher race series financed by BMW.”



The training concept for the Formula BMW Talent Cup is based on a comprehensive education programme, consisting of a theoretical approach to motorsport, as well as intensive tests on the race track. The participants will gradually be introduced to the competitive character of modern motorsport through a number of track tests focussing on classic set-up work, long runs, start practices, and qualifying and race simulations.



The Formula BMW Talent Cup culminates in a Grand Final at the end of the season, which will take place under genuine competitive conditions in a professional motor racing environment.



The accompanying programme on the race track includes systematic courses concentrating on the fields of data analysis and vehicle set-up, together with driving technique. Before the season, a fitness test determines the season-long training programme, which incorporates special mental training as well as the physical components. At the end of the season, the drivers are increasingly prepared for future exposure to the media and sponsors.



A season in the Formula BMW Talent Cup is offered to a maximum of 15 participants for 100,000 Euro per person. Entry is restricted to those without experience in racing series outside of karting. Where possible, the programme will avoid scheduling conflicts, allowing drivers to compete in karting championships at the same time. Those interested can email Talent-Cup@FormulaBMW.com with immediate effect. The official pre-registration for the 2011 season begins in late summer 2010. The latest information can also be found on the internet at www.FormulaBMW.com.



Formula BMW in its current format has spawned many Formula One drivers. In the current season alone, seven Formula One drivers have come out of the Formula BMW fold and many more are knocking at the door. Well over 70 drivers made the leap into Formula 3 or similar race series.



The successful Formula BMW Racing Experience enjoys a steady growth in popularity as a platform for licence courses and incentive events, and will continue to be run in the years ahead.