BMW announced that the company has been accepted by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to become the Formula E manufacturer for season five, six and seven of the championship.
The German automaker is among the list of nine manufacturers that submitted their plans to the FIA is in February and have subsequently had them accepted. Besides BMW, ABT, Mahindra, DS, Renault, Jaguar Land Rover, NEXT EV, Penske Autosport and Venturi have also been accepted to become the Formula E manufacturer until the end of season seven in 2021.
The announcement comes ahead of the 2016/2017 Formula E fourth race in Mexico where BMW is currently working with the MS Amlin Andretti team. This cooperation includes working together at engineering level and sharing resources. BMW is supporting MS Amlin Andretti with the provision of works driver António Félix da Costa (PRT).
“Since its inaugural season, Formula E has enjoyed rapid development and is now regarded as a high-level racing series,” says BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt.
“BMW i has contributed actively as Official Vehicle Partner from the word go and has left its mark on the series. Other manufacturers have now followed suit. Everyone involved is delighted to be taking steps to get involved on the sporting and technological side of Formula E. Planning is underway to compete with a works team in season 5. This required our registration as a manufacturer. This was completed by the required deadline.”
The engineers at BMW Motorsport in Munich have also started development of a Formula E powertrain. “We still have a lot of work to do, but we have taken the first steps,” confirms Marquardt. “If the series continues with this positive development, we want to be perfectly prepared for the potential works entry in season 5.”
