Munich.
BMW Motorsport celebrated the 40th anniversary of
its talent promotion with a big event in Maisach (GER). BMW
Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt, the first generation of the BMW
Junior team from 1977 and the current BMW Motorsport Junior
Programme recruits came together. This press release contains the
best statements from a round table of all participants, a video clip
with historic and current images, a brief overview of the history of
BMW Motorsport talent promotion, quotes from famous graduates, and
more photos from the photoshoot of the event participants with
historic and current BMW race cars.
Meeting of generations.
At the anniversary event last week, the very first BMW Juniors and
their successors got to know each other at the BMW and MINI Driving
Academy premises in Maisach. BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt
(GER), Jochen Neerpasch (GER), the founder of BMW Motorsport GmbH and
the BMW Junior team, the members of the first BMW Junior team from
1977, Eddie Cheever (USA) and Marc Surer (SUI), the BMW Motorsport
Junior of the Year 2014, Jesse Krohn (FIN), and the current BMW
Motorsport Juniors Ricky Collard (GBR), Mikkel Jensen (DEN), Dennis
Marschall, (GER), Nico Menzel (GER) and Beitske Visser (NED) were all present.
See here for the highlights video with historic racing scenes: https://youtu.be/01F7HsG0VZI.
See here for an interview with Jens Marquardt and Jochen Neerpasch:
https://youtu.be/Ne4GOuvVZ90.
Statements from former and current Juniors from the round table.
Eddie Cheever, BMW Junior 1977:
“It was Jochen Neerpasch and the BMW Junior Team that really got my
career going. It was my first opportunity to race under professional
conditions. Back then there was nothing anywhere in the world that
could have been compared with the BMW Motorsport talent promotion
programme. I came to this anniversary event to thank Mr. Neerpasch and BMW.”
“You were all selected for the current BMW Motorsport Junior
Programme based on your talent and determination. That means you
already have an advantage over everyone who is not part of the
programme. Learn from winners who are slightly better than you at what
they do.”
Marc Surer, BMW Junior 1977:
“If I hadn’t been included in the BMW Junior team, I wouldn’t have
been able to pursue a career in motorsport back then. The good thing
about those days was that we were totally free to drive without any
restrictions. We might have driven into each other’s cars at times,
but we had freedom nonetheless.”
“You are much better prepared for racing these days than we were back
then. If only because you start at a much younger age. Then there are
the simulators that we didn’t have back then.”
Jesse Krohn, BMW Motorsport Junior of the Year 2014:
“I would love to have been a racing driver in the 70s and 80s. Back
then there was no ABS and no traction control. There was just the
driver and his car.”
Ricky Collard, BMW Motorsport Junior 2017:
“The current Junior programme is the most important step in all of
our careers. Personally, I can say without a doubt that I wouldn’t
still be racing without the support from BMW.”
Mikkel Jensen, BMW Motorsport Junior 2017:
“BMW Motorsport works in collaboration with Formula Medicine. That
gives us the opportunity to learn mental training techniques in
addition to physical training. That really helps with preparing for races.”
Dennis Marschall, BMW Motorsport Junior 2017:
“Teamwork plays a major role in GT racing and thereby also in the BMW
Motorsport Junior Programme. When you share the cockpit with another
driver, you need to remember to hand over a good car with good tyres.
You can’t be egotistical.”
Nico Menzel, BMW Motorsport Junior 2017:
“Some of the young drivers today have lost respect for the danger of
getting injured in a race car. Safety aside, you need to remind
yourself of the dangers as a driver.”
Beitske Visser, BMW Motorsport Junior 2017:
“Simulator training is part of everyday life for us these days, and
is also part of our training. The advantage of this is that you can
try out things that would be too risky in real life. You would never
risk having an accident on the track to try out a potentially faster
line but you can do that in the simulator.”
See here for a video compilation of the best statements from the
round table: https://youtu.be/hfQ1dLkf7NE.
Overview of the history of the BMW Motorsport talent promotion programme:
1977: The BMW Junior Team.
Four decades ago, in 1977, initiated by the managing director Jochen
Neerpasch, BMW Motorsport GmbH founded the BMW Junior Team. It was the
first time in German car racing that a works team had introduced a
team entirely consisting of juniors. The first generation of BMW
Juniors in 1977 were Marc Surer, Manfred Winkelhock and Eddie Cheever.
With their race car, a BMW 320i modified for group 5, they contested
the German Racing Championship to prepare the BMW Junior Team for
entering the one-make world championship in the future.
1978 – 1982: Formula 2.
The relaxation of the Formula 2 engine regulations in 1973 made the
sport more appealing to an increased number of manufacturers,
including BMW. With development in the following years, the BMW
four-cylinder engine became the benchmark. From 1978 onwards, BMW
Juniors also competed in Formula 2. By 1982 drivers with BMW engines
had won the European championship a further five times. All of the
drivers eventually progressed to Formula 1, which usually incorporated
Formula 2 races as part of its weekends.
1991 –
2001: The “First” Formula BMW.
In 1991 BMW and the ADAC joined forces to develop talent. Numerous
racing drivers started their careers there. In the debut year of this
partnership, Christian Abt won the overall title and the following
year Alexander Grau lifted the trophy. The main objective of the
competition was to create a level playing field for drivers and teams
with a suitable budget, while adhering to all safety regulations.
Successful graduates of the driving school include former Formula 1
driver Ralf Schumacher, who made his debut in Formula Junior in 1992,
and Christian Klien. The final title holder, in 2001, was Timo Glock,
who now drives for BMW’s DTM team. “I was lucky to benefit from BMW
Motorsport’s talent promotion programme,” said Glock. “As such, BMW
was instrumental in the way my motorsport career panned out.”
2002 –
2010: The “Second” Formula BMW.
For many years Formula BMW was the world leader in entry level
formula motor racing. The series took place in Germany, Great Britain,
Asia, and the USA. At the early age of 15, junior drivers were able to
make their mark in motor racing in FB02s, state-of-the-art identical
cars. The talented young drivers proved themselves time and time again
within the Formula 1 framework. All of the series comprised a diverse
training and coaching programme, as well as the development of
promising new talent. The most famous graduate of this elite
establishment is four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel.
“When I was a young racing driver, I was fortunate enough to be
supported by BMW and Red Bull,” said Vettel. “Without that support, I
would possibly never have made it into Formula 1. I am very grateful
for that time, and look back fondly upon it.” Further well-known
graduates were Nico Rosberg, Nico Hülkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo and
Marco Wittmann. From 2005 to 2008 there was an annual Formula BMW
World Final, in which junior drivers from the four regional Formula
BMW series competed against each other. Between 2008 and 2010 there
also was Formula BMW Europe.
2011 – 2013: Formula BMW Talent Cup.
The Formula BMW Talent Cup took place over three seasons. In this
educational series, BMW Motorsport systematically introduced talented
junior drivers to the requirements of professional motorsport. Driver
coaches and race engineers supervised the participants in small groups
and worked on everything from individual style of driving through to
complete set-up. In 2011 Stefan Wackerbauer was the first overall
winner, and in 2012 Marvin Dienst secured the top spot at the final in
Oschersleben. Robin Hansson of Sweden triumphed in the third season,
in 2013.
From 2014: BMW Motorsport Junior Programme.
Successful graduates are given the opportunity to take the next steps
in their development as GT racing drivers at BMW Motorsport. The focus
is on GT and touring car drivers who already have some race
experience. Outings with the BMW M4 GT4, which replaces the BMW M235i
Racing as the starter car for the juniors, are an integral part of the
comprehensive training programme. The juniors are also involved in the
car’s development programme. They could also appear in the BMW M6 GT3.
As well as race starts and test drives, intensive theory courses
dealing with fitness and PR are planned, as are mental and simulator
training. As “BMW Motorsport Junior of the Year 2014”, Jesse Krohn has
completed the entire programme with success and is now part of the
permanent driver line-up for BMW Motorsport in the GT sector.