BMW pull out of WTCC

[MrMetro]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88576
BMW has announced that it will not enter a factory team in the 2011 World Touring Car Championship, although it will still provide its re-engined 320 TC for customer squads.

In all honesty, I expected this to happen

[Bruce D]

That series is such a waste of time, hopefully Gow can turn it around cos it's really boring. I bought the 2006 WTCC review DVD a few years ago and find it's an excellent cure for insomnia. You'll probably find Chevrolet pulling out now too cos it's pointless them being their on their own.

[MrMetro]

That series is such a waste of time, hopefully Gow can turn it around cos it's really boring. I bought the 2006 WTCC review DVD a few years ago and find it's an excellent cure for insomnia. You'll probably find Chevrolet pulling out now too cos it's pointless them being their on their own.

Volvo have a one car team for 2011 but I think it will stop at that only. Out of the 4 FIA 'world' championships, the WTCC is easily the worst. I think Chevy will want to focus on the BTCC instead....

[Bruce D]

Well I was reading on the BTCC website about their scope of TV coverage worldwide and I was thinking what manufacturer in their right mind wouldn't want to get involved in that rather than the WTCC. The cost is only a fraction, especially with the new cars coming next year but your exposure is great and there is a big pool of talent to choose from. I wouldn't be surprised to see BMW back with a full works team there in a few years time.

[Wasted Talent]

Not a surprise to me either - WTCC has been dying for a few years now

WT

[MrMetro]

Well I was reading on the BTCC website about their scope of TV coverage worldwide and I was thinking what manufacturer in their right mind wouldn't want to get involved in that rather than the WTCC. The cost is only a fraction, especially with the new cars coming next year but your exposure is great and there is a big pool of talent to choose from. I wouldn't be surprised to see BMW back with a full works team there in a few years time.

Indeed. In the UK, the BTCC is broadcast on ITV4, a free-to-air digital channel, but the WTCC is on Eurosport, a subscription channel. As you said, the BTCC is broadcast worldwide, in fact, there was a story on how its being broadcasted on Speed TV in America right now.

MG are considering returning to the BTCC next year with a NGTC. Honda are staying for next season, and its expected Chevrolet are as well.

Good times ahead for the BTCC, but the WTCC...

[philipbain]

Its hardly a shock that BMW have pulled thier final works team out of the WTCC, they have already committed to DTM for 2012 which makes sense, its where they should have been all along, I really can't think what they were doing in WTCC to begin with, there is very little / no overlap between the products of BMW and Seat / Chevy, whereas Audi and Mercedes are their natural competitors. With a new engine formula for next season I expect that the organisers of the WTCC were hoping for more manufacturer interest, instead a manufacturer that supported the 2 litre era of Super 2000 from start to finish despite the best efforts of the rule makers to make life hell for them (such as allowing Seat a massive and frankly unfair advantage for years) finally bow out years after they ought to have done.

So for all you Priaulx maniacs out there BMW say that he and Farfus will be racing GTs next year and I would expect a return to touring cars in DTM in 2012.

[Alfa Fan]

Because when it all started the other 2 teams (ETCC 2002) were Alfa Romeo and Volvo, both much more relevant competitors.

[Allyc85]

One more nail in the coffin for the WTCC!

And people like to slag the BTCC off for not having many factory teams!

[VkmSpouge]

Not a shock really with BMW entering the DTM in 2012, it would never make sense to have them do two separate european-based, international touring car championships.

[MrMetro]

Not a shock really with BMW entering the DTM in 2012, it would never make sense to have them do two separate european-based, international touring car championships.

The DTM is much more suited to BMW's image. They will be racing against their biggest rivals, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Plus, the DTM is actually run in a professional manner (IMO)

[PitMarshal]

I can't see them doing any form of touring car racing in the next few years beyond selling cars to privateers, for the simple fact that the entire NGTC concept in it's various forms is biased in favour of FWD.

[kmchow]

Its hardly a shock that BMW have pulled thier final works team out of the WTCC, they have already committed to DTM for 2012 which makes sense, its where they should have been all along, I really can't think what they were doing in WTCC to begin with, there is very little / no overlap between the products of BMW and Seat / Chevy, whereas Audi and Mercedes are their natural competitors.
However, the WTCC travels to more countries than the DTM does which gives them more bang for the buck. Their presence also helps each country's BMW importer with promotion and events.

I think they should be involved with both. But at least, they're actively building/upgrading cars for sale to privateers which is more than what other makes are doing.

[I am evil Homer]

BMW don't need exposure though...it's not about getting people to know the brand, they already do. I doubt the WTCC sells many more cars for them.

[AndySpeed]

BMW don't need exposure though...it's not about getting people to know the brand, they already do. I doubt the WTCC sells many more cars for them.

It's about brand image though. So people will associate them generally with motorsport, performance and prestige. One year out as a works team probably won't change that, but if they had 50 years out of course it would. Their image in relation to motorsport doesn't change on a yearly basis.

They're just realigning their global motorsport approaches. It doesn't mean to say they'll never be back, or that the DTM won't get any bigger and try to fill the void. (I hope not as the racing is awful).

[MrMetro]

It's about brand image though. So people will associate them generally with motorsport, performance and prestige. One year out as a works team probably won't change that, but if they had 50 years out of course it would. Their image in relation to motorsport doesn't change on a yearly basis.

They're just realigning their global motorsport approaches. It doesn't mean to say they'll never be back, or that the DTM won't get any bigger and try to fill the void. (I hope not as the racing is awful).

IMO, the BMW brand is much more suited to DTM and GT. The brands they face are more important than beating semi-works SEAT's and Chevrolet.

[AndySpeed]

This is possibly true - the BMW M3 E92 is a bit of a stunner:

http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/13263690/s/1

[I am evil Homer]

ALMS and LMS gets them more exposure and positions the brand perfectly. Being messed about by the FIA in WTCC doesn't so they're moving on.

[Daniel]

One more nail in the coffin for the WTCC!

And people like to slag the BTCC off for not having many factory teams!

Can't argue with that anymore!

[Eurotech]

Who would've thought back in 2005 that Chevrolet would be the last factory team standing in the WTCC?

[NaBUru38]

Well I was reading on the BTCC website about their scope of TV coverage worldwide and I was thinking what manufacturer in their right mind wouldn't want to get involved in that rather than the WTCC. The cost is only a fraction, especially with the new cars coming next year but your exposure is great and there is a big pool of talent to choose from. I wouldn't be surprised to see BMW back with a full works team there in a few years time.

Indeed. In the UK, the BTCC is broadcast on ITV4, a free-to-air digital channel, but the WTCC is on Eurosport, a subscription channel. As you said, the BTCC is broadcast worldwide, in fact, there was a story on how its being broadcasted on Speed TV in America right now.

MG are considering returning to the BTCC next year with a NGTC. Honda are staying for next season, and its expected Chevrolet are as well.

Good times ahead for the BTCC, but the WTCC...
Come on, you can't compare DTM or WTCC with a British championship. It has British teams, British drivers and British tracks. Races can be fun to watch, but it can never attract too many spectators from other countries.

[MrMetro]

Come on, you can't compare DTM or WTCC with a British championship. It has British teams, British drivers and British tracks. Races can be fun to watch, but it can never attract too many spectators from other countries.

The tracks that the BTCC visit are better suited to touring car racing, IMO. IMO, the BTCC is more popular than the WTCC.

[MrMetro]

Come on, you can't compare DTM or WTCC with a British championship. It has British teams, British drivers and British tracks. Races can be fun to watch, but it can never attract too many spectators from other countries.

And in all fairness, the DTM series is mainly based in Germany and the racing isn't always that interesting, IMO.