BMW 在今年賽季結束因為財務關係將中止參加F1，將會在週三發佈消息。這個變動是BMW所稱為"里程碑"決議中的一部份，BMW將重新劃分他們的摩托活動。
The news came at a press conference held at the company’s German headquarters in Munich, attended by BMW Sauber team principal Mario Theissen, along with Dr. Norbert Reithofer, the chairman of the BMW board, and Dr. Klaus Draeger, the director for development.
這項消息是由在德國慕尼黑總部舉行的記者會上發佈，主席者有BMW Sauber車隊總管Mario Theissen、同行的有BMW董事會主席Norbert Reithofer博士和發展主管Klaus Draeger博士。
BMW became Formula One entrants in 2006 after taking over the Swiss Sauber team. The company said the decision to withdraw stems from a desire to dedicate more resources to developing new, sustainable road car technologies.
BMW在2006年接手Sauber車隊成為F1參賽者。BMW表示退出F1的原因是要集中資源研發更新、更穩定的市售車技術。
“Of course, this was a difficult decision for us,” explained Reithofer. “But it’s a resolute step in view of our company's strategic realignment. Premium will increasingly be defined in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility. This is an area in which we want to remain in the lead. Our Formula One campaign is thus less a key promoter for us."
"當然這對我們是個艱難的決定"，Reithofer 解釋說，"但是這是一個重新建構我們參賽策略的一步，獎金就是永續經營和環境保護，這是我們想要一直領先的區塊，對F1我們的贊助較小"。
Paying tribute to Theissen’s leadership of BMW Sauber, who finished third in last year’s championship, Reithofer added: “Mario has been in charge of our motorsports program since 1999. We have scored a large number of successes in this period, including some in Formula One racing. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mario Theissen and his team for this.”
說到BMW Sauber車隊在Theissen領導下於去年第三名，在今年則遇到亂流的情形，Reithofer則補充說，"Mario從1999年就主管我們的摩托運動部門，我們在這期間拿下許多的成功，包括一些F1比賽，我想為此對Mario Theissen 和他的車隊表達我衷心的敬意"。
Theissen commented: "Of course, we, the employees in Hinwil and Munich, would all have liked to continue this ambitious campaign and show that this season was just a hiccup following three successful years. But I can understand why this decision was made from a corporate perspective. We will now focus sharply on the remaining races and demonstrate our fighting spirit and put in a good result as we bid farewell to Formula One racing.”
Theissen 評論說"當然我們在Hinwil 和慕尼黑的總部都很想繼續參賽，並且向大家表現今年只是三年成功賽季後的一個飽嗝，但是我能理解從公司的觀點所做的這個決定。我們會繼續專注在其他的賽事，並且展現我們的競賽精神，拿到我們在告別F1前要得到的目標"。
BMW’s original Formula One involvement began in the 1980s as an engine supplier. With Brabham from 1982 to ’85, the company clinched eight Formula One victories and one world title, courtesy of Nelson Piquet in 1983. Following a final win with Benetton in 1986, BMW were absent from F1 competition until 2000 when they began supplying engines to Williams, taking 10 victories over the following five years.
BMW 從1980年代開始以引擎供應商身份參加F1。和Brabham車隊在1982年到1985年合作，拿到八場勝利和一個世界冠軍頭銜，由Nelson Piquet在1983年拿下。自1986年和班尼頓車隊拿下最後一場勝利後，BMW即退出F1直到2000年再以引擎供應商身分和威廉斯車隊合作，在之後五年拿到十場勝利。
In 2006 the company took over the Sauber team and enjoyed a positive first season as a fully-fledged works entry, finishing fifth in the constructors’ championship, with two podium finishes. The team went from strength to strength in 2007, occupying the ‘best of the rest’ slot behind Ferrari and McLaren. Scoring in all 17 races, BMW Sauber eventually finished second in the standings, behind Ferrari.
在2006年BMW接手Sauber車隊，在第一年就像羽翼豐滿的鳥一樣是個成功的一季，製造商排名第五，兩次站上頒獎台。在2007年車隊更進一步，在法拉利車隊和麥拉倫車隊之後，成為非爭冠車隊中最優秀的，在17場比賽中有拿到積分，車隊拿到第二名，只在法拉利後面。
Last year, the team became championship contenders, with driver Robert Kubica clinching the team’s first pole position in Bahrain and then a maiden win at the Canadian Grand Prix. However, they have found the going a lot tougher this season and have scored just eight points to date.
去年車隊成為冠軍挑戰者，Robert Kubica在巴林拿到車隊第一個竿位和加拿大站拿到首勝。無論如何，他們已經發現這個賽季比以往更艱難，到目前只拿到八分。
沒有留言:
張貼留言