Austria BMW F1 engine test

BMW F1 Engine Test in Zeltweg, Austria

From October 5 through 8, BMW will be testing the F1 racing engine designed and built in Munich, on the A1 Ring in Zeltweg, Austria. This will be the first test of the engine on one of the current Grand Prix circuits. In all, the technical basis for BMW's future racing engine will be tested for four days in the white-and-blue styled test car.

A Formula 1 racing car with a BMW power unit at the rear was already driven for the first time half a year ago after a break of no less than 12 years in BMW Formula 1 racing. Ever since this initial roll-out on BMW's own test track in Miramas (southern France), using a preliminary version of the current V10 power unit, BMW's engineers have been conducting a thorough development and test program. Particularly, function and endurance tests have been conducted since April on the three-km BMW track in Miramas, using various development stages of the F1 power unit. The V10 engine in its current stage of development provides the foundation for the racing engine which will take BMW back into Formula 1 in the year 2000 together with Williams F1.

Development of the Formula 1 power unit is now entering the decisive phase. While the test drives in Miramas and on BMW's test rigs in Munich remain satisfactory, ongoing development of the engine will also be based on the know-how gained on real-life race tracks. Initially, of course, the focus will not be on lap times, but on further function tests.

To start the series of tests on original race tracks, BMW has chosen the approximately 4.5-km-long high-speed track in the Austrian province of Steiermark. Further tests on other European race tracks will follow.