BMW has ruled out any talk that it could reconsider its Formula 1 plans, despite the sport being poised to switch to all-new engine regulations from 2013.
A number of car manufacturers are believed to be evaluating whether the concept for more environmentally friendly power units from 2013 will justify investing in an F1 program. But although BMW is understood to have kept watch over the development of the 2013 regulations, its motorsport director Mario Theissen made it clear at the Macau Grand Prix over the weekend weekend that his company was not contemplating a comeback.
"No. It's not in our cards," he told AUTOSPORT. "There was a clear decision by the board to focus on production car racing in the future, and to put together a strong production car program. This is what we did with the DTM program and future series overseas. We are fully focused on this and it keeps us busy."
When asked if there was anything that F1 could do to make itself attractive to BMW, Theissen said: "I don't see that in the near future, no."