BMW and Their Biggest Blunder 

Kubica may not have won the championship in 2008, but he should have been given the best opportunity possible. Even as the car became less competitive, he was able to pull the maximum out of it

Robert Kubica's F1 career is the biggest "What if" in Formula 1.

I still haven’t gotten over what BMW did to Kubica in 2008 tbh. Thank you for telling one of my favourite (and subsequently least favourite) stories in all of F1 history.

Great Scheckter analogy. Kubica would've been a fitting champion, he was on a mad one in 2008

Great stuff. Robert’s story is tragic and heroic in equal measures. That he could return to drive an F1 car with limited function in his dominant arm is a testament to his immense talent

How on earth did Kubica take his championship challenge to China in 2008, that was really imrpressive

BMW's story is equal to a team qualifying for the Champions League but then sacrificing the Chamions League to qualify for the Champions League in the League itself. Once you have the chance, you have to go for it. Otherwise there is absolutely no point in competing

2009 BMW Sauber was a massive failure, and I believe their exit influenced Toyota’s decision to pull out at the end of the season. Which coincidentally ended up with Kobayashi in a Sauber seat for 2010.

Someone get Netflix on the phone and give this man a deal for a docu series. The commentary is 10/10 mate, amazing content.

Amazing video...i kinda wish Brawn GP didnt happen...Toyota and BMW could have fought for the title and maybe stayed ...but we lost them and we might never get them back ,and mostly i wish they listened to Robert in 2008...great driver , truly the meaning of underrated

Mike Krack (Aston Martin team principal) just told in the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast that Kubica is the best driver he's ever seen. If he only hadn't gone rallying in 2011

Another great vid, I was too young to understand this when I watched this season with my dad. I think being British as well this narrative wasn't really covered of BMW scuppers world championship, because it was of course a great success story for Lewis. Having seen this about Kubica though it is sad he never got another chance in a fast car

There is a lot to talk about here. I actually got a book when I was very young that talked about BMWs history and I have fond memories of watching the 2007-2009 seasons so this video felt very nostalgic. Speaking of which, a lot of the BMWs in this video had very nice looking liveries and I really liked the BMW Sauber livery. It is a shame that Kubica wasn't able to fulfil his true potential due to the second half of 2008 and that rallying accident since with the right machinery, he could compete very close to Hamilton and Massa. It was sad to see BMW leave F1 since they had a lot of potential since their engines were really competitive when they didn't blow up and they seemed to iron out most of those reliability issues during 2008. Plus, they seemed a lot more competent than Honda and Toyota. That mistake with 2008 was very unfortunate and it is a big what if if they decided to throw everything they had kind of like what Red Bull did in 2021. Unrelated but, the star of your first video went on to win his 80th WRC rally and even though it was kind of lucky win it was great to see him on top again as well as M Sport being back to winning ways in their all new car.

“They rejoiced as they finally got to use their ‘A Pole on Poll’ line they had been workshopping for several weeks.” Lmao🤣. Loved that bit about that hackneyed line.

I binged your channel, quality stuff, and decided this would be the last video, because as big of a BMW fan I was, I knew it was still going to be painful almost a decade later.

Heartbreaking realization we could've had Kubica among the WDCs if BMW only made a few different decisions on those key 2007-2008 seasons...

Amazing video, I'm surprised by how small your channel is. The HHF video showed up on my start page today and I have consumed way more of your content than I intended for today, hope to see more in the not so distant future. The 2008 grand strategy of BMW makes me sad, considering that they had everything they needed to compete for the championship. They had the car and the drivers to at least make it an interesting fight for both championships. The focus often lies on Kubica, rightfully so because the big what-if is him becoming world champion (young me would've loved that), but I think it is useful to not forget Heidfeld when telling this story (I don't think you forgot him).

Oh and let’s not forget about BMW Sauber trying to change a car Kubica was thriving in to suit Heidfeld rather than backing their best driver. Kubica’s luck in 2007 was insanely frustrating. Massa had equally bad luck in ‘08.

Even though F1 exploded with popularity in Poland during Kubica's first stint I don't think many fans fully realized what was potentially on the cards with the championship that year and what the decisions taken meant as a result. For those of us who did the pain is still brutal and raw especially after the accident.

Great video! I missed the late 2000s in F1...this really helps me gather the atmosphere and flow of it. Keep up the good work!

I'm loving all your in-depth videos! Can you do one on Michael Andretti in 1993? CART champion, incredible hype, then totally out of his depth when compared to Senna. Got a podium in Monza and unceremoniously sacked the next race for Mika Hakkinen. Would be great to see it get your treatment!

Very good and enjoyable documentary of BMW's history in F1 ....majoring on their ill fated 2008 season .... Superb stuff ..your content is amongst the best F1 channels on RU-vid...keep it up !!!

incredible content. attention to detail is superb. love your channel and I really appreciate the effort you made producing them.

Maybe it's just me, but I would prefer for BMW to come back than for Audi to buy out Sauber, there's just something about BMW that makes me think that they would be better. Here in Poland we're still sad at what could've been if BMW hadn't stopped upgrading the 2008 car or what could've happened if Kubica did start in that rally.

Your channel really is one of the best on F1. The topics you choose are unique and are well researched and presented in a no gimmick format. Really hope you continue to grow👍

When the fruit is ripe you have to harvest it. Robert earned a fair shot at the title and BMW took it away from him.

Brilliant video! I started watching F1 in 2015 and although I've watched a few races and season reviews from the 2000s, this has by far been the most entertaining and given me a lot of knowledge. Respect!

Note keeping the name Sauber had nothing to do with honouring Sauber's racing heritage, it was done to keep the prize money Sauber had won the previous year as the team would have been considered a new entry otherwise and not liable for the money. This is the same reason why Sauber kept the BMW name the year after BMW sold the team.

Your videos are just AWESOME! the histories you pick, the details, calm voice, perfect pictures! I like especially that you focus on chronological order which makes it easy to understand performance of teams and drivers in the whole year and compare them. Keep up the great work, can‘t wait for more! Netflix should hire you for a series of F1 documentaries!

Ah 2008, The year I got my first car. A classic 90s Bmw, in a house that only drove BMWs. Where with great hopes of my favorite driver, Kimi, and favorite team, BMW, and thoughts of which of them would sit at the end of the year on top. Just to get reminded that you don't get what you want. You get what you f%$king deserve. I still think the F108 is the best looking F1 car ever.

Kubica never won a championship, but he achieved something greater. He returned to the f1 grid after an injury that has almost taken his life and continued racing. There is no doubt in my mind that he would have won a championship, BMW or not.

dude, this channel is amazing, it’s only a matter of time before u really blow up!! Serious!!!

Casuals don’t understand the rich history of F1 since they can’t seem to look at anything prior to 2016 or whenever that stupid DTS show came out. They will never know or appreciate hearing the roaring BMW of days past and just how underrated they really were. As one-eyed Ferrari fan since as early as i can recall, I had a soft spot for BMW. I still remember watching Ralf and JP giving us a real run for our money in 2003, they had such potential but it got away. Great video

Just to understand how mad of a lad Rob was, after his accident, he went on to win the 2013 WRC2 championship...the more you think about it, the more you wonder what would he do if he never had that damn crash

I would argue BMW's biggest blunder has been their move away from driver focused cars at a relatively attainable price (and attractive design), and go all in on luxury and unwanted tech... 😏

This is spectacular work!

Forgot to mention how good Villeneuve was running at the USGP in 06 before his engine exploded. Likely would have finished 5th or 6th.

Awesome documentary. Definitely deserves more views. A story of how corporate culture and their ways ruin everything. I'd say current BMW has already ruined themselves in a chase for a Tesla crowd.

Great video...lots of research and very interesting.

I got a BMW ad during the video! Perfect placement.

Robert and quick nick most underrated duo in f1 in the 00s

I think one of the key aspects to their success in 2007 and 08 was their superb line-up. Both Heidfeld and Kubica were very strong drivers that excelled in many aspects giving them a pretty solid chance every race. Although Kubica was the all-around better driver, especially in raw speed, Heidfeld was probably if not the best, on of the best in strategy and awareness of the grid around those years. If any of the championship contenders in both McLaren and Ferrari had the same mentality (around that time of course, Lewis and Alonso nowadays are amazing in the strategy part) the championships probably wouldn't have been so tight. I am very glad that BMW-Sauber is an integral part of my "coming of age" with F1, as it was around 06 and 07 that I started fully comprehending what was going on, when I was about 8. I have fond memories of Barrichello at Ferrari (I am Brazilian) and I absolutely loved the colours of the McLaren so that was a great time to be a fan, but I truly appreciate that teams like BMW were around and being very successful, those were very good seasons to watch. Also, as my father has always been a big fan of German engeniering, BMW was his favorite team around the time and he was almost as hyped with the 2009 possibilities as with Massa's title challenge in 2008. Needless to say he was very excited with Mercedes entry some years later.

Really enjoyed this

I still cry for Nick.. he should've at least won a race 😭😭😭

BTW, JV has hated Kubica ever since he took his seat. Kubica will forever be one of my saddest and most frustrating what-ifs.

4:09 don't forget they won the 1994 Constructors Championship

Really enjoyed watching the video. I would like to see another one like this but for a different team maybe toyota

[ 26:36 ] _"slamming into the back of Hamilton but escaping with just a broken nose."_ Listening to just the audio, this snatched my full attention! 😱. _"Just"_ a broken nose?!?? . . . _"Escaped?!??"_ 😨. Then I realised.. of the _car!_ 😳🤦. Phew! You're a great story teller and detailed historian! 🙌. Love the dry humour you throw in so effortlessly too! 😄. ( I hope you're still with your girlfriend and you learned to appreciate High School Musical marathons 🏫📚🎵🎼🧑‍🎓 ).

Hello @themobliechicane, Great video. I find it really interesting and informative myself and I think that you’ve got great potential to grow. However If I was you, and I’m not so take it with a pinch of salt 😊, I would limit myself to the factual, informative story telling of the great story’s that our sport gives us. Keep up the great work. I really enjoy your videos they remind me of the “bring back v10 podcasts” but then in video form. Perhaps I’ve got a few video ideas for you as well: 1. Alessi 1991 contract saga, Williams & Ferrari 2. Lotus and Herbert almost winning at Monza in 1994 3. Mansell’s terrible 1995 with McLaren 4. Panis and Prost GP in 1997 5. How banneton dropped the ball after 1995

That Kubica smash is second only to the one that killed Ratzenberger in my 30 years of watching F1…and there have been three fatalities in that time…he was INCREDIBLY lucky to even survive that crash, nevermind race again…

we want a smiliar video on toyota f1

Excellent , subbed

Haha!! The big nose on the left at 00:28 is mine!!

The Gordon Murray Brabham is still the best looking of all post 1970 F1 cars to date.

Oh how hindsight is wonderful! If they had only known in 2008 what would happen in 2009...

Nice video !

Do you have any information about the time other teams started development on the 2009 cars? Because it might be that BMW left it late or wanted to have a head start on 2009 regs, and honestly either reason works for me

9:01 and this is why me considers the current Alfa Romeo branding a scar on both parts involved, deserved by none of the two

Kubica, a great achievement and a great fail shortly after. He was like a diamond among the ordinary glass trinkets, meaning young talented F1 candidates. Great shame, but... other Polish drivers are on the way!

Racing-wise, those years were pretty dire. But there's a lot of neat stories from the time.

Do a video on Ralf Schumacher please!

Kubica was one hell of a driver. He would would have won at least one WDC had it not been for his accident.

You should make a video about the Brabham BT55

When you have a chance to win the title this year, why would you focus on next year just to maybe have a chance?

amazingly stupid decision in 2008 by BMW, as you rightly point out F1 history is litered with stories of 'window of opportunity'. Its all about seizing the moment - if you have a strong package this year then go for it for there is no guarantee you will next year - or ever again for that matter. Has to be up there as one of the siliest corprorate decisions in motorsport history

I think TOYOTA F1 took inspiration from South Park for their venture ... (Underpants Gnome) "Phase 1: Collect underpants, Phase 2: -- , Phase 3: Profit"

Great!

The BMW decision kinda stands out, and has become one of those iconic F1 history what-ifs - but mostly because Kubica kept going on about it. All teams were on similar strategies in 2008, ie. Ferrari used some random development driver (Michael Schumacher or something) to develop the 2009 car, Williams was all-aboard the KERS train, and so on. McLaren meanwhile threw somewhat less resources into 2009, and it sorta cost them their works-deal and got them a crap car, something they ultimately never recovered from ... ... I also find it questionable whether BMW really had the capacity to win the title in 2008. As the summary points out, part of Kubica's early lead was somewhat circumstantial, not necessarily because he had the best car. And it's ultimately unclear what further development could have done for that against Ferrari and McLaren. Sure, in light of BMW bowing out in 2009, no question, might as well have thrown everything at the 2008 car. But they were planning to head into a new era of regulations. I wouldn't call this thinking so much "rigid" as a tough one for any team, and up and down the paddock every single one made compromises one way or another. BMW perhaps chose wrongly ... or perhaps it wouldn't have changed anything anyway.

Pagers, the 90's equivalent was pagers 😅

Well there is somehow the planned F1 entry in the early 90´s missing. Also the engine was redesigned for the 01 season.

It was impossible for bmw to win the championship in an era when the FIA-Ferrari cartel reigned supreme. And not to forget the mobile chicane that would always be the second driver for ferrari. 100% bigger budgets for ferrari compared to the other teams and unlimited testing when other teams than ferrari had a limited number of tests per year. The "reign" of schumacher at this time can only be compared in terms of annoyance to what we live today with fake overtaking and tracks with more gaps than curves.Even today in 2022, I don't know how in 2009 BrownGP managed without sponsors to do a full season. Maybe Mercedes has something to do with that?

Kubica was a greater waste of potential than BMW ever was.

[ if I listen at 0,75% of speed, my brain can process all words by the narrator :]

Toyota F1 makes any other F1 team failures into a no big deal lol

I’ve always argued looking back at this season that Kubica was the best driver in 2008. Both Massa and Hamilton made several errors (I’d argue Hamilton’s rookie season where he lost the title at the end was better than his first title season) , and Raikkonen didn’t appear as motivated after winning the title in 2007. And given how poor the BMW was in 2009 where it was still behind Ferrari and McLaren performance wise despite focusing more on the 2009 season over those 2 teams that were fighting to the end of 2008, it was a missed opportunity

26:45 THANKS finally somebody talks about the fact that Rosberg did the exact same shit then Hamilton did

I’m assuming this going to be about BMW Sauber not developing the car after their Canada win despite RK in a strong position to win the WDC. One of the most ridiculous decisions ever. BMW were always clueless as a manufacturer and shitty as a partner. I say this as someone who races vintage BMWs, has five of them and had such high hopes for Williams BMW and BMW Sauber. And Kubica was my favorite F1 driver. Still makes me makes me sad to think of him losing his hand just after signing to race for Ferrari.

This sounds like drachnifil 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Polish people: Fuck this, I'm not watching that. Too much pain :((((

26:30 🙂🙂🙂 nothing makes me happier than to see the crybaby get discouraged and wreck his car.

this story is so incedibly sad

JV outqualified NH and he outqualified KUB that season. I haven't ever undestrood the hype around Kubica.

4:08 and 1994. Williams beat Benetton

The real epilogue was the 2010 season when the constructor official name was "BMW Sauber - Ferrari' Sounded like a dream team, but.... Nah!

BMW failed in 2008. They could’ve possibly won both titles if they kept developing the cars

Saddly in Poland Kubica is known as a lack of skill failure driver. Same level with Polish national football team(patałachy zasrane za darmo powinni cuda robić) Poor, poor ignorant people. Kubica MASTER

00:58 BMW is one *most successful F1* engine providers -- what kind of math and logic is that?

BMW deserved better

Nick and Robert in that sauber was a machine that could have easily dominated

BMW should've been barred from F1 for an eternity, for what they did to Kubica. Could he have won the 2008 title if R&D wasn't switched up to their relative total abortion of a 2009 challenger? Absolutely, yes.

Actually the BMW engine was very reliable and very fuel efficient. But it fucked up its gearboxes because it was way too powerful. And it had problems with drivability.

Biggest blunder was hiring Bangle.

As far as I am concerned, certain key personnel at the top of BMW, notably, Mario Theissen et al, you failed because of damn ego and major short sighted effort. The way BMW treated Frank Williams and Williams GP was disgusting to say the least. It was Williams that built a reliable Le Mans car to hand you a major but yet still, your gaslighting efforts done you no real solutions. To this day, BMW may never ever win a world championship as a Formula One constructor like Mercedes Benz AMG.

Aaah… typical German.

Kubiça is the single most overrated driver in f1 history. 27:29 That was a result of team orders, as a win put Kubiça leading the drivers and a 1-2 put BMW leading the constructors.

Cars were a mess in 2008.

A real shame how Kubica is remembered as the leader of BMW due to that very oportunistic Canadian GP win. Heidfeld outscored him in those few 2006 races they were teammates, clearly outscored Kubica in 2007 and squeezed more points than Robert in that piece of shit 2009 car. Heidfeld was constantly the faster more reliable driver, while the world remembers a handful of solid races Kubica had. In 2008 it wasnt all about giving up development, for the whole season BMW had some weird ass strategies, and Heidfeld seemed to be at the worse end of it every time. Kubica was a remarcable driver especialy that season, but over the short lifespan of BMW Sauber, it was Heidfeld that scored the most points for the team, and was constantly the better driver in the standings, only for his efforts to be forgotten in the shadow of a race win decided by lets be real, team orders. BMW Sauber were stiff in their mindset but as said in the video, they were far from a bad operation (like Toyota or Honda). Had the recession not happened, or had they somehow managed to squeeze more performance out of that dogshit embarrassment that was the F1.09, the what could have beens in the 2010s for BMW Sauber become interesting. Especially with seasons like 2010 and 2012 being as we know them.