It was positioned at the bottom of the motorsport career ladder alongside the longer established Formula Ford category.

Selected competitors from each series meet in the World Final at the end of each season, with the promise of a Formula One test for the winner.

BMW returned to the junior categories in Germany in 1991, as the engine supplier to the Formula ADAC championship.

The centres provided courses in race driving, chassis setup, fitness and nutrition, media management, and sponsorship searching.

[13][14] BMW also provided an annual scholarship for five young drivers in each championship, between the ages of fifteen and eighteen, who were chosen through a selection process.

Control formulae normally have only one chassis specification, one engine, and single suppliers of tires and fuel.

In the case of Formula BMW, tuning is restricted to basic adjustment of the gear ratios, suspension, brake balance, and wing angles.

[20] DesignworksUSA, a subsidiary of BMW, led the design of the car in cooperation with the French chassis constructor Mygale, which was responsible for production.

During the season, teams and drivers are primarily limited to a small number of official test days, the cost of which is reimbursed by the series organisers.

On-board data-loggers are used to monitor each team's on-track activity between race weekends, and illegal running is likely to incur a fine or suspension.

[23] Each chassis is subject to safety inspections by the scrutineers, and may be replaced only if it is deemed necessary due to irreparable accident damage.

During this lap, the drivers must maintain position and not perform dangerous actions such as brake-testing, excessive weaving, and practice starts.

[29] Each weekend begins with a 40-minute free practice session, except at events that support a Formula One Grand Prix, where the schedule is subject to change.

[30] Each race must cover a minimum distance of 60 km (37.5 mi), with that figure determining the number of laps according to the length of the circuit.

The 2005 championship was decided in an appeal court, which penalised Switzerland's Sebastian Buemi with a 60-second penalty for a driving infringement.

The series raced for three years before being axed at the end of the 2010 season, in favour of the new Formula BMW Talent Cup, which started in 2011.

Events have been held at Sepang in Malaysia; Bira in Thailand; Sentul in Indonesia; and Shanghai, Zhuhai, Beijing in China, Macau and Singapore.

The series was sanctioned by IMSA, and it has appeared on the support bill for ALMS, Champ Car, Grand-Am, Indy Racing League and Formula One events.

[41] The 2007 BMW USA champion was the previous season's Rookie of the Year, Daniel Morad of Canada, who secured the title with six wins.

[43] Former Formula One and Indycar champion Nigel Mansell became involved as an ambassador for the series after his sons, Leo and Greg, began their single seater careers in the championship in 2006.

In 2005, a special Formula BMW invitational event was held as part of the Race of Champions at the Stade de France in Paris.

Wickens, of Canada, was the 2005 Rookie of the Year in the US, and was up against the champions from the other series, but showed his potential by winning the event.