In 1991 he was made head of Product Concepts at BMW and a year later became Director of Advanced Drivetrain Development.

[2] BMW entered Formula One supplying turbo engines to Brabham in the 1980s, and Nelson Piquet became world champion with that car in 1983.

While achieving notable successes, such as a strong championship challenge in 2003, the relationship between team and engine maker began to deteriorate.

In 2007 the BMW Sauber team finished 2nd in the World Constructors Championship after McLaren-Mercedes were excluded following a spying episode.

In the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix Robert Kubica led Nick Heidfeld to finish first and second, giving BMW its first victory as a constructor.