» Sauber finally applies to drop ‘BMW’ moniker

The Sauber team is finally set to drop the ‘BMW’ moniker from its official entry title.

Although the German car manufacturer withdrew completely from F1 at the end of 2009, the team repurchased by former owner Peter Sauber retained the ‘BMW’ name in the title, it was believed, to not jeopardise its entitlement to the commercial and freight rewards under the terms of the Concorde Agreement to which it was entitled for finishing sixth in last year’s Constructors’ Championship.

The situation to-date has meant that the team has borne the awkward title of ‘BMW Sauber Ferrari’ by dint of its use of a ~~very unreliable~~ customer Ferrari engine.

Would it not be logical to also guess that BMW has requested the removal of their name from the official entry title as a result of the team’s woeful season to-date?

The team ran at the beginning of the season with ‘BMW Sauber Ferrari’ clearly displayed along the flanks and engine cover of the C29, but has lately run with a red ‘S’ Sauber logo and Sauber Motorsport branding.

Germany’s motorsport-total.com is reporting that the F1 Commission met on Monday, and Sauber lodged the official request with its members – who include key F1 stakeholders such as Formula One Management (FOM), fellow team principals, promoters and principal sponsors – to request the name change.

The next step is to have the name change approved by the World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday, and finally, approval from the sport’s governing body, the FIA.

Let’s hope that common sense prevails and the team is duly afforded a name change!