PressClub Portugal · Article.
Jochen Neerpasch on the BMW Junior Team: “Learn together to improve together”.
Mon Jun 15 17:24:38 CEST 2020 Informação à Imprensa
With the prospect of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) kicking off its season at the end of June, preparations for the first race outing of the BMW Junior Team are picking up speed again. Current situation permitting, the Juniors will get their first race laps on the Nordschleife under their belt on 27th June. One keen observer will be Jochen Neerpasch.
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Joao Trincheiras
BMW Group
Munich. With the prospect of the Nürburgring Endurance Series
(NLS) kicking off its season at the end of June, preparations for
the first race outing of the BMW Junior Team are picking up speed
again. Current situation permitting, the Juniors will get their
first race laps on the Nordschleife under their belt on
27th June. One keen observer will be Jochen Neerpasch.
The first Managing Director of BMW Motorsport GmbH and the BMW
Junior Team is supporting the current crop of Juniors – Dan Harper
(GBR), Max Hesse (GER) and Neil Verhagen (USA) – as a mentor. In an
interview, he compares their current situation with the
prerequisites of the legendary first BMW Junior Team back in 1977.
Video clips on Jochen Neerpasch and the BMW Junior Team:
Jochen Neerpasch on the beginnings of BMW youth development:
https://b.mw/junior_team_YT
Jochen Neerpasch on the founding of BMW Motorsport GmbH:
https://b.mw/History_of_M.
The BMW Junior Team on working with Jochen Neerpasch:
https://b.mw/Jochen_Neerpasch.
Mr Neerpasch, you have shaped the history of BMW Motorsport
for many years since 1972. You have now breathed new life into the
idea of the BMW Junior Team. How did that come about?
Jochen Neerpasch: “BMW Motorsport came to me and
asked me to help them develop a new prioritisation for youth
development. I then suggested going back to supporting a BMW Junior
Team. After all, BMW had succeeded in bringing through some very
successful, talented youngsters in recent decades – but always individually.”
Why does team spirit play such a key role for you?
Neerpasch: “As a team, you see more, experience more,
chat to each other, and help one another. That was clear for all to
see with the first BMW Junior Team in 1977, and it plays an even
bigger role now, as the Juniors will share a car in the endurance
races on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. They must learn together, to
improve together. That way, they will develop far faster than if each
were to work alone.”
Why did you decide on Dan Harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen?
Neerpasch: “We looked for drivers who have improved
continuously in their respective classes. They had to have been in the
top third in each category they raced in. Furthermore, it was
important to us to assemble a team of international drivers with
different cultural backgrounds and characters. They should complement
each other and learn from one another.”
For comparison, how was the original BMW Junior Team selected
in 1977?
Neerpasch: “It was basically the same system. Eddie
Cheever, Marc Surer and Manfred Winkelhock were among the most
promising young drivers in various categories at that time – and they
too were an international team with different characters. In their
case, you could see how well they worked as a team and how much faster
they developed as a result. Based on this experience, we took a very
similar approach when putting together today’s BMW Junior Team.”
Back then, Cheever, Surer and Winkelhock were renowned for
their aggressive driving style. However, you did not try to stop
them. Why not?
Neerpasch: “Because that was the philosophy. They
should drive freely. Back then, we even let them take on our
experienced drivers in the German Motor Racing Championship – first to
learn from them, then to challenge them. Our approach was not to win
the title with the BMW Junior Team, but to develop the talented
youngsters. That is how we will handle matters with the current BMW
Junior Team too.”
Are you still in touch with Eddie Cheever and Marc Surer?
Neerpasch: “Yes, absolutely. More than just in touch:
I am sure that we will meet more regularly again as soon as possible.
They are both intrigued to meet their successors, and to watch them at
the racetrack.”
How did you come up with the idea of supporting young racing
drivers in particular?
Neerpasch: “When I used to enter races myself in the
1960s, motorsport was not regarded as a sport. As such, a racing
driver was not seen as an athlete, but a driver. The car did all the
work. Accordingly, the drivers at the time were not as well prepared
physically for the exertions. I focussed on this point as head of
racing, after my active career. I wanted to place the emphasis on the
combination of man and machine, and to support the racing drivers in
their preparation. Back then, I was already convinced that the best
car is worth nothing, if the driver is unable to exploit its full
potential. BMW was the first manufacturer to professionally prepare
drivers for races.”
How has motor racing changed in recent decades, from a
driver’s perspective?
Neerpasch: “The demands placed on a racing driver
today are completely different to my time. Back then, driving a racing
car was more of an adventure, because there were next to no technical
aids. The driver was all by himself in the car, and was only able to
give the engineer any feedback on the way the car was handling once he
returned to the garage. Nowadays, some of the technology is more
advanced than the driver and even tells him how to react in certain
situations. This means that other skills are required of today’s
racing drivers. The sensors he has to use, in order to get the best
out of himself and his car, are something completely different. You
obviously need special training methods to train this – such as the
wholistic mental and fitness training concept at Formula Medicine, for example.”
At the time of the first BMW Junior Team, you were head of BMW
Motorsport GmbH. What do you remember from that time?
Neerpasch: “As early as the end of the 1960, Ford
approached me and asked me to join their management as head of racing.
As I was at the peak of my career as a racing driver at that time,
that was one of the toughest decisions I have ever made. However, I
decided to take them up on their offer, and never regretted doing so.
I single-handedly built up a specific racing department there, and
when we started to beat the BMW coupes of that time with our Ford
Capri, the BMW sales director asked me to come to Munich at the start
of 1972. I signed my contract a few months later. BMW wanted to
reorganise its motorsport commitment. Based on my experience at Ford,
I requested a flexible organisation from the outset. There had to be a
separate motorsport department, which built the racing cars and then,
based on these cars, developed high-performance and sporty cars for
the streets, with which it would be possible to make money. We got
cracking in May 1972 and first developed the BMW 3.0 CSL, which went
on to become the most successful touring car over the following years.
Generally speaking, BMW Motorsport GmbH developed very quickly. That
was the best time of my career.”
How do you look back now on the project you started back then?
Neerpasch: “I am very proud to see what has become of
BMW M GmbH. They build fantastic cars, which are perfect for both the
racetrack and the road.”
One of the icons of BMW M GmbH, and probably your biggest
project, was the BMW M1, wasn’t it?
Neerpasch: “The BMW M1 was definitely the highlight
of my time at BMW. The project was not only big, but also tough. The
idea was not to transform a road car into a racing car, as had been
the way up to then, but to develop a racing car and then derive a road
version from it. As it was not possible to build the BMW M1 in the BMW
plant, we at BMW Motorsport GmbH took full responsibility for
development, production and sales. That was a very ambitious project.
Unfortunately, we had many issues with production, which is why we
were unable to get the BMW M1 homologated for motorsport. Together
with Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone, we came up with the idea of
launching the M1 Procar series on the support programme for Formula 1.
The head-to-head battles between Formula 1 stars and established
sports and touring car drivers, in identical cars, were iconic. The
top five Formula 1 drivers always went head to head. Those races in
the BMW M1 were fantastic and real crowd-pullers.”
Do you still drive a BMW M1 now and again these days?
Neerpasch: “I do. The BMW M1 is still fantastic to
drive. I used to have one myself, but sold it at some point. It’s a
shame actually, as it would probably be worth a fortune today.”