In the round-up: The unexpected death of Charly Lamm, who masterminded BMW’s Schnitzer racing programme for years, has shocked the motor racing world.
Charly Lamm
BMW issued the following announcement:
Totally unexpectedly we received the news from the Lamm family that Charly Lamm died on Thursday. Our sincere condolences go to the Lamm family and the Schnitzer family.
It is incredibly difficult to accept that Charly is no longer with us. He had a significant impact on racing at BMW for decades, celebrated major successes with his team, and wowed fans around the world with his unique passion for racing.
Losing him so suddenly is a shock and a tragedy – particularly because Charly was just about to start a brand new chapter of his life. We mourn the loss of a character who was both valued and loved internationally, who will always be closely linked with BMW Motorsport.
Thank you for everything Charly. We will miss you forever.
BMW added that its teams racing in this weekend’s Daytona 24 Hours and Formula E round in Chile “will compete in memory of Charly Lamm”.
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Snapshot
Want to own a full-size Formula 1 car made out of Lego? Renault is auctioning this example based on their 2017 car. The proceeds will go to charity:
Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
I am in total shock and sad beyond belief to hear Charly Lamm has died. He was one of the best people I worked with in my decades in Motorsport. Professional at the track and a wonderful person to enjoy an evening with away from it. My thoughts are with his family RIP 😢
— Ann Bradshaw (@AnnieBWansford) January 25, 2019
What sad news. Farewell Charly, it was a huge honor to have worked for and with you. We lost a great human being.
Long-time Schnitzer BMW boss Lamm dies https://t.co/AVL6d3lf29 via @motorsport— Marco Schuepbach 🏒 (@mschupbach34) January 25, 2019
The loss of Karl ‘Charly’ Lamm leaves an irreplaceable hole in the heart of the entire DTM family. To his wife and family, we offer our deepest condolences. Rest in peace, Charly! pic.twitter.com/9K2mJt8mMG
— DTM (@DTM) January 25, 2019
Gutted to here about Charly Lamm dying today. A bona fide legend of the sport and a lovely man. Some very sad people here in Santiago. Condolences to all his friends/family and of course @BMWMotorsport #CharlyLamm #Legend
— sniffermedia (@sniffermedia) January 25, 2019
It’s difficult to describe just how incredibly sad I am tonight to learn that Charly Lamm is no longer with us. A gentleman, truly passionate about our sport. A lovely, lovely man. I’m thankful I knew him, thankful he was with us, and so thankful that Augusto won in Macau. 💙
— Alan Hyde (@AlanHydeStudio) January 25, 2019
I am raising a glass of exceptional brandy (Thank you, Alfonso) in memory Charly Lamm, the best team manager I ever met. Charly should have been in F1, but he turned down to opportunity several times. Team Schnitzer was his family. To absent friends…
— Joe Saward (@joesaward) January 25, 2019
It’s a full house here at the Wachauring as all #WSeries qualifiers gather together for the first time at our driver selection event. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/U14Go5M2O7
— W Series (@WSeriesRacing) January 25, 2019
This #flyingfinn really has it; pure speed in his first ever rally. I am exited to be part of this adventure. First day done, 141.71 kms still to be enjoyed tomorrow! Photo by @JanErikOlin @ValtteriBottas @OfficialWRC @MSportLtd #ArcticRally @RalliSM pic.twitter.com/doyClu7W0X
— Timo Rautiainen (@RautiainenTimo) January 25, 2019
Hearing Silvia @Frangibriciola is donning red this season, indicating long-overdue sea-change in @ScuderiaFerrari media relations. Great if true: she’s friendly, obliging, utterly professional, multi-lingual & has an innate feel for @f1 media matters. Hope it’s true.
— Fritz-Dieter Rencken (@RacingLines) January 25, 2019
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Gow: 'Touring car racing has lost a true legend. Rest in peace, Charly' (BTCC)
"A real gentleman, Charly was one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I have ever dealt with in this sport. And, of course, he was a brilliant team manager, whose work-ethic, knowledge and passion was boundless."
Antonini lascia la Ferrari, arriva Silvia Hofer (Quotidiano - Italian)
Former McLaren media manager Silvia Hoffer Frangipane has moved to Ferrari, replacing Alberto Antonini.
Renault 2019 design all-new bar power steering (Autosport)
"We have left it late, but hopefully it is for the right reasons in term of performance and we will get a car just in time for the first test and the launch. That is how it should be."
Zanardi defies disability to inspire racing's biggest stars (AP)
"British driver Katherine Legge said she's asked for only two autographs in her entire life — Phil Collins as a child, then Zanardi at an industry event several years ago."
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Comment of the day
Can F1 afford to ignore the trend towards electrification?
Yes, I believe that the world as a whole needs to go renewable as soon as possible. Once that happens, however, I want to see F1 go completely back to all petrol.
F1 is entertainment; it’s supposed to be about experience (for all senses especially if you’re at the track). Nothing beats the sound, sensation, and excitement of the screams and roars of V8, V10, V12…
Once we’ve mostly weaned ourselves off petrol, I don’t see why a small exception can be made for entertainment purposes. What’s the stat? A jumbo jet in a transoceanic flight uses more fuel than all F1 cars combined in a season?
@Thepostalserviceisbroke
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Xcm
26th January 2019, 0:19
Why are female racing drivers “selected” on a stage?
Why is this differant that any other form of motor racing?
As usual, people with women’s “best interests in mind” are doing more damage then us sexist masogonists ever could.
If a woman was fast, she would be approached in private for negotiations, this is one step better than a beauty pageant, and a travesty.
I hope the cars aren’t pink… it would ruin the BWT/Force India prestige.
Andy
26th January 2019, 5:29
Ummm.. you are calling yourself a sexist misogynist? Wow.
zimkazimka (@zimkazimka)
26th January 2019, 7:11
It was sarcasm.
Pjotr (@pietkoster)
27th January 2019, 19:09
As long as female fighterpilots can fly their machines into a warzone, women surely are able to drive fast.
Aldoid
26th January 2019, 2:14
Agree with COTD. Had a little rant in yesterday’s round up about the whole fuel consumption by ships & jets vs race cars thing. I’ve long been an advocate for most commuter & commercial vehicles eventually going all electric (the same battery tech that will allow for that will also provide energy storage options for solar & wind, going a long way in improving grid stability & lowering energy costs) but always felt that the upper echelons of motorsport (as well as high end sports & super/hypercars) will remain a stronghold for the ICE. It’ll probably end up being like it is with horses: in the past they were the basic transportation/motive force & they didn’t become obsolete with the advent of motor vehicles. Today billions of regular everyday people love horses & can still buy regular horses for anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars (show breeds, race horses & equestrian horses of course cost way more of course, but are still extremely popular among the well heeled).
Phylyp (@phylyp)
26th January 2019, 3:17
Nice COTD, although I have mixed feelings about it.
I get the sentiment behind it, and the desire to come back to NA engines without turbos or ICE.
That said, I want among the best engines to be in F1 (let’s ignore special cases like dragsters which are essentially horizontal rockets).
I feel that once electric powertrains hit the mainstream, the amount of R&D budget is only going to increase there. Performance car makers will want in on that action, and that in turn will guide motorsport.
At that point, if the state of an electric powertrain is such that it offers the best performance, I wouldn’t want F1 to be hamstrung by a legacy engine technology.
In such a situating, I wouldn’t mind a historic series running ICE cars (even better, limit it to the classic fan favourite tracks), but not F1.
Martin Nash
26th January 2019, 6:55
+1
Jere (@jerejj)
26th January 2019, 7:31
@phylyp Fully agreed.
ColdFly (@)
26th January 2019, 9:58
Agree @phylyp.
And let’s be honest horse racing has nothing to do with horses nowadays. Whenever I visit Melbourne Cup I only see punters and dressed up people getting drunk.
BasCB (@bascb)
26th January 2019, 13:22
Great point made there @phylyp, I agree. F1 should have the best they can get in motorsport. Be it ICE, hybrid, Batterie EV, hydrogen/ev or whatever we come up with in the future.
Jere (@jerejj)
26th January 2019, 7:30
I disagree with the COTD. If all the rest of the automotive as well as ships, planes, trains, etc., move away from fossil fuels then F1 and motorsport, in general, eventually have to do so as well.
Regarding the Autosport-article: Hopefully, this approach of changing everything apart from the power steering won’t backfire Renault.