THE SILENT PARTNER IN MOTORSPORT SUCCESS
Bosch is steeped in motorsport history, going back to the dawn of the motor racing age in 1901, when Wilhelm Werner won the Nice-salonnice road race with a Bosch magneto ignition fitted to his Mercedes Benz. From 1937, Bosch had the capability to provide on-the-spot testing and repairs to ignition and electrical systems from a mobile workshop van, known as ‘Bosch Racing Service’, headed by August Bamminger. A core part of its trackside support set-up since 1911, the ‘Spark Plug Doctor’ continued to head the service until 1956, two years after Bosch had pioneered direct injection in Mercedes’ all-conquering W196 Formula 1 car of 1954-55 (above). Fast-forward to the 1980s, and Bosch’s Motronic system for engine management was a core element in four consecutive world title successes – with Nelson Piquet in 1983 followed by Mclaren’s Niki Lauda and Alain Prost – while also aiding Audi’s efforts in Group B rallying and Porsche’s ultra-successful 956/962 Group C sportscars. Its lengthy partnership with the DTM also commenced in this era, yielding the first ABS system developed especially for motorsport use.
In more recent times, Bosch has been a crucial partner in various Le Mans successes and stepped into fields of new drive technologies, reflected in its global partnership with Formula E.
Bosch Motorsport connectivity project manager Matthew Anderson admits that he still encounters people who are surprised by Bosch’s motorsport heritage. “Bosch has always been very much in the scene, but maybe not so incredibly visible,” he says. “A lot of people would be surprised by how much content we have in race cars.
“We’re always really closely cooperative with the OEMS and teams and we work with them to achieve their vision. It’s our customers we’re working passionately for to have the glory, not us, so in that respect we have been hidden in the past.”