Recently, it was revealed by Nikkei Asia that BBS Japan will be the official wheel supplier of Formula 1 (F1) for the 2022 season. Apart from that, it will also be providing wheels to National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, more famously known as NASCAR.
The F1 car for the 2022 season
To be more specific, BBS Japan has signed a contract with the organizers for the said motorsport events, with F1 involving a four-year commitment. The formal announcement of these partnerships will be made at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2022, which begins Friday, January 14.
BBS was chosen as a part of the said motorsport’s rule changes, which were put in place to promote “closer racing,” as the source says. To follow this change of pace, F1’s organizers already found a tire supplier, among other things.
As for the reasons for choosing BBS, the source also speculated that the wheel maker was chosen for its history with motorsports. In 1992, BBS wheels made out of magnesium were famously used by Ferrari in F1. Later in 1994, Michael Schumacher achieved F1 dominance while using cast aluminum BBS wheels.
By 1998, BBS was supplying six F1 teams with wheels on a total of 12 vehicles. By 2003 Ferrari’s Schumacher became the Formula 1 World Champion seven times, using BBS wheels in five out of those wins.
The BBS Japan factory
As a short history lesson, BBS Japan Co., Ltd. was formed by Maeda Kosen, a Japanese conglomerate that started out by specializing in raw materials. In 2013, the said company acquired Japanese forging specialist Washi Kosan Co., Ltd. and Washi Beam Co., Ltd. Through a technical partnership with BBS Germany, Maeda Kosen later fused the aforementioned entities to form BBS Japan.
In the current consumer aftermarket scene, BBS Japan is known for its selection of forged wheel products like the FZ-MG, the LM, and the iconic Super RS, among others.
It is also worth noting that the BBS brand itself was started out by German racing enthusiasts. To this end, it has been involved in racing from day one. Thus, the BBS-F1 partnership might be a match made in heaven.
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