BMW engine guru Paul Rosche dies at 82

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Paul Rosche, the man who designed the most powerful engine in Formula 1 history has died at the age of 82.

Rosche worked his entire career for BMW, entering the manufacturer's team of development engineers in 1950.

It wasn't long before his talent was channeled towards BMW's racing engines, which would make their way from road cars to sportscars and Formula 2 cars in the early 1970s.

Rosche became the technical head of BMW Motorpsort in 1975, working alongside Jochen Neerpasch as the duo set its sights on entering Formula 1 with a turbo power unit.

An engine was tested by Brabham in 1980 and first raced in 1982. The mighty BMW engine, bolted to the back of the Brabham BT52, would power Nelson Piquet to the 1983 world championship.

Subsequent iterations of Rosche's straight-4, longitudinally mounted 1500cc twin-turbo engine lashed out more than 1500 horsepower, making it the most powerful unit in Grand Prix racing!

When BMW withdrew from Formula 1 in 1986, Rosche returned to the company's road car department where he developed the M3 engine which would garner many victories in touring car racing.

In the 1990s, Rosche was reunited with former Brabham designer Gordon Murray, with the pair working on bringing to life McLaren's first road car, a machine would, in its racing form, win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995.

The engine would later power BMW's sportscar built by Williams, which would also win Le Mans in 1999.

Rosche helped with the design and development of BMW's 3-litre V10 engine which made its debut with Williams in 2000. The German engine guru then retired in 1999.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.