One of the most important engineers in the history of BMW and F1, Paul Rosche, has passed away.

Rosche, who worked for BMW in various roles between 1957 and 1999, passed away at the age of 82 in his home town of Munich on Tuesday.

In 1957, directly after completing his degree, he joined BMW and, over the course of his 42 years as an employee, he guided the company into Formula One twice.

Before joining BMW Motorsport GmbH in 1975 as head of the design of the BMW M1 production and racing engines, Rosche was involved in the research and development department under the charge of Alexander von Falkenhausen. In 1969, he designed the 2-litre turbo engine with which BMW won the European Touring Car Championship.

In 1980, Rosche, as Technical Managing Director of BMW Motorsport GmbH, along with Dieter Stappert, laid the foundation for BMW's first Formula One involvement, and, as head of the engine project, was also a key factor for the success of the BMW engines in the turbo era.

Rosche and his team turned a four-cylinder production unit displacing just 1.5 litres into a potential world championship winner. Sixteen valves, a turbocharger and - in a first for Formula One - digital motor electronics all helped the engine to post an initial output of around 800 hp.

The Brabham BMW made its debut at the start of the 1982 season; just 630 days later Nelson Piquet (top) scooped the World Championship.

By 1987 the turbo unit had nine grand prix wins under its belt and its potential seemed almost inexhaustible.

When asked about the F1 engine's maximum power output, Rosche once replied in his inimitable, irresistible manner: "It must have been around 1,400 hp; we don't know for sure because the dyno didn't go beyond 1,280 hp."

The triumph in Formula One was the most spectacular, but far from a solitary success spawned by the ideas of the thoroughbred engineer. Other power units that came out of Rosche's fold were the 2 litre four-valve four-cylinder engine, which racked up more than 150 race wins and six titles in the Formula 2 European Championship, as well as the 6.0-litre V12 engine that won Le Mans in 1995 and 1999.

Rosche's term of office also witnessed the development of the engine for the first-generation BMW M3, which was to be the basis of the most successful touring car in the world, as well as a new kind of driving pleasure on the road.

Following the withdrawal from Formula One of BMW in 1987, Rosche continued as Technical Managing Director of the BMW M GmbH until 1996. Subsequently, as Technical Director and Managing Director of BMW Motorsport Limited, he led BMW into Formula One as an engine manufacturer for a second time. In 1999, Rosche entered retirement.

"We are all very saddened by this news," said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. "Paul Rosche not only represented and characterised the company and the BMW brand with his passion, his vision and his immense technical expertise over many decades in action on the racetrack.

"The results of his work - no matter in which car or in which series - were frequently milestones of engineering skill. The loss of Paul Rosche is a loss of an outstanding personality for BMW Motorsport and BMW M. He constantly redefined the limits of what was technically possible. We will preserve this spirit at BMW Motorsport. Our deepest sympathies go to his family and friends."