The F1.09 was launched on 20 January 2009 at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. The chassis was again designed by the team's established pairing of Willy Rampf, Walter Reidl, Christoph Zimmermann, and Willem Toet, with Markus Duesmann responsible for the powertrain. The car retained both Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld from the 2008 title-challenging campaign. Visually, the livery was similar to the previous year, with the engine cover adapted at various rounds to promote BMW's ConnectedDrive and EfficientDynamics technology. At the Monaco Grand Prix, the engine cover carried the message "Happy Birthday, MINI," marking fifty years of the Mini brand.
Despite high expectations following BMW Sauber's breakthrough victory in 2008, the F1.09 ultimately proved disappointing. The car had flashes of pace — Kubica ran second in Australia before retiring in a collision, and Heidfeld finished second at the chaotic Malaysian Grand Prix — but over the course of the season it became clear the F1.09 could not replicate its predecessor's competitiveness. The 2009 regulations brought significant aerodynamic changes across the grid, with slick tyres returning to Formula One and teams permitted to use Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS). BMW Sauber had been one of the system's strongest proponents, but ultimately could not make KERS fit the car and both drivers raced without it for much of the season, with the team announcing before the British Grand Prix that further KERS development was being halted.
At times, the drivers struggled to progress beyond the second qualifying segment, and both expressed frustration with the pace of development. There were occasional highlights: fourth and fifth at Spa-Francorchamps, and a second-place finish for Kubica in Brazil near the end of the season. The team finished sixth in the Constructors' Championship.
On 29 July 2009, BMW's board announced the company would withdraw from Formula One at the end of the season, citing strategic priorities. The timing meant that Kubica, who led the championship after the Canadian Grand Prix the previous year, would not have the opportunity to challenge for a title in a fully developed BMW Sauber machine. Attempts to find a buyer for the team produced a false start when a purchase agreement with a company called Qadbak Investments Limited fell through after it was revealed to be a shell company. Peter Sauber ultimately repurchased the team for one euro and the operation re-entered Formula One in 2010 as an independent Sauber constructor, reverting to Ferrari customer power.
The F1.09 holds two distinctions in Formula One history: it was the last car powered by a BMW engine to race in the championship, and as of 2025 the last Hinwil-built car to race with a non-Ferrari power unit, a distinction due to be broken only with the arrival of the Audi R26 in 2026.