Williams BMW to be no more?

[MagpieRacer]

sounds like williams are going down, Williams allegedly said that they were better when they where with renault so BMW could be departing from williams.

anyone else heard from this?

 

[SouL]

Seems very likely. It's known that BMW are planning to buy out Sauber to have their own team.
There are rumors floating about Williams having talked to Cosworth and Toyota for an engine.
Personally, I'd rather see Williams with a Honda or Renault engine. Williams/Honda and Williams/Renault have been VERY succesful in the past.
But then again, that's probably because there was a large effort put into co-developement of both chassis and engine. I doubt Honda/Renault would be able to work as closely with Williams like they did seeing as how they (Honda/Renault) have their own teams.

 

[MagpieRacer]

thats true, i think williams could get another manufacturer involved, i can see someone like mercedes, mitsubishi, maybe even someone like chevrolet, i dunno, like you say i cant see them going with renault or honda.

 

[m7ammed]

actually I think BMW wants to lose williams as they want to supply sauber and then buy sauber

 

[Slick Rick]

Thats a shame because the team still have some potential

 

[Blake]

There have been lots of rumours of a likely Williams-Toyota collaboration, but BMW would want to be the works team and that won't work. I don't know where they're going to get a competetive engine manufacturor from...

Blake

 

[Ev0]

I'll bet Williams will get Toyota customer engines, since they're already supplying them to Jordan, so all they have to do is up production, unlike Renault who would have to start a whole new customer engine program.

Or, as stated previously, another manufacturer may take up this opportunity to get their foot in the F1 door; although they would probably have to start providing the engines for 2007, considering engineers have already been working on new designs for the engines for months now.

But I don't see this as the end of Williams in any way. This is one of F1's greatest and most successful teams, and I doubt something like this would kill them off (at worst I could see them taking a season off maybe to regroup, or to wait for an exculsive engine).

 

[Blake]

Engine suppliers don't last forever, it won't hurt them to get a new one.

Blake

 

[Small_Fryz]

Who makes the best V8?

 

[Omnis]

any possibility of nissan getting in the mix? that would be pretty interesting...

i'm really at a loss for what williams could possibly do, though... I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[MagpieRacer]

nissan, could be a possibility,

small_fryz, i would think someone like ford, chevrolet, chrysler for the best V8? not sure

 

[Ev0]

Nissan likely won't get into the mix; they are owned by Renault, so it would be pointless for them to start an F1 team since their conglomorate is already active and successful in F1.

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

Yeah, a good deal of what's on the F1 car is Nissan-derived technology.

Hmm... Subaru! AWD F1 car! XD

 

[Blake]

I think Williams best bet would be Cosworth, they won't have to supply Red Bull next year so Cosworth would be the logical choise IMO.

Blake

 

[SouL]

Best V8? For F1? It really doesn't matter where it comes from. All F1 engines are more or less identical to each other. High HP, high torque, high RPM, high everything.
You can't really compare the quality between F1 engines like you can to road car engines.

 

[Beelzebub]

nissan, could be a possibility,

small_fryz, i would think someone like ford, chevrolet, chrysler for the best V8? not sure

chevrolet v8 in f1? what kind of v8 engine is chevrolet using in the irl? its cosworth.

I want bmw to buy sauber so that another team can contest for a podium.

 

[Drift260Z]

really, I want Sauber to say no and stay Sauber so BMW will have to start their own team so there will be more cars on the feild. like back a couple years ago, there were something like 24 or 26 cars on the grid instead of the reg 20.

BTW, on an unrelated note, the practice for this Friday at the U.S.G.P. will be 4 Hours long. next day, at 8:30 a.m. central time, Le 24 Heures de Mans will start(WHOOOO!!!!!) and will be broadcasted for a couple hours, then sat. morning practice in F1 followed by sat. morning qualifying. then like 3 hours of ASSCAR. then more from Le Mans(whoo!!!), errrmmmm, thats going to be a couple hours, then eeeaaarrrrrlllly Sunday morning at 5 a.m. the finish of Le 24 Heurs de Mans is broadcasted until the start of the U.S.G.P which starts at like 12 or 1 p.m. central time. this is going to be an awesome racing weekend.















rock.

 

[snypa]

It's now official, BMW will acquire sauber in 2006, in order to build a 100% BMW team. As a BMW fan, I'm very happy about this.
It seems that there will be hard times for Williams now, especially after what Patrick Head said about Mario Theissen a few days ago, but it's possible that BMW keeps a year or more contract with Williams, before beeing totally efficient with his new toy.
Anyway I'm looking forward to seing this new team !

German car maker BMW announced Wednesday it had bought Swiss Formula One team Sauber and that a BMW-managed team will contest the Formula One World Championship as early as 2006.

Sauber and Credit Suisse bank sold a majority interest in the Sauber Holding to BMW effective January 1, 2006.

"This decision is a strong, long-term affirmation of BMWs commitment to Formula One," said Burkhard Goschel, BMW board member for development and purchasing. "We anticipate that Formula One will emerge strengthened from the current restructuring phase and that it will continue to represent the top echelon of motor sport for the future as well. For BMW, Formula One is thus the right platform for demonstrating our competence as a car manufacturer."

"With a team managed by BMW we will, as of next year, take on responsibility for the entire package, which will include the key factors of the chassis, tyres and drivers," said Goschel.

Sauber team principal Peter Sauber said: "For Sauber, the partnership with BMW is an ideal solution as it supports the two goals which have always been paramount for me. Firstly, to offer the team the possibility of improving their sporting performance, and secondly, to safeguard the site at Hinwil and the jobs of todays 300-strong workforce."

Sauber said the costs involved in runing a Formula One stable were increasingly prohibitive for private teams.

"The involvement of six car manufacturers has resulted in significant changes to Formula One in recent years. For the private teams in particular, it has become increasingly difficult to secure solid financing which enables the achievement of sporting success as well," Sauber said.

It is a blow for British team Williams, who have been exclusive partners with BMW since returning to Formula One in 2000. BMW's contract to supply Williams with engines runs to 2009 but contains get-out clauses.

And BMW's Goschel said: "Naturally this decision impacts on our partnership with WilliamsF1. We want to discuss the future options together with WilliamsF1 in order to find the right way forward for both sides."

"What that future will look like will be decided over the next weeks," added Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport director. "Irrespective of that decision, we are concentrating on the current season. We still have quite a few goals for this year and we will apply all our powers and professionalism to implement them together with WilliamsF1."

Sauber's engines are currently supplied by Ferrari. The relationship between BMW and former world champions Williams has deteriorated in recent months.

Williams raced with Renault engines from 1989 to 1997 when they won five constructors' championships and four drivers' titles. They also won two constructors' crowns and one drivers' championship with Honda between 1983 and 1987.

WilliamsF1 has yet to make any official comment.
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[ExigeEvan]

Well atlast Williams don't have to worry about BMW claiming collaboration on any new models. Oh wait, Renault did that aswell.

I was hoping for more 'sponsor teams' (BAR, Redbull) but a factory team is even better.