BMW to end their contract with Williams after 2004...
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,261
Likes: 13
From: Afghanistan / South Florida / Camp Lejeune, NC
2008 BMW M6, 2008 Ducati 1098, 2008 Ducati Monster S2R1000, 1971 Ducati Scrambler
BMW to end their contract with Williams after 2004...
BERLIN (Reuters) - German car makers BMW are considering their future in Formula One after their contract with British team Williams expires at the end of 2004.
BMW, who returned to Formula One in 2000 as engine suppliers for Williams, will decide this winter whether they will continue working with Williams after the 2004 season, BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen has said.
"The options are building our own Formula One car, continuing our collaboration with Williams in a more appropriate form or quitting Formula One," Theissen told German sports news agency SID.
Theissen said BMW would only continue working with Williams under revised conditions.
"We're too far behind Ferrari," he said after a season that saw Williams finish overall runners-up to the dominant Italian team with only one win -- by Ralf Schumacher in Malaysia.
"We want to become world champions by 2004," Theissen added. "Only with perfect collaboration in all areas -- that includes the exchange of all data and the common use of computer simulations and research facilities -- can we beat (Ferrari's world champion) Michael Schumacher."
BMW, who returned to Formula One in 2000 as engine suppliers for Williams, will decide this winter whether they will continue working with Williams after the 2004 season, BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen has said.
"The options are building our own Formula One car, continuing our collaboration with Williams in a more appropriate form or quitting Formula One," Theissen told German sports news agency SID.
Theissen said BMW would only continue working with Williams under revised conditions.
"We're too far behind Ferrari," he said after a season that saw Williams finish overall runners-up to the dominant Italian team with only one win -- by Ralf Schumacher in Malaysia.
"We want to become world champions by 2004," Theissen added. "Only with perfect collaboration in all areas -- that includes the exchange of all data and the common use of computer simulations and research facilities -- can we beat (Ferrari's world champion) Michael Schumacher."
