BMW Committed to Staying in Formula One

BMW will stay in Formula One beyond the end of their current agreement with Williams, according to the German carmaker's motorsport director Mario Theissen.

"We will continue beyond 2004 in Formula One," the Guardian newspaper quoted him as saying. "This has been agreed already by the board. So (what) we are talking about is not if, but how, to continue.

"The ultimate goal is to be competitive, to get into a position to win the Championship."

Former champions Williams, who have used BMW engines since 2000, are confident of continuing the partnership but have yet to announce a new deal despite months of negotiations.

Theissen has said before that BMW's main options were to pull out, agree a revised deal with Williams or start their own team. The Guardian said the latter option was understood to have been rejected as well.

The British-based team, nine times constructors' champions between 1980 and 1997, were runners-up last season but have been struggling with their new car despite having probably the most powerful engine on the grid.

They are currently fourth overall. Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher were fourth and fifth respectively in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.