BMW Engine Not a New Concept, Says Theissen

The new BMW engine that will power the Williams FW24 is a completely new unit but not a new concept, according to BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen.

Theissen said that the concept of the 2002 engine remains similar to last year's power-unit, but added that the BMW engine has had to be completely rebuilt for the new Williams FW24 car.

"You can say it is completely new although it is not a new concept," said Theissen at the FW24 car launch at Silverstone on Friday. "We re-designed last year's engine and we changed every part so it is new but it is still a (V)90 degree engine."

Fellow BMW motorsport director Gerhard Berger said it has been hard for the team to find the personnel to mount a Championship challenge and added that they will have to wait to see if they can knock Ferrari off the top-spot in the title race.

"If you want victory in F1 you have to have the right resources and budget but you have to find the right people," said Berger. "That has been difficult. We will have to wait and see if this is the car that will do it for us."