BMW on target for January launch

Although BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen has admitted that there have been some expected difficulties in the merging of his company with the Hinwil outfit, he said on Saturday that there was no reason to believe that the team would miss its original January slot for unveiling the team.

"Things are on track," Theissen told autosport.com. "Apparently the phase between signing the contract in June and the real takeover in January is the most difficult.

"You have to merge two teams and everyone has to change in a way to get used to new behaviour. This always creates discomfort on both sides, but we are through it more or less now and pushing forward."

Although Theissen said that he saw no reason why the new car and BMW Sauber team structure would not be unveiled in January, there remains a great deal of uncertainty about exactly who the drivers will be.

Nick Heidfeld has been confirmed, but Theissen has made it clear that BMW are far from decided about whether they will honour the contract of Jacques Villeneuve has.