BMW to Decide on Future 'in Weeks'

Mario Theissen, the head of BMW's Formula One engine programme, has said his company will decide whether to continue their partnership with the Williams team "in weeks rather than months".

The two have been in talks for over six months about extending their contract beyond the end of next season and BMW have made it known they would be prepared to supply engines to other teams in 2004.

Theissen, BMW's motorsport director, said: "I should say we will probably come to an agreement. The probability is probably beyond 50 per cent and if that happens I think that will happen in weeks rather than in months after half a year of negotiation."

Speculation has been rife about whether BMW and Williams will stick together after joining forces in 2000. BMW are believed to want to take greater control in the team, who have not won a Grand Prix since Malaysia in March 2002.

They currently lie joint-third with Renault in the Constructors' Championship after finishing second last year, but a BMW engine failure cost Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya the lead of the Austrian Grand Prix at the A1-Ring. Theissen said the team had known after 20 laps that the Colombian's car would not last the distance, and claimed his retirement was inevitable.

"We knew at the start that Juan Pablo had a problem and this problem could cause him not to finish this race," he added.

"After 20 laps we knew he couldn't finish because we saw the water pressure going down continuously and it was clear he couldn't make it. It's very disappointing to lose the car if you are leading and it was the first technical failure since Suzuka last year on the car."

He also appeared to hint that the failure had been triggered by a non-related engine problem on the Williams car.

"We had an engine failure but that was the consequence of another problem," he added. "But there's no point looking at if its BMW or Williams. We'll take a joint approach, analyse the problem and make a solution."