BMW to Offer Engines to Williams

The German company announced they will take over the Swiss squad with the aim of racing with their own Formula One team in the future.

BMW have supplied engines to Williams since they returned to Formula One in 2000, but their relationship has gone awry over the past months, with Williams co-owner Patrick Head recently criticising their partner for airing their grievances in public.

BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said Williams have been aware of their talks with Sauber since the start and is hoping the British squad will want to continue using their units next season.

"Of course Frank Williams has been informed about all the steps we have taken and of course I informed this morning, I can tell you that the last talks and negotiations were finished this morning at 3am so Mr. Williams knows everything," Theissen said.

"We had successes, with Williams, we were stimulating each other and we are well prepared for the future and we want this success, we want this success this year without any restriction, we want to win races during this season and we would be very happy if Williams will use the BMW engine for next season and this will be the topic of the next talks that we will have."

Theissen said that if they supply engines to Williams or any other team, they will be the same used by their own outfit.

"Well if we give engines to a second team the engines will have BMW stenciled on it, they won't be second rate or second class engines, we want to develop one type of engine, there is one ambition behind this but does not make sense to have two types of engines during the season so a second team will use and operate the same engines as the first team," he added.