Grapevine: BMW Silent on Sauber Report

Citing Formula One sources, Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper reported BMW was considering buying the Sauber team as a way to boost its racing profile. It said such a deal would cost BMW at least 150 million euros ($190 million).

"The fact is that we are negotiating with Sauber about providing motors from 2006. Everything else is speculation on which we don't comment," a BMW spokesman said.

"We are negotiating with BMW about motors and all the possibilities that go above and beyond this are speculation on which we don't comment," a Sauber spokesman in Switzerland said.

He said the motor talks should take a few more weeks. BMW said they should wrap up by the end of June.

Speculation has swirled for weeks that BMW may change its Formula One focus because of the disappointing performance of its Williams team. However, the team took second through Nick Heidfeld and third with Mark Webber in Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.

Chief Executive Helmut Panke told Reuters earlier this month that the German group was committed to Formula One racing.

"We are not satisfied with the sixth and seventh places and we are in intensive discussions on how to do better, but Formula One and BMW belong together," he said at the time.