According to a report in The Guardian, Patrick Head has told the workforce at WilliamsF1 that the team will be using the new Cosworth V8 engine next season.

If true - and our sources at WilliamsF1 insist that no announcement will be made for several weeks - this means that the Grove outfit has opted to end its relationship with BMW, which was 'willing' to supply engines next season, and indicates that Toyota will continues to supply engines to Jordan.

The Guardian also claims that having secured the engine deal, Frank Williams will now attempt to arrange a meeting with Jenson Button and convince him that it is in his best interests to honour his contract with his team and that WilliamsF1 can provide a winning car.

In many ways, with the introduction of the new 2.4 litre V8 formula, many teams will be starting 2006 with a blank canvas, and therefore, at this stage, it is impossible to say that any one engine will be more competitive than the others.

Several manufacturers, including Honda, BMW and Toyota, have already run their V8s in tests this season, while sources at Cosworth claim that its new V8 is looking very, very, good.