12/07/2004
NEWS STORY
With Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya both leaving the BMW WilliamsF1 Team at the end of the season, one of the main stories, as far as the media is concerned, is who will fill the two vacant seats.
Although Nick Heidfeld has been linked with Anglo-German team, BMW Motorsport boss, Mario Theissen, is at pains to point out that it is not a requirement that a German drives for the team, merely a racer capable of winning.
"We have always made clear that we are keen on signing the best drivers available," said Theissen. "Should one of these drivers be a German this would be a welcome bonus but it isn't a must, as Formula One is a global sport and BMW is a global company.
"We are convinced that the coming season will see two competitive drivers behind the wheel of two similarly competitive WilliamsF1 BMW Formula One cars."
He then appeared to dismiss speculation that a driver, currently employed elsewhere, could move to WilliamsF1 before the end of the current season.
"The driver market is accelerating," he said. "Many drivers' contracts contain a so-called performance clause, meaning that the may, or must, stay depending on the results achieved by team and drivers."