03/07/2005
NEWS STORY
WilliamsF1 boss, Frank Williams, has said that despite having another year of his contract to run with BMW, he is still unclear as to whether the German manufacturer is willing to supply him with engines in 2006, in view of the recent announcement that it is to enter F1 in its own right, having bought Sauber.
"I would like an answer by week 30," the Englishman told reporters at Magny Cours, "we are now in week 26."
That BMW was seeking to become a fully-fledged F1 manufacturer was an open secret in the F1 paddock, with many claiming that Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen, to be the driving force behind the manufacturer's change of heart, after years of claiming that it had no interest in entering as a constructor
"We knew what was coming, or might come," admitted Williams, "we had plenty of time to persuade otherwise but we failed."
Although BMW has said that it is willing to supply engines to WilliamsF1, and claims that the British team would have parity with its own team, there is unease within the Grove outfit as to how this would work, with some suggesting that a 'clean break' would be the best policy.
There is much speculation as to who WilliamsF1 might approach with regards a 2006 engine supply, while Pitpass sources suggest that Frank Williams continues to make enquiries as to the potential of the Cosworth.