What now for Williams?

Nuttzz

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2005/06/22/story208272.html

The German company announced at a Munich press conference that they have moved in on Peter Sauber’s team and will rename it BMW.

Today’s news is a serious blow for Williams, who have enjoyed an exclusive partnership with BMW since 2000.

Can Sir Frank get another works deal? With who? I cant see Button joining them now.

aidan_dunne

Williams have a contract with BMW until 2009, I believe, and negotiations are currently underway between Williams and BMW regarding the continued supply of engines to Williams for next season and beyond. So I don't think Frank and Patrick and co. will be too worried......... yet!

Having said that, I've also read recently that Williams saw this takeover of Sauber by BMW coming for quite some time and are believed to have also opened negotiations with both Honda and Cosworth (with whom they had successful partnerships with in the 1980's)........ just in case!

Ay Cee

More worringly...there goes another "privateer".

The manufacturers won't stay in F1 forever. : /

Curran

aidan_dunne wrote:

Williams ........are believed to have also opened negotiations with both Honda and Cosworth

They sure have aidan.....if i were them id stay away from Cosworth...seeing their engines they've supplied in the recent past!

Beekay

They should go for Honda and start fresh.And button has worked wit them already.

Curran

Beekay wrote:

They should go for Honda and start fresh.And button has worked wit them already.

Good point.....Button knows the engine (not like Sato who cant seem to drive it - always the one who has problems with his Honda) and he also knows the Technical Staff!
Well Button knows how do drive the engine as long as he's not in the wall!

Beekay

And he might still no some of the williams engineers.So it won't take as long to settle in.

BANZAI_RUNNER

i guess they may go with honda, but who knows ......

frootfancy

Having just seen the highlights of the French GP, it seems that Toyota might be the new source of power for Williams.

dearg_doom

Didn't Toyota say they couldn't supply a second team next year at the French GP?

That Honda plan sounds good for them though if it could happen. What would BAR do then tho?

Devilman

Honda supplying Williams would probably make no difference to BAR in the short term, as most engine suppliers are to be open to supplying more than 1 team, Ferrari already do it as do Toyota. What will be interesting will be to see how BMW cope with developing a chassis and aero package on top of engine development.

dearg_doom

I'd imagine BMW will be just fine:)

They are very innovative in their dev and use of cutting edge processes and materials in their road-cars(eg Alu-steel welding, first used on the last M5) and they have been working with Williams on the dev of their last few chassis, thus they'll have a good bit of exp of designing a F1 car already. Also they now employ some of the most talented engineers(in a result/euro ratio anyway) in the world in the team at Sauber.

I reckon, for 2006 at least, BMW will be merely providing a huge budget to the existing Sauber team, while their own people will be 'observing' and helping out where needed.

It'll be interesting to see how they perform, maybe they'll be able to lord it over Mercedes for once:)

steviec

Honda part-own BAR so if they supply Williams it would be as their 'second' team. However, BMW were heavily investested in Williams themselves before walking out on them so I don't think this guarantees BAR will be the number one Honda team for long. If Williams outperformed them, which I'd expect to be honest, it could be bad for BAR's long term future. Williams Honda would be a good combination in my book though. I'd like to see them successful. Mark Webber's not that young and he deserves a race winning car sooner rather than later.