BMW announced today that they intend to create a partnership with the Sauber Formula One team, effectively taking over Peter Sauber’s operation, meaning their current agreement as engine suppliers to Williams will come to an end.
Mario Theissen, the BMW director of motor sport, is describing the investment as “a co-operation”, but revealed at a Munich press conference today that it is more of a takeover.
“We are going to be in charge of the entire package,” he said. “It will be a fully-integrated team, a team distributed among two locations, BMW in Munich and we will not only preserve the Hinwil location but we will also expand it.”
The agreement came about as a result of talks held earlier in the year where he discussed an engine-supply contract with Sauber.
“At the time we were talking about engine supply next year. We found common ground. We believe Sauber offers a good basis and foundation to further develop the engines. We have decided to co-operate with Sauber as BMW.”
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The exact name of the new team has yet to be confirmed but it will be rebranded to include the BMW name, while Peter Sauber’s successor as team boss will be announced shortly.
The news is a serious blow for Williams, who have enjoyed an exclusive partnership with BMW since 2000, although cracks had begun to show in their relationship. Patrick Head, the Williams director of engineering, launched a scathing attack on Theissen, prior to the Canadian Grand Prix, in apparent retaliation for criticism of his team from the German company.
It is as yet unclear when the Williams deal will come to an end.
SAUBER FORMULA ONE TEAM FACTFILE
1993: After a successful career as a sports car team boss, Peter Sauber steps up to Formula One with a Mercedes-engined car built in his factory at Hinwil in Switzerland. Karl Wendlinger and JJ Lehto score 12 points in Sauber’s debut season.
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1994: Wendlinger and Lehto share with Andrea de Cesaris and rising German star Heinz-Harald Frentzen, scoring a combined 21 points.
1995: Ford replace Mercedes as engine suppliers. Frentzen scores Sauber’s first podium with third place in Italy.
1996: Johnny Herbert joins Frentzen and takes third in Monaco, contributing five of Sauber’s 11 points that season.
1997: Malaysian oil giant Petronas join the team as principal sponsor, helping source a supply of Ferrari engines. Herbert leads the team to 16 points, alongside Gianni Morbidelli, Nicola Larini and Norberto Fontana.
1998: Herbert and Jean Alesi net a combined ten points. Alesi scores Sauber’s best-ever qualifying spot with second in Austria.
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1999: Alesi equals his second place on the grid in France but a poor season alongside Pedro Diniz brings just five points.
2000: Diniz and Mika Salo disappoint, scoring just six points.
2001: Sauber falls out with sponsor Red Bull by signing rookie Kimi Raikkonen instead of Enrique Bernoldi. The moves pays off though and Raikkonen and Nick Heidfeld score 21 points to give Sauber a career-best fourth in the constructors’ championship.
2002: Raikkonen leaves for McLaren, earning Sauber a huge pay-off and leaving Heidfeld, Felipe Massa and Frentzen to score 11 points.
2003: Frentzen and Heidfeld score 19 points, earning fifth in the championship.
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2004: Giancarlo Fisichella and the building of a new wind tunnel boost Sauber’s efforts. The Italian and Massa claim 34 points and sixth in the championship.
2005: June 22 - BMW buy into Sauber as Peter Sauber announces his decision to step down.