BMW wants to win the F1 championship by 2004 and will then either pull out of the sport, continue with Williams – or build its own car, motorsport director Gerhard Berger says.
BMW wants to win the F1 championship by 2004 and will then either pull out of the sport, continue with Williams – or build its own car, motorsport director Gerhard Berger says.
The BMW Williams F1 team will this year attempt to close the gap on the championship-winning Ferrari team after finishing last season in a distant second place in the constructors’ championship.
The Munich-based engine manufacturer, which claims that it has been producing the most powerful engines in F1 over the past two years, says it is not interested in buying into the Williams team as part of the ongoing collaboration.
However BMW is expected to make an announcement soon in regard to the continuation of their contract after 2004.
Berger told that BMW’s future strategy would depend on how the team fared in 2004. The manufacturer was hoping to have won the championship by then, the Austrian said.
“It all depends on what will happen in 2004. There are three possibilities – to quit, to extend our deal with Williams, or build our own car,” Berger said. “Should BMW decide to build its own car, I would take this incredible chance and immediately sit down for negotiations. I would love to be their motorsport director.”
If BMW was to leave Williams and build their own car, it would require a “set-up time” of approximately three years, Berger added.
“During the last two years we have proved that we have constructed the best F1 engine. When we debuted in F1 we reached the rostrum even in the very first race. And since then we have continuously improved and by finishing second in the world championships this year we certainly have achieved our objectives.”
