BMW in talks with Sauber and Red Bull

Sauber also attended the Break Away series meeting this past week, further distancing himself from Ferrari in that aspect as well.

 

True and Sauber voted for the ban on testing (against Ferrari's wish) and switched to Michelins.

OTOH they could renew their contract with Ferrari for 2006 and on. We'll see.

 

I think it's a good move for Sauber to get away from the Ferrari relationship. While it did provide a nice level of security, it also basically guarenteed second class status, because Maranello doesn't like getting beaten with their own hardware.

 

Not sure that is really an argument anymore: Since the beginning of last year Sauber got the same engines as the Ferrari team. Maybe not 100% in reality, but fairly close. This year as well they'll get the latest and greatest.

Peter Sauber is a very practical man and I'm sure if he switches to BMW it is going to be a very rational decision, most likely based on costs.

 

So there it is, it's gone through. Will be intersting to see how that relationship will turn out.

 

In a way a sad thing: I was just warming up to Sauber due to the Ferrari relationship, now they have aligned with the "enemy". Understandably though.

It'll be interesting to see what treatment they'll get towards the end of the year from Ferrari. Will Ferrari become protective of its engines and no longer give Sauber the latest spec engines?

And if Heidfeld doesn't cut the mustard at Williams, will he have another BMW home at Sauber for 06?

And what about the grooming of Massa by Ferrari? Not that I think he should be following in MS' shoes, but as of 2006 he will be part of the "enemy" as well and no longer a "family" member.

Loza questions.

And finally: For all you Villeneuve fans: This year might be as close as we ever come to see Villeneuve Jr. driving a "Ferrari".

 

RED BULL RACING
The team $400 million billboard on 4 wheels. This is going to be a joke. I don't care if they are allowed to have Ferrari and BMW engines in them at the same time. I highly doubt that they will finish more than 5 races the entire year. So go ahead! I hope BMW, Renault and Ferrari all provide RED BULL with engines for free. It is not going to matter.

SAUBER PETRONAS
I would like to remind everyone that it is PETRONAS that actually buys the Ferrari engines and supplies them to Sauber. PETRONAS is Malaysia's national petroleum corporation. Sauber can talk to whomever they want to talk to. Heck Sauber could talk to Mercedes, Honda and even Renault if they want to. It is not going to matter a dime. PETRONAS contract Ferrari to build engines.

As long as President & CEO of PETRONAS Tan Sri Dato Sri Mohd Hassan Marican is in charge at PETRONAS, the only engines Sauber will get from the sponsorship are Ferrari. TRUST ME, The man is in love with Ferrari.

Peter Sauber will have to find another sposor to buy his team engines if he switches to BMW.

Villeneuve: His career was over a long time ago. He brings important sponsorship money to Sauber that Sauber lost after RED BULL said goodbye to the Sauber last year. The only reason he is there is to make sure the bottom line stays positive.

 

Well it looks as if Sauber will be running BMW engines next year.

http://f1.racing-live.com/en/headlines/news/detail/050222210859.shtml

 

Not with PETRONAS money. Peter Sauber must have found another sponsor.

 

I don't think Massa really truly was being groomed for Ferrari, perhaps, but it didn't really turn out. He's got the connections, that's why. His manager is Jean Todt's son, and through that, Todt was able to get him that seat at Sauber. He looked bright in the beginning, but he hasn't really shown anything spectacular.

Hmm, Peter Sauber will really have to come foward and explain that one if Petronas won't pay for the BMW engines (although those will probalby be substantially less than the Ferrari engines)...

 

Wow, I didn't know the Todt Jr. connection. That explains a few things. I agree with you although I did think it was pretty cool how he beat MS in Paris.

Also thanks to Imperial. I didn't know the Petronas boss was a Ferrarifan. It'll be interesting to see whether Petronas remains on board as a sponsor. I would think so, but who knows.

I think at the end of the day, Sauber will simply look at the cost. After all he has no particular alliances to anybody it seems. He went from Mercedes to Ferrari to BMW.

 

BMW and Sauber deny deal
BMW has denied reports that they will supply the Sauber Petronas team with engines next year.

Earlier in the week Frank Williams revealed that BMW would supply Sauber in 2006 but Williams would remain the ‘works’ team.

“Nothing has been decided. We are talking to several teams," SpeedTV report BMW motorsports boss Mario Theissen as saying.

Sauber also claim that the ‘situation is unchanged’ and that they are investigating opportunities for the 2006 season when their contract with Ferrari reached its conclusion.

Whether BMW and Sauber have reached a deal for engine supply in 2006 is not clear. What is clear is that neither party wish to announce the deal – if there is one - just yet.

Earl ALEXANDER
© CAPSIS International

- As I said, "There is no way in hell PETRONAS is buying anything but Ferrari engines for Sauber."

 

It is a bit of a double edged sword:

You want to get your engine for next year aligned soon to be able to start development on the new car, appaise sponsors and make sure you have a good engine.
OTOH if they go away from Ferrari, what support can they expect for this season, which otherwise promises to become their all time best?

Not an easy decision.

 

Dunno, but the fact that Sauber voted for the ban on testing and their switch to Michelins probably went against the grain of the relationship.

Happy to hear Midland might get the Ferrari engines in 06. I guess I have to switch loyalties at the end of the year from Sauber to Midland. Supporting Ferrari's B team.

 

Stunning!
Your translation is fairly good. Mosley didn't betray anybody (at least not in this context), he just leaked the story (I see how a computer wrongly translates "verriet" into betrayal, funny thing). And the 265 million are Williams alleged budget, not what it would cost BMW. But anyway, thanks for this.

Why wouldn't you support Midland? Because they're Russians?

 

Sauber becoming BWM is a big story, but the potentially even bigger story here is, what will happen to Williams in 2006? Will they become BMW's "B" team or have to look elsewhere for an engine altogether? Turbulent times ahead.