I believe I’ve heard or read that Sir Frank Williams says the treatment by BMW and their Director of Motorsport Dr. Mario Theissen this year is the worst he has every seen in F1. If true seems to me Theissen is more interested in building his own kingdom and doesn’t care about the current agreement with Williams. It has been said engine development by BMW has pretty much stopped, now that they will have their own team online for next year.

So does anyone have information to the contrary, and if not, anyone else feels it will be difficult to cheer on the factory team (BMW) next year after their behavior this year?

 

I already switched my favorite team to Red Bull. That program will promote an effort to at least put forth a US driver program. It will make F1 more appealing if there is a US driver. If that driver wins then maybe NASCAR fans will also become F1 fans. I have to honestly admit that I'm definitley not a NASCAR fan. It's incredibly boring. I already get to watch a bunch of drivers run around everyday with their left turn blinker left on. I have friends and co-workers that are NASCAR faithful and try to convert me but thankfully I just don't get it. Unfortunately they don't understand F1. Maybe that US driver will help change their minds. That is if F1 doesn't self destruct first.

BMW? I wish them the best of luck. They're at least my #2 team.

 

Yeah, Mario T. is a bit of a jerk and I am a big Williams fan. Frank and the gang really seem to have lost the plot this year however both technically and personel-wise. I am expecting better things from them next year.

Sauber/BMW have all the great tools at hand to make history (mega windtunnel, SciFi supercomputers etc.) but I think it will take a couple of years for everything and everyone to gel. Title contenders in '08.

I like how RB is trying to make the paddock a bit more fun, but they are on my S*** list after the way they treated Kalkoven and Cosworth.

Nice to see Newey and McLaren clicking again - go JPM.

 

Some how it bothers me that BMW is going to spend hundreds of millions on F1, which is essentially an image building undertaking, while they deny warranty repairs on MINIs, and disenchant existing customers.

I don't really see the rational for BMW to be in F1. I think they are better off in sports car racing, which is their roots, and I would like to see them support a MINI team.

Theissen has been quoted saying some rude things about Williams. Frank is an icon of F1 with a good reputation. Theissen comes across as arrogant and elitist.

I read that he was an engine engineer so I guess he wants to prove himself in F1. I am sure he will talk about all the race research benefits. We will see how it all works out.

 

While I do believe part of BMW's stopping development of the current engine can be attributed to the purchase of Sauber as the new factory team starting next year, there are some other factors out there. If you look around the paddock, most manufacturer's have also started to shift efforts towards next year since there is going to be the radical shift from the 4.whatever V10 to the 2.4L V8. Should they have ceased development out-right? No, probably not. They could at least tweak the engine as needed by Williams. Would it be a sinkhole of money to keep developing it with V8s coming next year? Well yes, but what in F1 isn't an endless sinkhole of money? Just look at Toyota.

I've personally never been a big BMW Williams fan. I liked Williams Renault, but I was never fond of the driver line-ups BMW would field, or more specifically all of the squabbles that would ensue. I did really like the funky split front nose they used to start last year. I've been a Renault and BAR fan for a few years now, but Red Bull has quickly becoming my dark horse favorite. Good'ol Square Jaw Coulthard and his X-Men helmet... (yes yes, it's the flag of St. Andrew... still looks like he's an X-Man to me)

 

I seem to PO the NASCAR crowd when I tell them "Real men race in the rain".

 

At least MINI USA is trying:

http://www.bmsracecars.com/Forum.html

 

I'm a Honda fan due to my previous passion So I usually dont concern myself with the BMW team to much. I do think that BMW is generally dissapointed with some of the decisions Williams has made this year, and being that they are moving to a full factory team next year, they have started to cut the ties, or burn bridges as some might see it.

After the rule changes/drama of this season...nothing really suprises me.

 

Seeing how Williams will be doing a one year deal with the new Cosworth 2.4 ltr. V-8, and BMW has now bought Sauber, I'd say the "divorce" is definately granted. I'm going to continue my passion for all things Ferrari and Renault, still I have a soft spot in my heart for Minardi, Sauber and Red Bull (but no longer for Jordan, post-Eddie).