BMW expects change at WilliamsF1

But recent comments would seem to support the view that BMW is going to expect the WilliamsF1 team to change to meet BMW demands. When questioned as to why BMW and Williamsf1 had yet to sign an extension of their partnership BMW Motorsport Director Dr Mario Theissen had this to say.

Dr Theissen said: "I wouldn’t say there is anything stopping us – we are still in the process. We have certainly several options but first option and priority would be to extend our partnership with Williams. But, of course, if we do that we want to be successful not just BMW but also Williams and certainly at the moment we are not in the position we want to be in so we are currently talking about how the team has to be structured, has to be organised, what the processes have to be in order to get to the top and this is I think quite a constructive process that is going on and I am quite confident that at the end of this process we will have a satisfying result.

As to what in the WilliamsF1 team has to be restructured Dr Theissen added: "Well, if you look at the operations of the team it is about processes, how people work together, how development processes are organised, and of course the structure related to this - how people are grouped within the company. Then, of course, it is about the competence of the people and about the resources and tools available. That is what we are talking about.'

From these comments there would appear to be a degree of dissatisfaction with the ways things are with the WilliamsF1 team. Theissen made it clear that the dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs existed with both companies, not just BMW.

He added: "We are not happy and saying we I mean BMW as well as Williams. We are not happy with the position and the competitiveness we have at the moment and we have to talk about how to fix that, and it is about the operation of the team.

BMW's requests of the WilliamsF1 team relate very much to the future and what can be done to ensure the competitiveness of the team in the future.

Dr Theissen explained this: "Certainly more about the future than the present - if we went to Williams talking about the future partnership we certainly don’t talk about the FW25 because at that time this year’s car will be history. We are talking about the key factors of competitiveness of a future team.

Even though there does appear to be a certain amount of dissatisfaction with the organisation of the WilliamsF1 team from Dr Theissen's comments it would appear that both parties are moving towards a satisfactory resolution of their negotiations.