BMW to Sauber??

irishman_abroad · 02-03-2003 11:25AM #1

Anyone hear anything about this rumour? I saw it in the Star but none of the F1 websites have anything on it.

ozt9vdujny3srf · 02-03-2003 05:15PM

heh, i think the star is not the most reliable source

irishman_abroad · 02-03-2003 06:22PM

yeah I know but it makes sense from BMWs point of view. They could have a much bigger say in how the team is run and seeing as how they were contemplating starting thier own team, Sauber might look an attractive prospect.

jonno · 07-03-2003 04:35PM

Ya it would be a fantastic move from BMW's POV. There's no doubting the manufacturers ability. They have a hugely powerful engine and it's fairly reliable too. As for Peter Sauber I really admire what he's done there with the lower spec Ferrari engine powering the team. If this deal goes through it could be interesting to see what they will do as regards the current Sauber team. Maybe hold Mr. Sauber as team manager or advisor or something

GreenHell · 31-03-2003 01:10PM

I read a report back when dailyf1 was around, that sauber had signed a deal with VW and that in the next 3 years Sauber would be switching engines.

dmeehan · 31-03-2003 02:18PM

why would any team WANT to give up using last years ferrari engine?

chernobyl · 01-04-2003 08:08PM

Originally posted by dmeehan
why would any team WANT to give up using last years ferrari engine?

There are so many reasons that its not even funny.

Firstly Sauber are getting engines that are a year old. Even though last years Ferrari engine is probably still in the top 5 right now, Sauber..even if they had the ability cannot develop the engine any further..not mechaincally and certainly not the EMS systems.

So the Ferrari/Petronas engine will age very quickly and very poorly...and Sauber pay for aging technology.

Sauber when they decided that they would use Ferrari's 2002 spec engine would have known that they would not get the engine specs and layout until december 2002 and therefore could not being designing key aspects of their car until then or make magor compromises when they got the engines...costly stuff

As a customer powered team..well thats just bad.
BMW spend crazy sums of money on development of their engines and it is certainly the most powerful, light and reliable (at last)..so Sauber would get cash to spend and save on have a works deal with a great supplier..its all win

but this "BMW - Sauber" is bull****..i can see BMW buying out Williams completely or starting alone. I mean, it has already changed to "BMW Williams" now.

Amnesiac_ie · 10-04-2003 12:40PM

There are lots of cracks beginning to show in the BMW Williams partnership... BMW feel that William's have consistently let the team down in the chassis department. BMW are also keen to keep Ralf Schumacher who would appear to be very much out of favour with Frank and Patrick. The question for BMW is, what are the alternatives?

*partial buy-out of Williams... Frank and Patrick very much opposed
*go it alone... very costly and will see the BMW team battling in the mid-field for years before they can make a serious assault on the title
*buy Sauber... the Hinwil based team produce a nimble chassis on a mediocre budget but I can't see a team based in Switzerland ever winnign the world championship
*buy B.A.R. ... based in F1 valley in England, BAT probably willing to wash their hands of the operation as they will never recover the lost investment before tobacco sponsorship comes to an end... good facilities, some good people in place... Honda might team up with old "pals" Williams
*re-sign a works engine deal with Williams...
*quit F1... and hope Mercedes fail to succeed over the next few years

BMW to Sauber??

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