Formula One: Get F1 Right or We Quit - Bmw

BMW has threatened to withdraw from formula one at the end of 2007 unless the sport remains an attractive technical and commercial proposition for the Munich-based car maker.

Burkhard Göschel, a BMW board member, was responding to developments over the San Marino grand prix weekend, including the FIA president Max Mosley's announcement of a dramatic package of technical regulations for introduction in 2008.

"We are committed to motorsports," Göschel said. "It's not [just] a question of formula one. If formula one is going another way which is not congruent with our ideas and values as BMW, then we would change to another kind of motorsport. We are not fixed on formula one."

BMW has supplied V10 engines to the Williams team for the past four seasons. Neither Frank Williams nor his technical director Patrick Head, who has a 30% stake in the British team, was available for comment yesterday on the matter.

Göschel also expressed BMW's concern about the breakdown of negotiations between SLEC, the company founded by Bernie Ecclestone which manages formula one's commercial rights income, and GPWC, the alliance of car makers which also includes DaimlerChrysler, Ferrari Maserati, Renault and Ford.

He said he hoped talks could be restarted and that the manufacturers would not have to proceed with a separate series from the start of 2007, an option which is regarded with great scepticism by most formula one insiders. "We didn't see any effort from the shareholders of SLEC to realise the task they have," he said. "Now we are waiting."

Meanwhile, Williams' test driver Antonio Pizzonia is hoping to be promoted to the race team next season now that Ralf Schumacher looks set to follow Juan Pablo Montoya into fresh employment.

Montoya is going to McLaren and Schumacher's manager Willi Weber has been deeply involved in talks with Toyota over the past few weeks.

"It looks like there are going to be two seats available in the team, which is good for me," said the 23-year-old Brazilian, who resumed his role in the Williams test team after an abortive spell with Jaguar last season which ended when he was replaced by Justin Wilson after the British grand prix.