BMW Sauber Invites Teams to Toast for Good Times after Final Race

Although Williams F1 Team have been publicly lobbying against a potential 14th entry for the BMW Sauber outfit, Frank Williams and the other members of the British team were invited by Peter Sauber and the German marque to raise a glass after the Swiss team's last race in the Great Circle.

“This is BMW Sauber’s last race in Formula One and the team invited everyone in the F1 paddock to raise a glass “to good times”, according to team principal Mario Theissen. Having been a partner of Williams F1 for six years, in which we scored 10 victories together, we’ll certainly drink to that. Thanks for the memories,” said the iWitness statement on Williams' site after the Abu Dhabi GP.

BMW announced their withdrawal from Formula One at the end of the 2009 season, but are still very much involved in the efforts to safeguard the Hinwil based team in the series. Having already sold the operations to Swiss foundation Qadbak, both the German marque and Peter Sauber are pushing for a 14th entry in the 2010 F1 championship.

That decision is to be made by the FIA only if all the current F1 teams agree to it. However, as confirmed by Frank Williams in recent weeks, not only his team but also several other outfits are against such a move. Under the circumstances, BMW Sauber's only salvation rests in the possibility of one newly-entering team not making it to the grid next year.

However, Nick Heidfeld admitted prior to the race at Yas Marina Circuit that the chances of seeing Peter Sauber in the F1 paddock in 2010 are almost over, and the invitation to a toast after the race did nothing but to confirm it.