BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen positively anticipates that his team's rate of progress in Formula One will continue after already emerging as Ferrari and McLaren's closest contenders this year.

Although he has already admitted that contending for wins on pure pace will be impossible in 2007, Theissen has seen his team become the third best in F1 this season and that development work at their Hinwil factory could change that scenario for next year.

Theissen said that they have every reason to be satisfied with what they have so far achieved. He added that their target for this year was to make it onto the podium on their own caliber.

According to him, Nick Heidfeld already managed that merit in Montreal with his second place, at the same time claiming their best individual result so far. Theissen is also confident that this will not be their last podium finish this year.

With intense firmness, he said that they have vividly established themselves as the third strongest team and that they have no intention of discontinuing that position in the remaining races of the season.

Theissen reviews that they have already notched up 56 points for 2007 and last year they finished the season with 36. Thus, he said that they have come away from every Grand Prix with points.

Furthermore, he continued that he is particularly pleased with all of those since they have not yet completed their two-year development phase. He adds that the Hinwil factory extension won't be ready until the end of the year and that's when they will be operating at full power.

About BMW
Along with its automotive concerns, the BMW Group is composed of the development, production and marketing of automobiles, and motorcycles. It is also into financial services.

The BMW Group is the sole car maker in the world to pursue a purely premium strategy for all market sectors covered by its brands, from exclusive smaller cars to top-of-the-range luxury limousines. Its car brands include BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The Group also manufactures quality BMW 318ti parts.

As to motorcycles, BMW also uses "premium" as the key word. The Group's strategy is to develop and build the best motorcycles, set standards in connection with technology, environmental protection and safety, and provide outstanding customer service in the pre- and after-sales phases.

The Group also perceives financial services as a key factor for success in today's mobile world. It provides financing and leasing, asset management, dealer financing and company car pools services.

Other business interests include insurance (Bavaria Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH), IT consulting and systems integration (Softlab GmbH).

BMW is also into motorsport. The BMW Sauber F1 Team looks back on a successful British Grand Prix with Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld finishing fourth and sixth respectively. With this result, the BMW Sauber F1 Team garnered another eight World Championship points to the team's tally and maintained its position as third power on the Formula One grid.