OCTOBER 11, 2002

Laurenz to Mercedes-Benz?

BMW Motorsport has announced that Dr Werner Laurenz, the general manager of the F1 engine development program, is to leave the company. He will be replaced by Heinz Paschen, the lead designer of the powerful BMW V10 engines.

Theer is speculation in Germany that Laurenz has been hired by Mercedes-Benz to help to revamp the company's engine design program, although this has yet to be confirmed by the Stuttgart company.

Paschen has kept a very low profile since he joined BMW from the Toyota CART program at the start of 2000 but he is widely credited with being the man who has been largely responsible for BMW's remarkable horsepower figures.