Mario Theissen was quick to dismiss recent paddock speculation that their driver Nick Heidfeld was in line for the boot from the BMW Sauber team at the end of 2009, and also defended the team after it's appalling start to the season.
Theissen confronted the mounting reports in sections of the German media that Heidfeld's position in the team is under threat, with his current contract set to expire at the end of the year.
Heidfeld had a hugely impressive start to his life with the team, racking up strong finishes in 2006 and 2007, but he was eclipsed by his team mate Robert Kubica throughout last year, and while neither driver has covered themselves with glory so far in 2009, Heidfeld would be the more likely to be let go should the Germano-Swiss team decide to introduce some new blood.
Theissen stopped well short of actually praising Heidfeld, but insisted that the team wasn't about to start making decisions on drivers for 2010 until Spetember time, with their efforts currently focussed on rediscovering some semblance of form.
"First of all, I haven't read it," Theissen snorted when asked about the reports, "And even if I had read it I wouldn't make any comment and wouldn't react to it. As far as our present driver line-up is concerned I am not prepared to say anything negative.
"At the end of the day we can only talk about that when we are fast again and our driver line-up for the next year is traditionally decided in September."
In terms of BMW's 2009 thus far, which trawled new depths of uselessness at the weekend, with both Kubica and Heidfeld eliminated in the first part of qualifying, Theissen said that the criticism of the team this year is simply down to the team's achievements since it entered the sport, essentially moaning that everyone should just get off his back and watch a re-run of Canada 2008.
"In top sport you have waves of success and we've always been clear about that," Theissen insisted, "The big problem for us is that for the last three years we have shown a continual upswing in results and this is our first real step back - and we have to gather ourselves and work through it. And that is what we are busy doing."
When quizzed about the team's faltering KERS programme, which was not run on the cars in Monaco, the moustachioed one offered a strange, vague answer that didn't really shed any light on anything.
"We will see next weekend," he generalised, "At the moment we are looking to see what the problem with our overall situation is. For me everything is open. We will drive the race and then analyse where we stand and then decide how to continue."
So that's cleared that up then.
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