12/01/2024
NEWS STORY
Mercedes will continue to power Williams until at least 2030, as the Grove outfit becomes the German manufacturer's second confirmed customer team confirmed for the next generation of power unit regulations.
Mercedes-AMG has powered Williams since 2014 and the start of the 1.6-litre V6 hybrid era. 2023 therefore marked the 10th season of partnership between the pair, and this relationship will span close to two decades by the 2030 season.
"It is fantastic to extend our partnership with Williams Racing until 2030," said Markus Schaefer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer. "We have enjoyed a strong relationship with them since the introduction of the current power unit regulations and look forward to continuing that into this next era. Their commitment and support to our future power unit strategy is highly valued. We look forward to approaching this new rules set together, with the same passion and enthusiasm we did in 2014 and with the aim of achieving similar successes."
Mercedes has built an illustrious history since returning to the pinnacle of motorsport, firstly as an engine supplier in 1994 and then as a full works team in 2010. Since the introduction of the current power unit regulations, Mercedes-AMG has powered 114 victories, including two for customer teams, in 204 Grands Prix and won eight consecutive Constructors' Championships.
"We are delighted to confirm Williams as the second customer team that we will supply for the 2026 power unit regulations," said Toto Wolff. "Today's news highlights the strength of the Mercedes-Benz offering in F1 and importantly not only validates, but reinforces, our overall motorsport strategy. Since 2014, we have continued to build and develop our relationship with Williams. As the team continues to put the foundations in place to challenge at the front of the grid, we look forward to supporting them with our power unit supply."
Development of the new power unit has been underway since mid-2022 at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth. A healthy portfolio of strong customer teams will enable faster learning once these power units take to the track in 2026.
"Williams is an historic F1 team and over the course of our partnership, we have enjoyed notable successes together since first partnering back in 2014," said Hywel Thomas, Managing Director, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains. "One of our proudest moments at HPP in the current turbo hybrid era was seeing our power unit lock out the top four positions at the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix with Williams taking a well-deserved third and fourth. Our working relationship with Williams has only strengthened over the past decade and we look forward to continuing that productive approach as we head into the next generation of power units in 2026."
"We have enjoyed a long-term partnership with Mercedes, and we are thrilled to extend this collaboration into the next era of Formula 1," added James Vowles. "The expertise, support, and technology that Mercedes brings to the table align perfectly with our team's aspirations in the medium and long term. This long-term agreement with Mercedes is a positive step and forms part of our strategic objectives for the future, whilst we will still retain our design and manufacturing expertise and capabilities in-house."
Williams became a Mercedes customer team at the start of the current turbo hybrid era and has since taken 16 podium finishes. Across this period, the team finished third in the Constructors' Championship in 2014 and 2015 and enjoyed its most successful season since 2017 by finishing seventh overall in the 2023 standings.