Stable bond
Williams will continue to use Mercedes engines until at least the end of the 2030 season, thus decisively entering the 'new era' of power units – which will start from the 2026 vintage – still alongside the Stuttgart house. This is an agreement that from a 'political' point of view could have been foreseeable, given the bond built over the years by these two teams and made evident by the human relationship between the two team principals, Toto Wolff and James Vowles.
However, the news also has considerable sporting value, given the significant growth in performance shown by the historic Grove team over the last year. The collaborative relationship between Williams and Mercedes is born in 2014at the start of F1's hybrid era, and will last at least until the end of this decade.
The official press release
In the joint statement published by Williams and Mercedes we read that “the decision to extend the partnership into the new era of technical regulations, which will begin in 2026, strengthens the commitment to excellence and innovation between the parties. This announcement marks a significant step forward in the long-term relationshipwhich began in 2014 with the start of the hybrid era“. With Mercedes engines, Williams has contested 204 GPs so far, collecting one pole position and 16 podiums overall.
The words of Vowles and Wolff
“We have a long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz e we are excited to extend this collaboration into the next era of Formula 1 – he has declared Vowleswho worked for the Brackley team until the end of the 2022 season – the experience, support and technology that Mercedes provides are perfectly in line with our team's medium and long-term aspirations. This long-term agreement with Mercedes is a positive step and is in line with our goals for the future, as we continue to maintain our design and manufacturing expertise and capabilities within the company.”.
“We are delighted to confirm Williams as the second customer team we will supply with the new 2026 power unit regulations – commented Toto Wolff – Today's news highlights the strength of the Mercedes-Benz F1 offering and reinforces our global motorsport strategy. Since 2014 we have continued to build and develop our relationship with Williams. As the team continues to lay the foundations to challenge the front of the grid, we look forward to supporting them with our supply of power units.”.
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