Mercedes-Benz and Williams Racing have announced an extension to their partnership that will see the former supply engines to the latter until at least the end of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Williams began running with Mercedes-power ahead of the 2014 season and finished third in the Constructors’ Championship in both 2014 and 2015 with a number of podium finishes for Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas, but success since has been harder to find, with 2019 in particular being difficult with only one point scored in the opening fourteen races.
Claire Williams, the deputy team principal at Williams, has welcomed the extension to their partnership and believes that the power unit package will continue to be a competitive one in the years to come.
“We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Mercedes-Benz over the past six years of what was originally a seven-year agreement, and so we are delighted to be continuing working with them for a further five years from 2021,” said Williams.
“Mercedes-Benz has been one of the sport’s most successful engine suppliers and we believe that they will continue to have an extremely competitive engine package going forwards. Over our time with them they have become a real friend of the team, and we look forward to working with Mercedes-AMG HPP in future.”
Andy Cowell, the Managing Director of Mercedes-AMG HPP, says Williams have been an ‘exemplary partner’ of Mercedes since they joined forced in 2014, and he sees no reason why this partnership cannot excel further across the next seven years.
“Building long-term partnerships has been a key pillar of our approach to the hybrid era in Formula 1,” said Cowell. “Williams has been an exemplary partner since we began working together ahead of the 2014 season and we have enjoyed a number of highlights during those years.
“We have built strong human and technical relationships to the team in Grove and very much look forward to building on them in the years ahead.”
Toto Wolff, the Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, says Williams remain one of the more iconic brand names on the Formula 1 grid and he is delighted that the partnership with them has been extended into the ‘new era’ of the sport, set to arrive in 2021.
“Williams is one of the iconic brands in Formula 1 and we at Mercedes are proud to count them as part of our motorsport family,” said Wolff. “They have been through some tough times recently but that has only served to demonstrate their resilience and strength of character as they battle back to where they belong on the grid.
“I am certain that the outlook for independent teams is bright under the financial regulations that will be introduced from 2021 and we are delighted to continue our partnership with Williams into that new era of our sport.”
