Mercedes-Benz to continue power unit supply to Williams Racing till 2030

MANILA: Mercedes-Benz announced that it will continue to supply Williams Racing with power units (PU) for its Formula 1 race cars.

Williams Racing is the second customer team confirmed for the next-generation of power unit regulations that will be introduced in 2026.

“It is fantastic to extend our partnership with Williams Racing until 2030. 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 are highly valued. We look forward to approaching these new rules set together, with the same passion and enthusiasm we did in 2014 and with the aim of achieving similar successes,” said Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and Chief Technology Officer Markus Schaefer.

According to Mercedes-Benz, development of a new power unit has been underway since mid-2022 at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth.

Once the said PU has been rolled out, a healthy portfolio of strong customer teams will enable faster learning once the engines are tested on the track by 2026.

Mercedes-Benz has been an engine supplier for various race teams since 1994, and then as a full works team in 2010. Since the introduction of the current power unit regulations in Formula 1, Mercedes-AMG has powered 114 victories, including two for customer teams, in 204 Grands Prix and won eight consecutive World Constructors’ Championships.

“We are delighted to confirm Williams Racing as the second customer team that we will supply for the 2026 power unit regulations. 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,” noted Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Head Toto Wolff.

Williams Racing became a Mercedes-Benz customer team at the start of the current turbo hybrid era and has since taken 16 podium finishes.

Across the said period, the team finished third in the World Constructors’ Championship in 2014 and 2015 and enjoyed its most successful season since 2017 by finishing seventh overall in the 2023 standings.

“We have enjoyed a long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz, and we are thrilled to extend this collaboration into the next era of Formula 1. 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,” stated Williams Racing Team Principal James Vowles.

Photo from Mercedes-Benz

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