Mercedes Benz announced on Monday that they have extended their long-standing partnership with the Williams Racing team behind 2026.
The partnership began in 2014 at the start of the current hybrid era.
The future power units will exclusively use 100% sustainable fuel, adhering to stringent sustainability standards and reducing overall fuel consumption. The power unit’s electrical systems will be upgraded to achieve higher performance, and will feature a single 350 kW electric motor, almost three times more powerful than the current MGU-K. The development of the new power units will also be required to adhere to cost cap regulations.
Speaking about the news, Williams Racing Team Principal and former chief strategist with the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team James Vowles commented saying:
“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 objectives for the future, whilst we will still retain our design and manufacturing expertise and capabilities in-house.”
Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“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.”