Williams will use Cosworth engines in 2010
The 2010 Williams single-seaters will be equipped with Cosworth engines next season. The team believes more in its chances next year by being powered by an independent entity. Although the Grove team was close to an agreement with Renault, high-ranking sources from the French car manufacturer revealed that Williams informed Renault that it was no […]
The 2010 Williams single-seaters will be equipped with Cosworth engines next season. The team believes more in its chances next year by being powered by an independent entity. Although the Grove team was close to an agreement with Renault, high-ranking sources from the French car manufacturer revealed that Williams informed Renault that it was no longer interested in a relationship like the one with Toyota.
Precisely, the agreement with Toyota will end this year, which means Williams is free to opt for Cosworth engines. Williams refuses to confirm the source of its engines before the end of the season, but its technical director Patrick Head has praised Cosworth’s efforts in preparing for its return to Formula 1.
« They are certainly very committed to this return and they are working tirelessly. They are one of our options, but we will only formalize something after the last race of the season. But I believe that our design office knows which engine needs to be incorporated for the design of the cars. »
Sources claim that one of the main attractions for Cosworth is the fact that the engine supplier will be able to adjust its power unit by itself until the beginning of next year. This is something no other manufacturer can do due to the F1 engine freeze. These adjustments could help Cosworth perform well throughout 2010, which explains why Red Bull Racing is also considering these same engines over Mercedes-Benz.
Head stated that his team had chosen to end their partnership with Toyota as he envisions a change in direction for his team: “We had a very good relationship with Toyota. We made a decision two months ago because we wanted to go in a different direction. I believe the reasons are not financial.”
« We have nothing to blame Toyota for, so it’s an amicable separation. There were a number of factors that led to the decision being made. We decided to change direction. But nothing was done in shouting or yelling, » added Head.
« Ross Brawn and his team have shown that you can make an engine change on Christmas Eve and still produce a very competitive car. But, I don’t think our design office will thank us if that happens. The engineers will have a bit more time to design the car around the engine. »
