Official: The Williams team will be powered by Mercedes starting in 2014

After the official announcement on Sunday of Renault’s engine partnership with Red Bull and Toro Rosso in 2014, another paddock rumor has just been confirmed. Williams has officially announced its change of engine supplier for 2014. The Grove team will now be powered by Mercedes-Benz V6 engines starting next season.

The Williams-Renault partnership, victorious in the 1980s and 1990s with 5 constructors’ titles, will have only been revived for the span of two seasons.

Mercedes-Benz, which was in talks with the Williams team, will only supply the engine (and thus the KERS system), while Williams will use its own transmission system.

Sir Franck Williams, founder and director of the team, was delighted to welcome this new engine supplier: “I am delighted to announce this partnership with Mercedes-Benz for the 2014 Formula 1 season and beyond. Mercedes-Benz has been one of the most successful engine suppliers in Formula 1, and we hope they will have a very good engine next season.”

Franck Williams also wanted to thank Renault, his current engine supplier, which helped him win a Grand Prix last year: « I would also like to thank Renault for their continuous and diligent work since the beginning of our partnership in 2012. We have appreciated this strong relationship that notably allowed us to win a Grand Prix last year in Spain. »

Renault Sport F1, through its CEO Jean-Michel Jalinier, also wants to thank, via a statement, the Grove team for this partnership: “We would like to thank Williams for their warm welcome throughout our collaboration and we sincerely wish them the best for the future. Two years ago, as we renewed our partnership, we were able to recreate the spirit of our legendary years, notably with a victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2012. We will continue to support Williams F1 Team throughout the season /f1/actualite/15595-officiel-renault-motorisera-red-bull-et-toro-rosso-en-2014.html with the hope of concluding the second chapter of our shared history with results worthy of its reputation.”

Claire Williams, newly appointed deputy director of her father’s team, emphasized the impact of the engine on the success of a season: « It’s exciting news for the team. Having the right engine partner is a key success factor in our long-term goal to reach the forefront of the hierarchy. Securing this agreement early in the season will allow us to start working today on the development of the 2014 car. »

Andy Cowell, director of Mercedes AMG’s engine division, was obviously pleased with the announcement of this partnership; the engine manufacturer already knowing that McLaren, one of the teams it powers, will switch to Honda engines in 2015: « We are very proud at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains to announce this partnership with Williams. This team is one of the most legendary in Formula 1, and we look forward to working with them. Another positive aspect is that our partnership is long-term. We are therefore sure to have at least two partners in 2015, as our partnership with McLaren will end at the end of next season. »

Finally, Toto Wolff, executive director of the Mercedes AMG team, also expressed satisfaction with this partnership. Until the start of the season, Toto Wolff was a shareholder of the Williams team before taking the helm at Mercedes, hence his role in this new partnership: « The superb heritage of Williams and our technology make this long-term partnership perfect. It’s a win-win situation since Mercedes will be able to equip three teams next season and beyond, opening up interesting technological opportunities for the teams. »

The FIA technical regulations for the 2014 season stipulate that the engines must complete the race distance of approximately 300 kilometers with only 100 kg of fuel (compared to 150 kg currently needed with the V8s). The 2014 engines will be 1.6L Turbo V6s equipped with the Energy Recovery System (ERS). Energy efficiency will then increase by 30% compared to the current V8 engines. The official statement released by Mercedes also explains that the ERS (Energy Recovery System) will be 10 times more powerful than the current KERS, using new recovery systems.