Formula 1: Williams cooperates with Mercedes

2 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

– 01/10/2021

Will there be six F1 Mercedes cars in 2022?

More and more Formula 1 teams are buying more than just the drivetrains from their engine partners. Williams is also participating now.

JWilliams has now recognized the need. For years, the traditional British team fought against too close a technical exchange between two teams and referred to the DNA of motorsport, according to which racing teams should build their own cars. Williams began with Brabham customer cars in 1969 and in 1980 sold the last complete customer car in F1 history to RAM. From 2022, Sir Frank Williams’ former team also wants to expand its collaboration with Mercedes.

Then Mercedes will no longer just supply the drive trains to Williams, but also the transmission and hydraulic components. This is intended to make the design and manufacturing process in-house more efficient.

AUTO BILD Motorsport also learned: According to internal calculations by a team, Williams would already be around 0.8 seconds faster per lap with the Mercedes transmission. An argument that even the new bosses around team boss Simon Roberts and the German Jost Capito cannot escape.

Teams follow the Haas model

The Haas team has been buying parts from Ferrari since 2016.

Appropriate cooperation is only logical. The Haas team has been buying all parts from Ferrari that are permitted by the technical regulations since 2016. Team boss Günther Steiner explains to ABMS: “Let’s take the steering gear. This is a highly complicated part, technically very complex and expensive to build, but completely insignificant for the performance. Because there are no longer any differences between the various steering gears used by the teams. So why shouldn’t I buy this item off the shelf in Maranello? So I make the aerodynamic parts that have to be designed myself, and I go shopping for the rest. “

Other racing teams are now following this example. The result: Many teams are working closely together as early as 2021, but especially with the new cars in 2022. To put it bluntly, six Mercedes will drive against six Ferraris, four Red Bulls, two McLarens and two Alpines.

Background: Mercedes equips its own works team, Aston Martin, McLaren and Williams with engines. Aston Martin buys many other components – for example the transmission and the rear axle. This is an advantage for the Vettel team for 2021: The regulations allow only minimal changes to mechanical chassis components. But Aston Martin can also switch from the 2019 Mercedes rear to that of 2020.

McLaren and Alpine as lone fighters

Will there be six F1 Mercedes cars in 2022?

McLaren only gets the drive from Mercedes.

McLaren only gets the drive from Mercedes. Williams will not expand the technical cooperation until 2022.

As mentioned, Haas goes all out with the Ferrari teams. What can be bought is also bought. Ferrari has even set up a branch office with engineers at Haas. Because the budget ceiling would otherwise have to dismiss engineers, Ferrari expects the closer cooperation to be an advantage. Alfa Romeo is now buying fewer parts from Scuderia – but the gearbox and engine are.

Red Bull and Alpha Tauri will cooperate even more closely in 2021. Similar to Haas, Alpha Tauri will purchase all parts from Red Bull that the regulations allow.

Only Alpine has no way of working together. It is the only team that uses its own Renault engines.