The Grove-based squad has lengthy believed that its greatest probabilities of success in grand prix racing come from it being absolutely unbiased.
However whereas its choice from the beginning of final 12 months to take a Mercedes gearbox, fairly than produce its personal, marked a giant departure from its coverage of the previous, the group says that it’s going to not make any additional steps within the route of turning into a buyer group.
Though Haas’ rising competitiveness in F1 has proven the advantages that may come from taking automotive components from a producer, due to its relationship with Ferrari, Williams stays adamant it could possibly succeed alone.
“I feel we are able to do what we have to do with the connection we at the moment have with Mercedes for the subsequent couple of years,” defined Williams’ head of auto efficiency Dave Robson.
“They supply us with some quantity of {hardware} that is extraordinarily good. However we’re an unbiased group and we have to take the remainder of it forwards on our personal, or no less than be ready to do this.
“We’ll see what the long run holds for 2026 when issues get shaken up once more. However I do not assume we wish to comply with a Haas mannequin.”
Regardless of the alternatives that smaller groups have beneath F1’s new guidelines, which embody a price cap and aerodynamic improvement limits for prime groups, Williams was left on the backside of the constructors’ championship final 12 months.
Williams FW45 livery
Photograph by: Williams
Robson believes that whereas laws are serving to it shut the hole, there are nonetheless loads of legacy parts that guarantee F1’s former greatest spenders nonetheless have a bonus.
Requested about what he believed was holding Williams again, Robson stated: “I feel you’ll be able to’t get round the truth that the funding has been an issue.
“Though the laws have improved in that regard, you are not going to undo the sheer amount of cash the large groups have been spending for a decade.
“They have that, whether or not that is gear or data, and it is obtained some decay time. It’s going to be a bit little bit of time earlier than issues are actually reset. In order that actually is a part of it.”
Williams was taken over by new homeowners Dorilton Capital again in 2020, with the corporate closely investing to make the group extra aggressive.
Driver Alex Albon says he stays inspired by Dorilton’s mindset, which may be very a lot about setting out a plan for the long run, fairly than believing it could possibly make modifications to ship success in a single day.
“I get to talk to the board very often,” stated Albon. “And the principle factor is a long-term imaginative and prescient. I feel that is necessary for any sort of funding firm.
“They actually do see the long run, they’re investing, you see additionally with James [Vowles, new team boss]. I do know within the areas that he desires to enhance you have got this huge sense that they are absolutely behind the whole lot.”