Williams and Renault, Formula One partnership from 2012

Renault Sport F1, the F1 division of Renault, will supply AT&T Williams with its championship-winning V8 power units for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. In addition to the supply of its Formula One engines, the newly-formed alliance includes several other exciting business and marketing opportunities, with a view to continuing after the introduction of the new, energy efficient, turbocharged V6 engines in 2014.

The partnership is an exciting opportunity for both Renault Sport F1 and AT&T Williams. The original Anglo-French alliance enjoyed a hugely successful association between 1989 and 1997, yielding four Drivers’ and five Constructors’ titles and 63 race wins. It also produced some of the most evocative images of the 1990s, including Nigel Mansell’s British Grand Prix win in 1992; Alain Prost’s fourth world title and the classic duels between Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher.


Renault Sport F1 president, Bernard Rey, commented, “Renault remains in Formula One to achieve success in a cost efficient way and the partnership with Williams has great potential to add to the results we have notched up over recent years with our other partner teams. Williams has recently taken several important steps, both commercially and technically, to update its operations and we feel that this partnership is another important step in its rigorous plan. It reiterates how determined the team is to achieve results, which matches perfectly with our own objectives.

From 2012 onwards the fact that we will have four partners puts us ahead of other engine manufacturers in terms of market share, but off track it will also enable us to further use Formula One as a marketing platform for our parent company, Renault, to try to bring a bit of this association to our fans and our customers worldwide.

Of course there’s also a great pride in reviving the Williams-Renault name. Together, we produced racing cars that are recognised for their technical innovation and it is still Renault’s most successful period in F1 to date. It’s a hugely exciting opportunity for both Renault and Williams.”

Frank Williams, Team Principal of AT&T Williams, added, “We are delighted and excited by our new partnership with Renault. This reunites the F1 team with a leading car manufacturer and complements our new relationship with Jaguar. At the same time, we are grateful to Cosworth: they have been a fair and reliable partner both on and off the track for the past two years and we look forward to working with them across our business in the future.

“Our previous relationship with Renault was one of the most successful in Williams’ history but we will not allow ourselves to dwell too much on the past. We must look to the future and continue to re-build our on-track reputation, which I am hopeful that today’s announcement will help us to do.”

Q&A WITH ADAM PARR, CHAIRMAN, WILLIAMS F1

Q. Williams F1 have confirmed a return to Renault engines. How many years is the initial partnership for and what can you tell us about the terms of the agreement?
AP: This partnership is for the long-term. It will see Renault provide Williams with its championship-winning RS27 V8 engines for 2012 and 2013. Meanwhile we are already working on an extension for the new engine formula which arrives in 2014.

Q. Why did Williams F1 choose Renault?
AP: Renault is serious about success and so are we. They compete in Formula One because it’s at the cutting edge of developing technologies and because it is the pinnacle of motorsport. This is also why we compete in the sport and together we believe we can return AT&T Williams to our former competitiveness.

Q. How did the deal with Renault come about and what does this mean for Williams F1 as a business?
AP: For Williams, it has been a strategic priority to align ourselves with world-class automotive companies. Just two months ago we announced our partnership with Jaguar to create the C-X75 supercar together – a project that we both expect will lead onto a more general collaboration on high-performance road vehicles. Today, we have announced a partnership with Renault: they are not only making a Championship-winning engine, but they are independent, totally committed to Formula One and, of course, there is a resonance and heritage to Williams-Renault that creates a real buzz for both of us. So, in a short period we have signed two critical partnerships which will (literally and figuratively) power us forwards in coming years.

Q. How will the Renault announcement affect the development of the FW34?
AP: Of course, changing engines requires extra work, but with relatively stable regulations for 2012, the change gives us an extra opportunity for development. We have a very capable Design Office led by Ed Wood and they will be working with Renault’s technicians, who are some of the finest in the world. Development of the FW34 is progressing well and the timing is not going to be an issue for the team. This announcement also coincides well with the recruitment of Mike Coughlan, Jason Somerville and Mark Gillan to the technical team. Together with Ed Wood, we believe we have now the right technical leadership and engine to help us take the next step.

Q. AT&T Williams will be the fourth team that Renault supplies engines to. Is this a problem?
AP: Not at all. Given the massive investment that Renault has made in its V8 and will make in the V6, they need a decent group of teams to supply – remember that they do not have their own team and so linking up with a number of successful chassis makers is essential. In addition, the number of engines now used each season is very small. From over 200 per team a decade ago we are now down to about a tenth of that. From 2014 it may well drop by half again. Also with limited, single-car testing four teams gives Renault much more data for reliability and whatever development will be allowed in the future. Renault has always shown total integrity in offering parity to its partners and that is another essential factor for all of us.

Q. This new partnership means you will be ending your relationship with Cosworth. How will this affect the relationship with Cosworth for the remainder of the 2011 season?
AP: We had an understanding with Cosworth that continuing beyond this year was dependent on the longer-term prospects with the new engine. So, this was foreseen. Having said that, Cosworth is an excellent engine partner. We are enormously grateful to them for all the hard work they have put into our partnership and we know that they will continue to work tirelessly for the remainder of this year. Whilst the end of the season will be the end of our on-track relationship with Cosworth, we are looking forward to working closely with them on our Jaguar project and continuing our partnership in this way.

Q. The last Williams-Renault partnership (1989 – 1997) was one of the most successful periods in the team’s history. Therefore there is a lot of expectation following its revival. Does this put more pressure on the team to improve its performance on the racetrack?
AP: We constantly put pressure on ourselves to improve our performance regardless of expectations. We’re not satisfied with just finishing races or picking up a few points, our aim is to win and we want to put ourselves back in a position to do so. Clearly our performance at the moment is not where would like it to be, but we are doing all we can to rectify that and this partnership is another step in that process. This partnership is about the future. In a sense, it is about earning the right to inherit the past.

Q. Williams F1 has projects with Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover and now has a deal with Renault. Are there any plans to make a road car with Renault?
AP: Today’s announcement is about a Formula One engine partnership. Our venture with Jaguar is to produce a supercar but it does not preclude us from entering into arrangements that do not compete with the C-X75. Let’s see…

Q. Will this deal benefit the team sponsorship-wise?
AP: Absolutely. It will bring technical and commercial benefits for Williams and for those interested in being part of this amazing project. Who would not want to be part of it?

| Renault | Williams

Gran Premio de Turquía de Fórmula 1 para Williams: previo

Former Williams F1 driver David Coulthard refers to Istanbul Park as “a modern day classic”. The track undulates and it has several fast corners, which require aerodynamic performance from the cars and commitment from the drivers.

The most challenging corner on the lap is the quadruple-apex Turn 8, through which the drivers pull 5G for nearly seven seconds. The entry to the corner is blind and there’s a bump mid-corner that tries to throw the cars off-line.Being the first of only five anti-clockwise circuits on the calendar, it’s a physical track for the drivers because the left side of the neck takes a pounding. “As long as you put the necessary work in beforehand, you’re okay,” says AT&T Williams driver RubensBarrichello. “However fit you are, though, you’ll begin to feel your neck by the end of this race. It’s tough.”



Sam Michael, Technical Director: We're bringing a number of upgrades to the FW33 over the next few races, starting with Istanbul. The package for Turkey will include new brake ducts, revised front wing and rear wings, plus some other secondary items. Combined, these components should give the FW33 a decent step-up in performance. Our objective is to get the car into the points as soon as possible.

Istanbul Park has a great layout for the drivers to get their teeth into. In particular, it boasts an excellent natural overtaking spot at the end of the back straight. Turkey has the notorious Turn 8, a left-hander which places considerable loads on the car’s aerodynamics. A car that can handle those pressures, combined with one capable of some significant kerb riding through the last sequence of corners, is critical at this track.

Rubens Barrichello: I want to have a more competitive weekend with the team than we have had so far this season. We have new parts coming for Turkey which will hopefully work in our favour. I love Istanbul Park. It is one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar and we will aim to be flat out there. Everyone says Turn 8 is a highlight, and it is, but I also find the circuit nice from a set-up point of view with qualifying also a good challenge. I like the track as a whole.

Pastor Maldonado: I’ve been to Istanbul Park four or five times and I think it is a good circuit to race on. Last year I had one of my best races of the season in Istanbul racing in GP2. If we can get the car performing as we want to this weekend, it will be a good event for us. Turn 8 is my favourite part of the circuit as it is an amazing, very long and fast corner. It is also quite a technical circuit. We are improving and I hope we can jump forward with the upgrades we have here and be more competitive.

From Cosworth’s perspective: Istanbul Park is one of the most complicated circuits on the Formula One calendar with a varied mix of high, medium and low-speed sections which puts engines through a tough workout. The vagaries of the track require effective power delivery from the bottom end of the rev range right up to peak power output. The multi-apex Turn 8 remains a stiff challenge for drivers and demands a consistent response from the engine at high-speed. Good traction is critical upon the exit of Turn 12 to negotiate the slow final section of the lap. The track’s location at 125m above sea level and with almost 46m of elevation change over the lap exacerbates the demands placed on the engine.

From Pirelli’s perspective: Turkey is a very exciting track, and from Pirelli's perspective it is almost our second home race: the Izmit factory, where all the Formula One tyres are made, is only half an hour away from the circuit. Istanbul Park is a very demanding track for tyres as we normally see high temperatures on top of some very challenging corners. Like everyone, we were pleased to see Williams get both cars to the finish in China and with the depth of experience that is clear to anyone who has worked with the team, we're sure it's not going to be long before the team is hitting all of its targets.

TURKISH GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
When: Friday 6 to Sunday 8 May, 2011
Where: Istanbul Park, Turkey
Round: 4 of 19


Williams F1 Announces Technical Department Restructure
Williams F1 today announced that Technical Director, Sam Michael, and Chief Aerodynamicist, Jon Tomlinson, have resigned from their positions within the company, to take effect at the end of 2011.

Frank Williams, Team Principal, said: “Both Sam and Jon are talented and driven people who have worked hard for Williams over 10 and five years respectively. Nonetheless, they have recognised that the team’s performance is not at the level that it needs to be and have resigned in order to give the team the opportunity to regroup and undertake the changes necessary to get back to the front of the grid. Both will continue to work in their present positions through until the end of the year to ensure that the team maintains focus and momentum during the 2011 season. We are very grateful to Sam and to Jon for their professional approach.”


Mike Coughlan Appointed as Chief Engineer

Williams F1 today announced that Mike Coughlan will join the team in June 2011 in the role of Chief Engineer.

Mike Coughlan undertook his training and education at Rolls Royce and Brunel University. He began his Formula One career at Lotus where he worked his way up to Chief Designer. He subsequently worked for Tyrell, Ferrari and Arrows before joining McLaren in 2002 as Chief Designer. Mike left Formula One in 2007 as a result of his role in the ‘Spygate’ affair. Since then, Mike has applied his skills principally as Chief Engineer in the development of the Ocelot Light Protected Patrol Vehicle. He joins Williams F1 from NASCAR competitor, Michael Waltrip Racing.

Frank Williams, Team Principal, said: “Mike Coughlan is a fine engineer with extensive experience across Formula One and both civil and defence engineering. He left Formula One in 2007 because of conduct which he acknowledges was wrong and which he profoundly regrets. His two year ban from the sport expired some time ago and Mike is now determined to prove himself again. Williams is delighted to be able to give him the opportunity to do this and we are very pleased to have one of the most talented and competitive engineers in the sport helping us to return to the front of the grid. This is the first step in re-building and strengthening our technical group. We will announce the next steps as they develop.”

Mike Coughlan commented, “I am grateful to Williams for giving me this opportunity. My experience in 2007 was life-changing. Since then, I have endeavoured to put my skills to good use in the design of the Ocelot vehicle whose purpose is to transport soldiers in safety. I have also enjoyed my time with Michael Waltrip Racing: they are an excellent race team and I wish them well for the future. Now, I am looking forward to returning to a sport which I love and to joining a team that I have admired for many years. I will dedicate myself to the team and to ensuring that we return to competitiveness while respecting the ethical standards with which Williams has always been synonymous.”

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