Williams and Renault will turn back the clock, reuniting for the 2012 and 2013 Formula One seasons with a new engine and technical partnership.
The Williams Renault combination enjoyed a hugely successful association between 1989 and 1997, yielding four Drivers’ and five Constructors’ titles and 63 race wins.
Renault Sport F1, the F1 division of Renault, will supply AT&T Williams with its championship-winning V8 power units for the next two 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 arrive in the sport in 2014.
Renault Sport F1 president Bernard Rey is confident the Williams-Renault combination can be a force again.
“There’s a great pride in reviving the Williams-Renault name,” Rey said.
“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.
Buy tickets
“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.”
Team Principal Frank Williams hopes the new deal with Renault will rebuild his team’s on-track reputation.
“We are delighted and excited by our new partnership with Renault” he said.
“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.”
