https://www.planetf1.com/news/jost-capito-coy-williams-renault-engine-speculation/ Williams boss Jost Capito would not be drawn on speculation linking the team with a deal to be powered by Renault engines in future. The Renault engine only powers one team, Alpine, on the current Formula 1 grid having lost Red Bull and AlphaTauri as customer teams at the end of the 2018 campaign. Senior figures at Alpine have stated their openness to adding a customer team to their ranks again, with one of the main benefits being a significant increase in available data with more cars clocking up the miles to provide more valuable insights into power unit performance and reliability. Williams, meanwhile, have been powered by Mercedes engines ever since the turbo hybrid era began in 2014, but Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has suggested that the Silver Arrows, “in an ideal world”, would only have two customer teams instead of the three they currently have in Williams, McLaren and Aston Martin. That has since fuelled speculation that Williams could be the team to move away from the Mercedes pool, but Capito has said there is still a long way to go before the team’s current agreement with the Silver Arrows expires. “It’s all speculation at the moment,” Capito said, as quoted by GrandPx.news. “We have a contract with Mercedes until the end of 2025, and there will be new regulations in 2026. “A lot of water will flow down the Rhine before then.”
I haven't read the entire thread, so maybe this has already been said - from my visit to the 1990 and 1991 USGP at Phoenix. William-Renault (normally aspirated V10 if I remember correctly). Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
It could be if they are free. Also with the engine freeze there shouldn't be big differences between manufacturers. Anyway, just changing Latiffi for Piastri is a huge improvement.
Do you think Albon was being just a little tongue-in-cheek when he wrote this press release? Image Unavailable, Please Login
that's funny one of the already confirmed drivers (e.g. Sainz or Hamilton) should follow up and put out a similar statement
Funny you mention him. He actually also got confirmed for next year but it was lost in the story of Seb's retirement and Alonso's hiring. So coming from Stroll wouldn't be hilarious as it would be a real confirmation. It'd be more tongue in cheek coming from somebody who had a contract for years.
I think he was being funny and also pointing out the ineptitude of other teams in the simple management of information concerning their highest paid employee's LOL. I know I know - nothing new in F1 lol
With all his experience Ham should do the right thing and go and help turn Williams around. Moving to an underdog team is the hallmark of a great champion.
He already did that when he joined Mercedes. They couldn't get their act together in all the years previous to his arrival. Schumacher was struggling with the MB.
Absolutely spot on. People have short memories (either that or they started watching F1 after Drive to Survive) and totally forget how Hamilton was universally criticized for joining Mercedes. Lots of people called it a career ending move and said he would never win a race again. Then again a certain ex F1 driver did say that Michael Schumacher would likely not amount to much so hindsight is always 20/20
This is absurd. Brawn and Schumacher built that team. It takes years to get a championship team together, Red Bull took 4-5 years, Mercedes took about the same, and Hamilton, completely against his will as it was only Bernie Ecclestone that convinced him he had nothing to lose, and waltzed right into the most dominant team in the history of Formula 1, just as I said they would be. Very few drivers can actively communicate and build a team like that, Schumacher and Lauda are the best examples of those who could and did.
Probably a career ending move, and a "first class burial" (litteral translation from the old french expression "un enterrement de première classe") BUT that would be very classy, a touch of "panache"; I like the idea! Rgds
At the time of Hamilton's decision MB was a floundering team that didn't see much of any progress. He took a leap of faith akin to what Alonso is doing now with Aston Martin, but right now nobody knows whether the AM will be good for any victories or not. Nor did Hamilton know that at the time. And as Nuvolari pointed out: EVERYBODY thought Hamilton was making the biggest mistake of his career 2010 MB team was 4th with MS/Nico 2011 MB team was 4th with MS/Nico 2012 MB team was 5th with MS/Nico See a trend here? If anything one pointing down. Then Hamilton joined the team: 2013 MB team was 2nd with Hamilton/Nico 2014 MB teams was 1st with Hamilton/Nico and the rest is history
It takes YEARS to build a championship winning team. Brawn and Schu had been putting the pieces together just as Red Bull had years earlier. It takes 4-5 years with full commitment to yield a championship team.
In an interview, Niki Lauda said he convinced Hamilton to sign for Mercedes after visiting him in his room at the Singapore GP. It cannot have been too hard for Lauda to explain that driving for the factory was better than for a Mercedes customer team. I never heard that Ecclestone had any part in Hamilton's decision.
You're selling Mercedes's ability to get a head start on the formula short. Schumacher toiled away for years with Ferrari before they could field a championship winning car. Mercedes promised Hamilton the world and delivered, unbeknownst to the rest of the world. Kudos to Hamilton for being able to see the vision. Let's not act like Hamilton turned the entire team around with a snap of his fingers.
Hamilton's arrival at Mercedes in 2013 coincided with Ross Brawn's departure. Toto Wolff took over and brought a new technical team. This is when progress were made at Mercedes. Michael Schumacher had no influence on cars designed after Brawn's departure.
