Williams reject 'Haas model' future

Sam Hall
Saturday 11 February 2023 15:45

Williams head of vehicle performance Dave Robson has dismissed the possibility of following 'a Haas team model'.

F1 regulations require all 10 teams to work independently from one another but certain teams enjoy closer relationships than others.

One example of this is Haas' closeness to Ferrari, with the Scuderia not only acting as a power unit supplier but also housing an office for the American-owned team at its Maranello headquarters.

When the cost cap was introduced in 2021, this arrangement saw a number of Ferrari staff move across to join Haas.

Although Mercedes supplies Williams with power units, the boundaries are far clearer.

But the arrival of James Vowles from Mercedes as Williams' new team principal has raised questions about whether the 'last true independent' outfit would change tact and tighten its relationship with the Silver Arrows.

Asked about this possibility, Robson said: “I don’t think so.

"I think we can do what we need to do with the relationship we currently have with Mercedes for the next couple of years.

Williams determined to stand on its own two feet

“They provide us with some amount of hardware that’s extremely good but we’re an independent team and we need to take the rest of it forward on our own or at least be prepared to do that.

“We’ll see what the future holds for 2026 when things get shaken up again, but I don’t think we want to follow a Haas model.”