Yahoo Autos Williams Family to Leave Formula 1 Team
Welcome to The Grid, R&T's quick roundup of the auto industry and motorsports news you should know this morning.
Williams Family to Exit Formula 1 Team
Until last month, Williams remained the only truly independent Formula 1 team, with the daughter of Sir Frank Williams, Claire Williams, acting as deputy team principal. But with a lack of results leading to extreme financial difficulties, Williams had to be sold. Now, Claire and Sir Frank are stepping down. After this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, the Williams family will no longer be a part of the team.
"With the future of the team now secured, this feels like the appropriate time for us to step away from the sport," Claire Williams said in a statement. "As a family, we have always prioritized Williams. We have demonstrated that by our recent actions with the Strategic Review process and we believe now is the right time to hand over the reins and give the new owners the opportunity to take the team into the future."
Despite its recent struggles, Williams is still one of the all-time great F1 teams, with nine constructor's titles to its name over its 43 years. The name won't change under new management, but Williams is undeniably losing what made the team special.
GM and Honda Team Up For Vehicle Development
While they may seem like strange bedfellows, GM and Honda are teaming up to co-develop new vehicles and technology. The Detroit Free Press reports that the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding today, and co-development work will get underway next year. First on the docket are two new Honda products for North America, riding on GM's new dedicated EV platform and using the company's in-house developed Ultium batteries.
"This alliance will help both companies accelerate investment in future mobility innovation by freeing up additional resources," said GM President Mark Reuss in a statement. "Given our strong track record of collaboration, the companies would realize significant synergies in the development of today’s vehicle portfolio."
All cars are costly to develop, and that's especially true for electric vehicles. This is forcing increased consolidation in the auto industry and partnerships that would've seemed unthinkable not too long ago. GM and Honda will also share internal-combustion vehicle platforms in the future.
Mercedes Considers Electric Maybach
Yesterday saw the debut of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but there's a second new S-Class coming next year, the all-electric EQS. A Maybach version of the new internal-combustion S-Class is a definite, and it's possible we may see an electric Maybach too. Bloomberg (via Automotive News Europe) reports that Mercedes is considering an electric Maybach EQS. "There’s room to do more with the Maybach brand name," said Mercedes boss Ola Källenius in an interview. "The electric platform offers some opportunities."
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