- Williams news
Williams enjoys independence but eyes carmaker tie-up
Williams wants to remain an independent Formula One team, new chairman Adam Parr has said.
Williams has gone six seasons since its last grand prix win in 2004 when it was running with a works BMW engine supply. And its last championship victory was with Renault power back in 1997 when Jacques Villeneuve took the title.
But Parr says Williams is "not actively looking" for a partner. "We are independent and we enjoy that independence," he told Motorsport Aktuell.
Lotus boss and owner Tony Fernandes, whose AirAsia brand sponsors both his own team as well as Williams, admitted last weekend that he did have talks "about buying into Williams but it never worked out".
The BMW deal ended in 2005 and Parr admits that the days with carmaker backing were good for performance. Sir Frank Williams admitted at Silverstone that his team's lack of results recently is "embarrassing", and rumours suggest the feelers are out for a future partnership with Volkswagen.
"In the long term, the best model for an independent team is to form a partnership with an automotive manufacturer who supply the engines and a bit of sponsorship and we go racing," said Parr. "I think that is ultimately what we want again one day."