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• Atlassian
Williams F1 Team and Komatsu extend their award-winning partnership • The
agreement will now span technical collaboration, as well as existing
projects across Early Careers and Komatsu employee engagement • James
Vowles, Team Principal, Atlassian Williams F1 Team: “We look forward to
working with them as we continue to accelerate our mission to get back to
the front of the grid and deliver real on-track success.”
Atlassian
Williams F1 Team and leading construction equipment manufacturer Komatsu
have extended their award-winning partnership, in the latest show of
confidence for Williams’ mission to get back to the front of the grid and
win multiple World Championships.
Building on a relationship that
spans decades, and a partnership that first began in 2024, the renewed
agreement will see Komatsu support Williams with technical innovation as
Official Hydraulic Innovation Partner. Komatsu will draw on years of
expertise at the forefront of construction and heavy machinery, and a
history of developing components for Williams' 1996 and 1997 Formula 1 World
Championship-winning cars, to support the team across technical projects
including in hydraulics.
Beyond the track, the two organisations will
continue to invest in the next generation of talent – based on the shared
belief that future success depends on the young people who will create,
imagine, and manufacture the next winning innovation.
This has been a
key tenet of the relationship, since the two organisations first launched
the Komatsu Williams Engineering Academy in 2024. The programme has
supported two cohorts of exceptional young people to supercharge their
engineering skills with hands-on mentoring, e-learning experiences, and
factory visits. Starting from 2026, Komatsu will strengthen its support
for the team’s talented young drivers, with additional branding for cars
across Williams’ F1 Team Driver Academy.
Across its facilities,
Komatsu will continue to engage its more than 67,000 employees in over 151
countries, with engagement schemes centered around the partnership. This
includes the highly-successful Day in the Life programme, which gives
selected Komatsu employees the opportunity to work alongside the team’s pit
crew during a race weekend. In 2027 and beyond, Komatsu employees will also
benefit from the Komatsu Williams Leadership Academy, a development
programme designed to foster the exchange of engineering knowledge,
technical expertise and leadership practices.
Komatsu branding will
remain prominent across Williams’ assets and environments – from the car,
driven by Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, to the garage, team kit, Fan Zones
and other partnership experiences.
The extension was formally marked
by an announcement and signing ceremony in Komatsu City, Japan on September
2, 2026. The event was attended by senior leadership from both Komatsu and
Williams, including Takuya Imayoshi, President and CEO, Komatsu Ltd, Yasuji
Nishiura, Senior Executive Officer, Komatsu Ltd., Matthew Savage, Chairman,
Atlassian Williams F1 Team, and Peter Kenyon, Board Adviser, Atlassian
Williams F1 Team.
James Vowles, Team Principal, Atlassian Williams
F1 Team: “After three successful seasons together and a relationship which
dates back to our last Championship-winning cars, it is fantastic to be
expanding our partnership with Komatsu as Atlassian Williams F1 Team
approaches its 50th anniversary. The relationship with Komatsu is truly
special and embodies our approach to working with partners who share our
values, believe in our journey and can help deliver success on and off
track. We look forward to taking the partnership to the next level in 2027
and beyond.”
Takuya Imayoshi, President and CEO, Komatsu Ltd:
"Komatsu has always believed that the greatest engineering advances come
from tackling complex challenges alongside trusted partners. Our
relationship with Atlassian Williams F1 Team has been built on a shared
commitment to perseverance, collaboration and authenticity; values that have
connected our organizations for decades. As we deepen this partnership, we
are creating new opportunities to exchange knowledge, develop future
engineering talent and accelerate the ideas that will help shape the next
generation of technology. This is a natural extension of Komatsu's
commitment to engineering excellence and our ambition to create value for
customers and society through innovation." |