WilliamsRacing

Komatsu and Williams Racing: History made, History in the making

For the second time in our brands’ storied histories, Komatsu is proud to be partnering with Williams Racing to bring focus to the next generation of innovators, as well as highlight the vital work we are doing across the globe today.

Join us on this exciting journey throughout 24 races a year and read on for exclusive content and stories along the way.

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New: First class of students chosen for Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy

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Heritage, success and synergy

The partnership between Komatsu and WilliamsRacing is built on foundations of heritage, success and synergy.
Not many people know this better than Jim Barker, the team’s Heritage Car Build Manager, who worked directly on the iconic
FW18 and FW19 machines of the late 1990s that contained Komatsu gearbox componentry.
Enjoy the history of Komatsu and Williams Racing’s world championship glory, as we start writing a new chapter in the story of the partnership.

First class of students chosen for Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy

In collaboration with F1 in Schools, Komatsu and Williams Racing this week chose the first 10 students who will comprise the inaugural class of the Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy.

The Academy is a global initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of engineering talent through unique learning opportunities the students will have access to with Komatsu and the Williams Racing Formula 1 team. Programming will kick off in January and be tailored to meet the needs of each student’s educational journey.

The students chosen were attendees of the 2024 Aramco F1 in Schools World Championships, which took place this week (November 22-26) in Saudia Arabia. More than 450 students on 55 teams participated in this year’s world championship, racing miniature air-powered F1-style cars. Participants then got the chance to travel to Doha for the F1 Qatar Grand Prix to take part in a pit lane walk at the famous Lusail International Circuit.

The announcement of this year’s class of Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy students comes 10 years after the very first academy was launched at the F1 in Schools World Finals in Abu Dhabi in 2014. For Komatsu and Williams, it’s an exciting opportunity to help shape a new generation of talent for their respective industries.

“The talent on display this week in Saudia Arabia was incredible and we are so excited to start working with the selected students come January,” said Todd Connolly, VP of Global Brand Transformation at Komatsu. “Supporting up-and-coming STEM talent is not only rewarding, but essential as we look to nurture future innovation and advance the fields of motorsport and heavy-equipment design.”

For James Vowles, Team Principal at Williams Racing, working with young talent as they work toward graduation and a future career puts him right back where he was 30 years ago, when he entered Formula 1 shortly after graduation.

“These exceptional young engineers can help lead our industries into the future, and I consider it my privilege to get to help support them at this critical stage in their educational journey,” Vowles said.

Students selected for the program are as follows:

Raphael Brice (Abu Dhabi)
Aran Malhotra (USA)
Finley Sneddon (Australia)
Catrin Wood (Wales)
George Papadopoulus (Greece)
Julia Used-Alonso Wu (Spain)
Angad Miglani (India)
Prabhav Srivastava (Qatar)
Zac Smith (United Kingdom)
Noor Alsagheir (Saudi Arabia)

Stay tuned for more details in the months to come

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Visit Komatsu's Arizona Proving Grounds

Trading in their racing cars for something much, much larger, Williams Racing drivers Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto, along with team principal James Vowles, got behind the dash of colossal mining equipment at Komatsu's Arizona Proving Grounds facility in Tucson, AZ.

Learn more

Developing future talent

Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy launches to discover and develop future STEM talent.

Learn more

The race to summer break

There were plenty of strategic pit stops in the run-up to the traditional Formula One summer break, as the Komatsu and Williams Racing partnership stepped up a gear at events around the world.
From Canada to Belgium across the space of two busy months in June and July, the partnership produced yet more high-speed highlights.

About the partnership

Our legacy stems from a persistent, shared belief that collaborative partnerships are the best way to meet the ever-changing needs of society.We are proud to be partnering again with Williams Racing to drive forward our wider purpose of “Creating Value Together.”

In the 1990s, Komatsu and Williams Racing enjoyed a successful collaboration that culminated in championship wins.
At that time, we were utilizing our manufacturing and engineering prowess as a technical partner to help Williams win a world championship. Komatsu designed, manufactured, and supplied the gearbox for Williams’ 1997 car that Jacques Villeneuve drove to secure the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. Our current partnership agreement is larger in scale and goes beyond the technical, focusing on our people and shared values.

As Komatsu looks to attract new generations of talent and offer customers and employees exciting opportunities to engage with our brand, our partnership with Williams Racing offers great potential to bring the Komatsu name to new audiences in new ways. The characteristics embedded in Komatsu’s DNA and values – ambition, collaboration, authenticity and perseverance – and the use of cutting-edge technology, as well as outstanding quality and unwavering reliability, are all demonstrated by Williams Racing at the highest level of motorsport.

Check out this video celebrating the renewal of Komatsu and Williams Racing’s partnership.

About Komatsu

With operations in more than 150 locations, Komatsu supplies core industries with leading solutions to develop modern infrastructure, extract fundamental minerals, manage forests and create consumer products.

For more than a century,our company has been creating value for customers through manufacturing and technology innovation, partnering with others to empower a sustainable future where people, business and the planet thrive together.

About the team

Williams Racing is one of the world’s leading Formula One teams in total wins, so far amassing 114 victories, 313 podiums and 128 pole positions.
The team’s roots date back to the formation of Frank Williams Racing Cars in 1966 with the official team being formed in 1977.

Williams Racing has won nine constructors’championships and 6 drivers championships, making them the second most successful team in the history of the sport.

Learn more and follow the team’s progress throughout the season at: www.williamsf1.com

About Formula One

With a global audience estimated to be more than 1.5 billion, Formula 1 is one of the most popular sports in the world.
Ten teams compete over 24 races each season in one of the ultimate tests of driver and machine, teamwork and strategy, technical know-how and ingenuity.

Learn more at: www.formula1.com