Today it was announced that Mercedes and Williams will work more closely together from 2022 onwards. Williams will drive several parts of Mercedes in the hope of getting closer to the rest of the field.

Williams doesn't want to become a B team of Mercedes

What does this mean for the future of Williams, who until recently didn't look very bright? The state in which the team found itself was partly due to the will to remain independent, while that was no longer possible.

The fact that Williams is no longer a family business removes that barrier, according to Lawrence Baretto in an analysis for Formula1.com. The only way for the team to become competitive again is to (partially) let go of its independence.

The team continues to design and build many parts itself, the goal is not to become a 'B-team' of Mercedes. However, it is still unclear what this will mean for the employees who will be working on the parts that will be delivered by Mercedes in the future. At the moment the team is looking into the possibilities of assigning these employees to another position.