Williams Racing tap Amazon-owned Zoox for F1’s first autonomous vehicle partnership

The Williams Formula One team have signed a multi-year partnership with Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company Zoox.

Contract:

• Zoox becomes an official regional partner of Williams Racing in the US
• Branding for the Amazon subsidiary will appear on the team’s car at all races in the country

Context:

At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important in Formula One, Williams have become the first team to partner with an autonomous vehicle company. While this deal with Zoox doesn’t point to a future containing driverless cars in Formula One, it highlights the increasing prevalence of technology companies seeing the series as an ideal marketing platform.

For Williams, the deal emphasises the success of opening a New York office. With American owners, the Grove-based team has become an attractive option for US brands, with Gulf Oil, Stephens, Michelob Ultra, Purestream and Keeper Security all coming on board since the start of the 2023 season.

Comment:

“Williams Racing is excited to be bringing the future of mobility into Formula One and delighted to welcome Zoox as the first autonomous vehicle company to become a partner in the sport,” said James Vowles, team principal of Williams Racing.

“At first glance this might seem an unlikely partnership – F1 is about pitting the best drivers in the world against each other, while Zoox is pioneering driverless travel – but both Williams and Zoox are operating at the leading edge of automotive technology and share core values in how we do business. We look forward to helping Zoox reach new audiences, starting in Las Vegas later this month.”

Coming next:

The partnership officially launches at the Las Vegas Grand Prix from 21st to 23rd November, where Zoox’s robotaxi will be present at Williams’ fan zone and at the New York-New York Hotel. The autonomous vehicles are set to become operational in Las Vegas starting in 2025.

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