Williams have rubbished the speculation claiming a deal has been agreed with Porsche over a Formula 1 partnership.
F1 fans on social media were sent into overdrive on Monday morning when the German carmaker posted a cryptic message on Instagram. On its dedicated Formula E account, the automotive giant deleted all its past posts and uploaded a new video hinting at an announcement on Monday.
Porsche have been linked with Williams in recent months, after the collapse of the car brand's deal with Red Bull. Reports have claimed the teams owners, Dorilton Capital have been looking for investment and that they would be open to selling the team.
Perhaps that is why so many people responded to that Porsche post by suggesting it was teasing a new partnership with one of F1's most historic teams. Some other also claimed they could make out the silhouette of the late team founder Sir Frank Williams in the post.
But Williams have moved to make it clear that they have no current plans to announce any sort of deal with Porsche. "The rumours that Williams Racing is up for sale are inaccurate," a spokesperson for the team said.
They did leave the door ajar for a future link-up, though, adding: "We are open to any discussions regarding the supply of engines with manufacturers from 2026 when the new engine regulations come in. We are happy with our relationship with [current power unit suppliers] Mercedes and appreciate all their efforts."
Porsche remain very interested in an F1 berth despite their unsuccessful attempt to join forces with Red Bull. The Volkswagen Group has tried to get both that brand and Audi into the sport, but has thus far only been successful with the latter. Audi will enter officially from 2026 as the current Sauber outfit becomes its works team.
It was revealed later on Monday that, rather than a deal with Williams, Porsche's cryptic post was actually teasing a new "official global Porsche Motorsport channel".
Williams may not be gearing up to announce a buyout, but there are expected to reveal a new sponsor in the coming weeks. Gulf Oil, famous in F1 for their previous partnership with McLaren, have teased "big F1 news coming soon" and it is understood that message was a hint at a sponsorship deal with Williams.
The oil company is also a sponsor of young F1 hopeful Franco Colapinto, who will race in Formula 3 next year with MP Motorsport. The Argentine was recently announced as the newest member of the Williams Driver Academy, further strengthening the teams' future ties with Gulf.
