Komatsu
Williams F1 Sponsor
How Much Does Komatsu Spend on Williams?
Komatsu’s September 2026 renewal came without a fee, so our figure for the Williams deal stays at about $8m a year. Some of what Komatsu brings is engineering time rather than cash, and neither side has said how the two split.
That makes it the second-biggest deal at Williams on current figures, well behind Atlassian‘s $30m title deal but ahead of Duracell at $6m. Kraken and Gulf are each put at $5m.
The $8m deal equals about 3 hours of Komatsu's ¥4.13tn revenue.
Dates the hydraulic and development program expansion to 2027 and gives no annual fee for the renewal.
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Insider · Issue 23
01 · The Last Race
Singapore by Salary
Pos
Driver
Pts
Salary
1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
25
$70m
2
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
18
$34m
3
Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
15
$3.4m
4
Lando Norris
McLaren
12
$30m
5
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
10
$13m
6
Insider+
7
Insider+
Our Take · Insider+
What Each Point Now Costs Red Bull
Principal Partner
How the Komatsu Williams Partnership Works
Komatsu builds construction and mining machinery, from hydraulic excavators to the haul trucks used in open-pit mines, and it’s run from Tokyo by president and CEO Takuya Imayoshi. Net sales for the year to March 31, 2026 were ¥4.13tn, with net income of ¥376.4bn.
Williams lists it as Principal Partner, with its logo on the car, the driver overalls and team kit. The latest renewal runs beyond 2026, and from 2027 Komatsu becomes Official Hydraulic Innovation Partner, with its engineers helping develop parts of the car.
Komatsu's results for the year to March 31, 2026, with net sales of ¥4.13tn and net income of ¥376.4bn.
Renewal signed September 2, 2026, the hydraulic innovation role, the academies and the 1996 and 1997 gear work.
Williams' partner page listing Komatsu as Principal Partner and its STEM and Early Careers Partner and Esports Partner.
Market data page putting Komatsu's value at $42.95bn in September 2026.
Why Does Komatsu Back Williams?
Hydraulics are what Komatsu knows best, after decades of building them into its excavators, and the 2027 role gives its engineers real work on an F1 car. Takuya Imayoshi framed the renewal around tackling hard engineering problems with partners it trusts.
Recruiting matters just as much. The Komatsu Williams Engineering Academy draws students from Formula Student and Formula SAE, and a new leadership academy does the same job for Komatsu’s own rising managers. From 2027 it’ll also be involved in F2, F3 and F1 Academy, so its name reaches young drivers as well as engineers.
February 2024 announcement with the car, overall and kit branding and the earlier FW18 and FW19 work.
Names the 10 students from six countries picked in October 2025 and what the academy gives them.
Albon, Colapinto and Vowles driving Komatsu mining equipment for a December 2024 team video.
Komatsu and Williams Sponsorship History
Komatsu’s link with Williams goes back to the team’s title-winning cars of the 1990s, and the current deal revived it more than 25 years later.
Komatsu and Williams F1 Questions
Komatsu’s 2026 renewal, signed on September 2 and announced on September 10, extends the partnership beyond 2026 and makes it Official Hydraulic Innovation Partner from 2027. Its engineers will help develop car components, and the deal will add F2, F3 and F1 Academy activity from the same year.
Yes, Komatsu worked with Williams in the 1990s and made gear components for the FW18 and FW19. Those cars won the drivers’ and constructors’ titles in 1996 and 1997, and Williams presented the 2024 agreement as the return of an old technical partner.
Komatsu pays Williams around $8m a year on F1 Salaries’ figures, although neither company has disclosed a fee. The number covers a principal partnership with logos on the car and kit, and it doesn’t separate cash from the engineering work Komatsu puts in.
No, the Komatsu on the Williams car is the Japanese equipment maker, and it has no link to Ayao Komatsu, the Haas team principal. The shared name muddles plenty of searches, but the company’s F1 deal is with Williams, while Ayao Komatsu runs a rival team.
Komatsu is Williams’ Principal Partner, and it’s also listed as STEM and Early Careers Partner and Esports Partner. It runs an engineering academy for students with the team, and from 2027 it’ll add hydraulic engineering work on the car as Official Hydraulic Innovation Partner.