Komatsu and Atlassian Williams F1 Team Renew Award-Winning Global Partnership with Expanded Technical Collaboration

KOMATSU CITY, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 3, 2026--

Komatsu and Atlassian Williams F1 Team have extended their award-winning, global partnership beyond 2026, continuing a collaboration between two organizations that thrive in some of the world's most challenging engineering environments. Building on a relationship that spans decades, the renewed agreement creates a platform for advanced engineering initiatives, shared learning and knowledge exchange, and the continued development of future engineering talent. It underscores Komatsu's commitment to driving innovation by bringing its engineering expertise to further enhance this technical partnership.

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Under the partnership, Komatsu becomes Williams’ Official Hydraulic Innovation Partner, a new designation that reflects the company's decades of engineering leadership in critical technologies. For more than a century, Komatsu has been developing advanced technologies, including hydraulic systems, that power some of the world's most demanding equipment, from autonomous mining trucks to precision construction and forestry machinery operating in extreme environments. That expertise, built through continuous engineering, testing and innovation, aligns closely with the technical challenges of motorsport, where performance, precision and reliability are fundamental to success on track.

Komatsu’s technical expertise in advanced manufacturing will be a feature of the extended partnership, with Komatsu engineers helping to develop key components of Williams’ future F1 cars. This deeper technical collaboration underscores the shared mindset between Komatsu and Williams, with both organizations committed to advancing engineering excellence through innovation, precision and continuous improvement.

The engineering relationship began in the 1990s, when Komatsu manufactured gear components for Williams' 1996 and 1997 Formula 1 World Championship-winning cars. After renewing their partnership in 2024, Komatsu and Atlassian Williams F1 Team are now taking the next step by further expanding opportunities for technical collaboration and people development. Rather than marking a new direction, the partnership's evolution reflects a relationship that has always been rooted in engineering, with today's expanded collaboration carrying that technical foundation forward.

Komatsu and Williams share a commitment to developing the next generation of STEM talent through the Komatsu Williams Engineering Academy (KWEA), which each year welcomes 10 engineering students from around the world for an immersive program of mentorship, hands-on experience, and access to a library of technical learning modules. Under the extension, the academy will continue to recruit exceptional students from Formula Student and Formula SAE initiatives worldwide. Complementing the engineering academy, the organizations will also introduce the Komatsu Williams Leadership Academy, a leadership development program focused on building the next generation of Komatsu leaders from around the world.

Together, these bespoke programs demonstrate how the partnership extends beyond sponsorship by creating opportunities for students, employees and emerging leaders to learn from the complementary strengths of two world-class engineering organizations. Further details of the technical collaboration, academy activity and leadership program will be announced as the initiatives are developed.

Beginning in 2027, Komatsu will expand its involvement across Formula 2, Formula 3 and F1 Academy, supporting initiatives that inspire future engineers and strengthen connections between industry and motorsport.

Komatsu branding will continue to feature across Atlassian Williams F1 Team’s global platform, reflecting the partnership's shared commitment to engineering excellence and innovation.

The extension was formally marked by an announcement and signing ceremony in Komatsu City, Japan on September 2, 2026. The event was attended by senior leadership from both Komatsu and Williams, including Takuya Imayoshi, President and CEO, Komatsu Ltd, Yasuji Nishiura, Senior Executive Officer, Komatsu Ltd., Matthew Savage, Chairman, Atlassian Williams F1 Team, and Peter Kenyon, Board Adviser, Atlassian Williams F1 Team.

Quotes:

Takuya Imayoshi, President and CEO, Komatsu Ltd: "Komatsu has always believed that the greatest engineering advances come from tackling complex challenges alongside trusted partners. Our relationship with Atlassian Williams F1 Team has been built on a shared commitment to perseverance, collaboration and authenticity; values that have connected our organizations for decades. As we deepen this partnership, we are creating new opportunities to exchange knowledge, develop future engineering talent and accelerate the ideas that will help shape the next generation of technology. This is a natural extension of Komatsu's commitment to engineering excellence and our ambition to create value for customers and society through innovation."

James Vowles, Team Principal, Atlassian Williams F1 Team: “After three successful seasons together and a relationship which dates back to our last Championship-winning cars, it is fantastic to be expanding our partnership with Komatsu as Atlassian Williams F1 Team approaches its 50th anniversary. The relationship with Komatsu is truly special and embodies our approach to working with partners who share our values, believe in our journey and can help deliver success on and off track. We look forward to taking the partnership to the next level in 2027 and beyond.”

About Atlassian Williams F1 Team

Atlassian Williams F1 Team is one of the world’s most iconic Formula 1 teams. Founded in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Sir Patrick Head, the team has won nine Constructors’ World Championships, seven Drivers’ World Championships and 114 Grand Prix races – making it one of the three most-successful teams in history. Based in Grove, Oxfordshire and competing at the pinnacle of motorsport, Williams continues to build for the future of Formula 1 through world-class engineering, racing excellence and a commitment to bringing fans closer to the sport than ever before.

About Komatsu

Komatsu is an industry-leading manufacturer and supplier of equipment, technologies and services for the construction, forklift, mining, industrial and forestry markets. For over a century, Komatsu equipment and services have been used by companies worldwide to develop modern infrastructure, extract fundamental minerals, maintain forests, and create technology and consumer products. The company's global service and distributor networks support customer operations, tapping into the power of data and technology to enhance safety and productivity while optimizing performance. To learn more, visit www.komatsu.com.

From left: Peter Kenyon, Board Adviser, Atlassian Williams F1 Team; Yasuji Nishiura, Senior Executive Officer, Komatsu Ltd.; Takuya Imayoshi, President and CEO, Komatsu Ltd.; and Matthew Savage, Chairman, Atlassian Williams F1 Team, stand in front of a Komatsu excavator and mining truck in Komatsu City, Japan.

From left: Peter Kenyon, Board Adviser, Atlassian Williams F1 Team; Matthew Savage, Chairman, Atlassian Williams F1 Team; Takuya Imayoshi, President and CEO, Komatsu Ltd.; and Yasuji Nishiura, Senior Executive Officer, Komatsu Ltd., at the partnership extension signing ceremony Sept. 2 in Komatsu City, Japan.

Komatsu equipment is reflected in the helmet of an Atlassian Williams F1 Team driver.

Russia will shutter German cultural centers across the country, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday.

The move comes after Berlin blamed Moscow for an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport last month and announced the closure of both the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural center in the German capital.

Lavrov said that cultural centers belonging to Germany’s Goethe-Institut would be closed in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, adding that any other response would show a lack of “self-respect” on Russia’s part.

Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Lavrov said that Germany “could not have failed to understand” that the closure of Russian House would “signify the end of their cultural presence in Russia.”

A drone laden with explosives was found near a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 4 and later defused. The airport is a major international freight hub used for providing support to Ukraine.

Moscow has been widely accused by Western officials of running a campaign of sabotage and disruption with the aim of undermining support for Ukraine and destabilizing European nations.

Putin has dismissed the allegations, saying Berlin wants to distract from its own failings and dissatisfaction among voters. Any proof being offered “has been planted,” Putin said.

European Union ministers on Wednesday weighed how best to respond to the attempted drone attack but struggled to find new ways to meet the challenge without resorting to military means.

“It is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism. The question is: what do we do about this,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters before chairing a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Ireland. They discussed sanctions, visa restrictions and shutting Russian consulates, among other measures.

The EU has slapped almost two dozen packages of sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, hitting more than 3,000 officials, oligarchs and entities including banks, energy companies and drone makers. The EU was already preparing to impose more travel bans and asset freezes on another 1,600 people, Kallas said.

Germany insisted it was “not at war” but had become a “daily target” of the Kremlin’s hybrid campaign. Putin dismissed the allegations, saying Berlin wants to distract from its own failings and dissatisfaction among voters. Any proof being offered “has been planted,” Putin said.

But German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul said Berlin had carefully prepared its response “and now Russia must live with these consequences.” He called on Russia “to show that it is also ready for reasonable talks and negotiations, particularly regarding the situation in Ukraine.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, attend the talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)