Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team is a prominent German constructor competing in Formula One. The team, which made its initial appearance in F1 during the 1950s and has roots in Grand Prix racing dating back to the 1920s, currently features British drivers Lewis Hamilton[1] and George Russell[2].
Mercedes has had several notable drivers throughout its history in Formula One and Grand Prix racing. Here are some of the most prominent ones:
- Lewis Hamilton - One of the most successful drivers in F1 history, Hamilton has won multiple World Championships with Mercedes.
- Juan Manuel Fangio - A legendary figure in motorsport, Fangio won two World Championships with Mercedes in the 1950s.
- Stirling Moss - Known as one of the greatest drivers never to win a World Championship, Moss drove for Mercedes in the 1950s.
- Nico Rosberg - Won the World Championship in 2016 before retiring from the sport.[3]
- Valtteri Bottas - Competed alongside Hamilton and contributed to several Constructors’ Championships.[4]
- Michael Schumacher - The seven-time World Champion returned to F1 with Mercedes from 2010 to 2012.
- Rudolf Caracciola - A pre-World War II Grand Prix driver who achieved significant success with Mercedes.
- Hermann Lang - Another pre-war driver who had notable success with the team.
- George Russell competed for one race in place of Hamilton at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix before taking on a full-time seat with Mercedes in 2022.
These drivers have all left a significant mark on the team’s history[5]
The team has been crowned Constructors' World Champions for eight consecutive years in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Pre-F1[]
1930s[]
Although starting motor racing in 1923, the team did not hit the jackpot until 1935, where Rudolf Caracciola won the European Championship for Mercedes in a dominant year for the team. The following season was a tight battle between Cariaccola's Mercedes and the Auto Union driver Bernd Rosemeyer. However, it was the other German team, Auto Union, that beat Mercedes to the title. Adolf Hitler, the Nazi dictator, made Mercedes-Benz the emblem of German racing, and the government heavily funded the team from 1937 onwards, giving them a clear advantage over the rest of their opponents. In 1937, Caracciola took a dominant victory for Mercedes in the European Championship, and continued this form into the 1938 championship. However, the title was fought out this year by the three Merc drivers Caracciola, Richard Seaman and Manfred von Brauchitsch. It was Cariacciola in the end who took victory. In 1939, it was once again a battle to be fought out by Auto Union and Mercedes, although Auto Union driver Hermann Paul Müller finished the season with the fewest points (the championship at the time was awarded to the driver with the fewest points). Hermann Lang, the season runner-up who was racing for Mercedes, was pronounced the winner of the championship by the Nazi regime. However, this was never made official, and the outbreak of World War II ended the season early.[6]
F1[]
1954-1955[]
Mercedes-Benz came back into racing for what was now referred to as Formula One (which was a World Championship that formed in 1950), with the W196, which was advanced in technology.[7] The conventional open-wheeled configuration ran the car, along with a streamlined form that had covered wheels and bodywork that was wider. Juan Manuel Fangio, the champion of 1951, switched mid-season from Maserati to Mercedes-Benz at the 1954 French Grand Prix. Immediate success came to the team, and they received a 1–2 finish with Fangio and Karl Kling, along with the fastest lap set by Hans Herrmann. Fangio won three more races in the 1954 season, and received the Championship in the same year.
Success from that year went into 1955, along with the car being developed by Mercedes throughout the season. It was once again won by Mercedes,[7] with Fangio taking four victories, as well as his new teammate Stirling Moss taking victory in Britain. Fangio won his third championship, as Moss finished second. The French, German, Swiss and Spanish Grands Prix were all cancelled after the 1955 Le Mans disaster that killed Pierre Levegh and over 80 spectators.[8] This lead to Mercedes withdrawing from motorsport, including Formula One, after the 1955 season.[7]
2010-present[]
After purchasing a minority stake (45.1%) in Brawn with Aabar Investments buying 30% on 16 November 2009, Mercedes came back to racing in Formula One.[9][10] Ross Brawn kept doing his job as the team principal, and the team retained its base in Brackley,[11] near Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth.[10] After the team's purchase and a sponsorship deal with Petronas,[12] the team was renamed Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team.[13] The team's history is complex, as it can be traced back to when Tyrrell, a team who took part from 1970 to 1998, got purchased by British American Tobacco (BAT) and became British American Racing (BAR) in 1999. BAR, a team who made a partnership with Honda, finally changed to Honda Racing F1 in 2006 after BAT left Formula One. Hands were changed again in 2008 when Honda left the sport and got purchased by the team's management, changing the name to Brawn GP, which was named after Ross Brawn.[14] Engines made by Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines were used by Brawn. Although they did not run on a high budget, six of the first seven races were won by Jenson Button, who became World Champion, along with Brawn winning the Constructors' Championship, marking the first time that both titles were won by a Formula One team in its first year.
Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher[15] were hired by the team for 2010, along with Nick Heidfeld taking the part of a test and reserve driver. As for the Brawn drivers of 2009, Button moved to McLaren, while Rubens Barrichello took Rosberg's seat in Williams for 2010. With Brawn's acquisition, Mercedes' involvement with McLaren ended. McLaren Group's 40% shareholding was sold back by Mercedes' parent company Daimler AG,[10] who also continued supplying engines for the team.[16]
Unlike under Brawn, Mercedes' performance in 2010 was not very competitive, putting them behind Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull. However, Rosberg gave Mercedes their best results of the season with third place finishes in Malaysia, China and Britain. Rosberg finished seventh in the Championship, while Schumacher did not manage to beat his teammate, win a single race, score a podium, take pole position or set a fastest lap, marking the first time this happened since his first season in 1991. There was also controversy involving him nearly squeezing former Ferrari teammate Barrichello into the wall at 180 mph (290 km/h) in the Hungarian race.
Before the 2011 season, the team management's remaining 24.9% stake was purchased by Daimler and Aabar in February 2011.[17] With the MGP W02, the Australian Grand Prix ended for Mercedes after both Schumacher and Rosberg retired due to accident damage on laps 19 and 22 respectively. Rosberg managed to qualify ninth in Malaysia, while Schumacher qualified eleventh, not being able to get through Q3. Mercedes' first points of 2011 were scored when Schumacher finished ninth in the race, while Rosberg finished twelfth. Strong form was shown by both drivers in the Chinese Grand Prix. Rosberg led fourteen laps of the race, and finished in fifth place, while Schumacher finished in eighth place. Rosberg received another fifth place finish in the Turkish Grand Prix, and Schumacher finished ahead of him in sixth place in Spain.
However, the drivers were both unable to score any points for the team in Monaco. Afterwards, Schumacher scored his best result of the season with a fourth place finish after running in second place. In the European Grand Prix, Schumacher finished in seventeenth place after making contact with Vitaly Petrov, while Rosberg finished seventh. Both drivers were able to score points in Britain and Germany. Rosberg finished ninth in Hungary, but Schumacher had to retire after receiving issues with his gearbox. Schumacher's bad luck continued when he lost a tyre in the qualifying session of the Belgian Grand Prix, and had to start at the back of the grid. However, he was able to finish fifth in the race, while teammate Rosberg, who also led in the race's early stage, finished in sixth place. Like 2010, Mercedes finished fourth in the Constructors' Championship, having 165 points and no wins, podiums or poles.
Mercedes replaced the GP from their name with AMG, their high performance division for the 2012 season, changing the name to Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team. Mercedes became the subject of protest at the season's start for a "radical" rear wing concept being used on the Mercedes F1 W03.[18] However, the protest was not settled until it was unanimously rejected by the stewards at the Chinese Grand Prix.
In China, Rosberg took the team's first pole position as a works team since Fangio in 1955. Schumacher qualified third, but moved up to second after Lewis Hamilton received a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change. Rosberg won the race, making it the first time Mercedes had won a race in 57 years, as well as the first time a German driver won a Grand Prix in a German car since Hermann Lang's win at the 1939 Swiss Grand Prix.
It was later announced on 28 September 2012 that Schumacher would be replaced by McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton for three years starting from 2013.[19] Rosberg took pole position in Monaco Grand Prix, and gave Mercedes its first victory of the 2013 season. Hamilton was able to finish in third place in Canadian Grand Prix, while Rosberg finished fifth. Rosberg won the British Grand Prix after both drivers qualified 1–2. Hamilton won his first race with Mercedes in the Hungarian Grand Prix, putting the team in second place in the Constructors' Championship.
The first race of 2014 was won by Rosberg in Australia, while Hamilton was forced to retire with engine issues. However, Hamilton was able to win the Malaysian Grand Prix, along with leading every lap and setting the fastest lap. Rosberg finished second, marking the first time Mercedes had a 1–2 finish since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix. The result was later repeated in Bahrain, China and Spain. Rosberg and Hamilton then had a 1–2 finish respectively in Monaco and Austria. Rosberg took victory in Germany, marking the first time a German driver racing in a German car won the German Grand Prix since Rudolf Caracciola's win with Mercedes in 1939. After Belgium, Mercedes went on a 8-race winning streak which included winning their first Constructors trophy with a 1–2 finish by Hamilton and Rosberg respectively in Russia. Hamilton won the Drivers' Championship in Abu Dhabi, while Rosberg finished fourteenth after suffering mechanical problems.
Sponsorship[]
Mercedes receive an early setback in December 2009 when it turned out that Brawn's signing of an £80m sponsorship arrangement with Henkel in July was false.[20] Henkel's response was that they did not know about the deal, and did not have any interest in Formula One. The deal was created, allegedly, by a former employee of Henkel who was on stationary that was stolen for the purposes of the company being defrauded. Henkel said on 22 December that the team had resolved the dispute with a mutual agreement, as well as that it will not pursue legal action, even though it would join the German's Prosecutor's Office so that the matter is clarified.[21]
Mercedes announced on 21 December that it would be joined by Malaysian oil supplier Petronas as title sponsor.[22] It will take part under the title of Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team from 2010.[23] The value of the arrangement appears to be €30m each year, according to some reports.[24]
The car livery was revealed to the public at the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart on 25 January 2010,[25] with Schumacher and Rosberg also attending.[26] It has Mercedes' traditional silver colours, and the Brawn GP sponsor MIGfx retained.
Mercedes still works with these sponsors as of 2017 – except with a few more sponsors – and are one of the Formula One teams to be the most competitive at the moment, with the drivers being Lewis Hamilton (McLaren's former driver before he moved to Mercedes in 2013, replacing Schumacher) and Valtteri Bottas (late of Williams).
Livery[]
Mercedes traditionally appear in a silver livery, complemented by a turqoise finish since their return to the sport in 2010. In 2020, it was announced that the team would run in a predominantly black livery in reference to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Mercedes Young Driver Programme[]
The Mercedes Young Driver Programme, also known as the Mercedes Junior Team, is an initiative by Mercedes F1 Team to help nurture talent from karts through the feeder series ladder to promote them to their Formula One team. There have been three notable successes thus far, with Pascal Wehrlein, Esteban Ocon and George Russell having raced in Formula One.
Current Drivers[]
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (2018 -
- Alex Powell (2019 -
- Frederik Vesti (2021 -
- Yuanpu Cui (2021 -
- Luna Fluxa (2022 -
- Kenzo Craigie (2023 -
- Doriane Pin (2024 -
Former Drivers[]
- Pascal Wehrlein (2014 - 2018)
- Esteban Ocon (2016 - 2019)
- George Russell (2017 - 2021)
- Daniel Guinchard (2022)
- Paul Aron (2019 - 2023)
Key Personnel[]
Team Principals[]
- Alfred Neubauer (1926–1955)
- Norbert Haug (2010–2012)
- Ross Brawn (2010–2013)
- Toto Wolff (Head Of Motorsport) (2012-Present)
- Niki Lauda (Non-Executive Chairman) (2012-2019)
- Paddy Lowe (Executive Director, Technical) (2013-2016)
- Andy Cowell (Managing Director, Powertrains) (2012-Present)
Technical Directors[]
- Rudolf Uhlenhaut (1954–1955)
- Max Sailer (1954–1955)
- Nick Fry (2010–2013)
- Aldo Costa (Engineering Director) (2011-Present)
- Geoff Willis (Technology Director) (2011-Present)
- Mark Ellis (Performance Director) (2011-Present)
- James Allison (2017-Present)
Formula One Record[]
Wins[]
Mercedes Driver Grand Prix Count[]
| Name | Duration | Grand Prix Starts |
|---|---|---|
 Lewis Hamilton
|
2013-present | 244 |
 Nico Rosberg
|
2010-2016 | 136 |
 Valtteri Bottas
|
2017-2021 | 101 |
| Michael Schumacher
|
2010-2012 | 58 |
 Juan Manuel Fangio
|
1954-1955 | 12 |
| Karl Kling
|
1954-1955 | 12 |
| Hans Herrmann
|
1954-1955 | 6 |
| Stirling Moss
|
1955 | 6 |
 Piero Taruffi
|
1955 | 2 |
| Hermann Lang
|
1954 | 1 |
 André Simon
|
1955 | 1 |
| George Russell
|
2020 and 2022 | 66 |
- Bold indicates currently active driver
Complete Formula One results[]
- Main article: Mercedes Grand Prix/Results
Notes[]
- ↑ "Lewis Hamilton signs new deal with Mercedes". formula1.com (Formula One Administration). 20 May 2015. http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2015/5/lewis-hamilton-signs-new-deal-with-mercedes.html. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
- ↑ "Mercedes announce George Russell will partner Lewis Hamilton in 2022". formula1.com (Formula One Administration). 7 Sep 2021. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/mercedes-announce-george-russell-will-partner-lewis-hamilton-in-2022.jtndbCmN3CR8Lm9s54e4T. Retrieved 8 Jul 2024.
- ↑ "Nico Rosberg retires: World champion quits Formula 1 five days after title win". British Broadcasting Corporation. 2 December 2016. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/38185846. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ↑ "Silver Arrows and Valtteri Bottas together in 2018". 13 September 2017. https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/en/mercedes-amg-f1/silver-arrows-and-valtteri-bottas-together-in-2018. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
- ↑ "Top 10 Mercedes Grand Prix Drivers: Hamilton, Fangio, Moss And More". Motorsport.com. 23 Jan 2022. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/top-10-mercedes-grand-prix-drivers-hamilton-fangio-moss-and-more/7537920/. Retrieved 8 Jul 2024.
- ↑ "De geschiedenis van Mercedes-Benz in de Grand Prix-racerij [The history of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix racing]" (in Dutch). MotorRacingBlog.nl. 20 November 2009. http://www.motorracingblog.nl/?p=338. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Mercedes-Benz profile". Grandprix.com. Inside F1. http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/con-merce.html. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Lang, Mike (1981). Grand Prix! Vol 1. Haynes Publishing Group. p. 82. ISBN 0-85429-276-4.
- ↑ Straw, Edd (16 November 2009). "Mercedes takes over Brawn". Autosport.com (Haymarket Media). http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80174. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Mercedes-Benz to take over Brawn GP". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. 16 November 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/nov/16/brawn-mercedes-formula-one. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ "Disclaimer". Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix. http://careers.mercedesamgf1.com/disclaimer/.
- ↑ "February debut, Petronas backing for Mercedes". Formula1.com (Formula One Administration). 21 December 2009. http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/12/10299.html. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ "Mercedes takes over Brawn F1 team". BBC News. 16 November 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8362295.stm. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ "F1 Teams: Brawn GP". F1 Fanatic.co.uk. http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/f1-information/f1-teams/brawn-gp/. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ "Michael Schumacher signs up for F1 return with Mercedes". BBC Sport (BBC). 23 December 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8427552.stm. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Benson, Andrew (16 November 2009). "Mercedes takes over Brawn F1 team". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8362295.stm. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Noble, Jonathan (28 February 2011). "Daimler completes team takeover". Autosport (Haymarket Publications). http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89666. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Noble, Jonathan (15 March 2012). "Mercedes F1 team's rear wing concept deemed legal by FIA". Autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98035. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Benson, Andrew (28 September 2012). "Lewis Hamilton to leave McLaren after signing Mercedes contract". BBC Sport (BBC). http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/19755236. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ "Henkel says Mercedes deal is invalid". Autosport.com. 14 December 2009. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80574. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Elizalde, Pablo (22 December 2009). "Henkel settles dispute with Brawn GP". Autosport.com. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80644. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ "Mercedes GP signs long-term agreement with PETRONAS". Brawn GP. 21 December 2009. http://www.brawngp.com/readstory.asp?bgp=j%C1%AA%C0rZ%7Df. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ "Mercedes GP picks up Petronas". AUSmotive.com. 21 December 2009. http://www.ausmotive.com/2009/12/21/mercedes-gp-picks-up-petronas.html. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Allen, James (21 December 2009). "Mercedes lands €30 million Petronas sponsorship". http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2009/12/mercedes-lands-e30-million-petronas-sponsorship/. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ "Mercedes GP launches new era for Silver Arrows". AUSmotive.com. 25 January 2010. http://www.ausmotive.com/2010/01/25/mercedes-gp-launches-new-era-for-silver-arrows.html. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ Elizalde, Pablo (25 January 2010). "Mercedes GP unveils car colours". autosport.com (Haymarket Publications). http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81045. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Due to numbers differing in each event, separate driver numbers were not used.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 There was no Constructors' Championship until 1958.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Motorsport.com: De Vries joins Vandoorne in Mercedes F1 reserve driver role
- ↑ Motorsport.com: Hulkenberg takes on dual F1 reserve role with Aston, Mercedes
- ↑ Collantine, Keith (15 December 2022). "Mick Schumacher joins Mercedes as reserve driver after exit from Ferrari · RaceFans". RaceFans. https://www.racefans.net/2022/12/15/mick-schumacher-joins-mercedes-f1-reserve-driver-ferrari-exit/.
| V T E |  Mercedes Grand Prix
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current drivers 44. Lewis Hamilton · 63. George Russell
| |||
| World Champions Juan Manuel Fangio (1954, 1955) · Lewis Hamilton (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) · Nico Rosberg (2016)
| |||
| Former Drivers Michael Schumacher · Juan Manuel Fangio · Nico Rosberg · Valtteri Bottas · Hans Herrmann · Karl Kling · Stirling Moss · André Simon · Piero Taruffi · Hermann Lang | |||
| Personnel Nick Fry · Bob Bell · Aldo Costa · Toto Wolff | |||
| Former Personnel Norbert Haug · Alfred Neubauer · Max Sailer · Rudolf Uhlenhaut · Paddy Lowe | |||
| Cars W154 · W196 · W01 · W02 · W03 · W04 · W05 · W06 · W07 · W08 · W09 · W10 · W11 · W12 · W13 · W14 · W15 | |||
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