The number of brands that decided to abandon the Formula E it continues to grow and Mercedes-Benz is the latest in a list that already featured names such as Audi and BMW.
A few days after Mercedes-EQ won the world titles for drivers (with Nyck de Vries) and manufacturers, the “mother house”, Mercedes-Benz, announced that it will abandon Formula E at the end of next season, before the arrival of the new generation of single-seaters, the Gen3.
According to the German brand, this decision was taken "in a context of strategic reorientation towards the development of electric vehicles", with the funds used so far in Formula E being applied to the development of 100% electric models in order to accelerate the development of new ones. proposals.
One of the projects that will benefit from this change in strategy is the development of three new electrical platforms that will be launched in 2025.
Bet on Formula 1 remains
At the same time as it announced its departure from Formula E, Mercedes-Benz took the opportunity to reinforce its commitment to Formula 1, a category that will focus the German brand's efforts on motor sport and which is seen as a “laboratory for developing and testing technologies for a sustainable future”.
About this departure, Markus Schäfer, member of the Board of Directors of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG and head of Daimler Group Research and director of operations for Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: “Formula E has been a good stage to prove and test our ability and establish the Mercedes-EQ brand. In the future, we will continue to drive technological progress – especially in the field of electrical mechanics – with a focus on Formula 1”.
Bettina Fetzer, Vice President of Marketing at Mercedes-Benz AG, recalled: “In the last two years, Formula E has made it known to Mercedes-EQ (…) however, strategically Mercedes-AMG will be positioned as our brand focused on performance through its connection to our Formula 1 team, and that category will be our focus in motorsport for years to come.”
Finally, Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport and executive director of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E team, recalled: “we can be proud of what we have achieved, especially the two championships we won and that will go down in history”.