Mercedes switches to Formula E 25 | 07 | 2017
MERCEDES HAS CONFIRMED it will switch its attention from DTM to Formula E in 2019. Former DTM champ, Bathgate’s Paul di Resta, currently races for Mercedes in the German championship. Mercedes has also confirmed it will continue its efforts in Formula 1. (Related: Hamilton surges to British GP win)
The car manufacturer will leave DTM at the end of the 2018 season before going the all-electric Formula E championship for the 2019/20 campaign.
Mercedes’ switch means it will race alongside manufacturers including Audi, BMW, DS, Jaguar, Mahindra, NextEV and Renault in the series. Formula E is increasingly attracting car makers eager to market their electric powertrain prowess.
The car maker confirmed it would be joining Formula E in the interests of accelerating the development of its future lineup of EQ-badged electric road cars (pictured below), the first of which is likely to appear when Mercedes goes racing in 2019.
“Formula E is a significant step in order to demonstrate the performance of our attractive battery powered electric vehicles, “ Dr Jens Thiemer, vice president marketing Mercedes-Benz, said, “as well as giving an emotional spin to our EQ technology brand through motorsport and marketing.”
And Mercedes’ head of motorsport, Toto Wolff, explained the significance of the decision from a sporting perspective.
“In motorsport like in every other area, we want to be the benchmark in the premium segment and to explore innovative new projects,” Wollf said. “The combination of Formula 1 and Formula E delivers that.
“Formula E is like an exciting start-up venture: it offers a brand new format, combining racing with a strong event character, in order to promote current and future technologies. Electrification is happening in the road car world and Formula E offers manufacturers an interesting platform to bring this technology to a new audience – and to do so with a completely new kind of racing, different to any other series.
“I am pleased we were able to extend our entry option for one year to the 2019/20 season. This gives us time to properly understand the series and to prepare for our entry in the right way.”
Not surprisingly, Mercedes’ decision was welcomed by Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Formula E.
“Today is a great day as we welcome Mercedes to the Formula E family,” he admitted, “ adding to the increasing number of manufacturers joining the electric revolution.
“This step shows how much the world is changing, not only in motorsport, but the whole automotive industry. We’re witnessing a transformation that will first change our cities, and then our roads.
“Formula E is the championship that embodies that change, and together with all our teams and manufacturers we’ll keep pushing for technologies to have better and more affordable electric cars.”
Related: Mercedes reveals X-Class pick-up
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Jim McGill