Mercedes is leaving Formula E to focus on F1

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that it will withdraw its team from Formula E at the end of Season 8 in August 2022 to focus on Formula 1 and become a fully electric brand.

The news will be another blow to the Formula E series after Audi also announced its exit from the series last weekend.

Mercedes said it will reallocate resources from its ABB FIA Formula E World Championship program to focus on “electric-only vehicle development” and “apply the lessons learned from the competition to series product development”.

This learning will be brought to life through future product architectures such as the AMG.EA platform, the dedicated electric platform for performance vehicles due to hit the market in 2025, and projects such as the Vision EQXX. It will be one of three all-electric architectures slated to hit the market in 2025.

It follows Mercedes’ strategic announcement last month that the brand will be fully electric by the end of the decade if market conditions allow.

In the future, the company will concentrate its works motorsport activities on Formula 1, which the brand believes will strengthen the sport’s status as the fastest laboratory for the development and verification of sustainable and scalable future performance technologies.

While Mercedes-Benz will be leaving Formula E at the end of Season 8, the team’s leadership group has begun exploring options for the team to continue competing in the series during the Gen 3 era, including a possible sale to new ones Owner.

Ian James, Team Principal of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, said: “We have been very fortunate to have enjoyed the support from Mercedes-Benz over the past few seasons in setting up a class-leading Formula E company. I would like to thank the company for their trust and support on our path so far – and up to a hopefully successful end to the 8th season with a tough championship challenge. Although Mercedes-Benz has chosen to leave, we recognize the value and power of Formula E; We will therefore explore the best options for the team to compete beyond Season 8. “