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Mercedes has been involved in F1 as a team owner as well as an engine manufacturer and supplier for several periods of time since 1954. In the first two years of their entry, the German company won consecutive drivers' championships with Juan Manuel Fangio only to withdraw from the sport at the end of 1955. They returned to F1 nearly four decades later as an engine manufacturer for McLaren and took home a constructors' championship title and three drivers' titles over 15 years with the team. This partnership with the Woking-based outfit lasted till the end of 2009.
There are currently only three other power unit manufacturers on the grid, namely Renault, Honda, and Ferrari. The Silver Arrows have dominated the turbo-hybrid era with eight consecutive constructors' world championship titles and currently supply engines to three other teams on the current 2022 F1 grid. As an engine supplier, Mercedes have also secured over 200 race victories. A total of thirteen drivers' championships and ten constructors' championships have been won by teams supplied by Mercedes-Benz engines.
Here are the 3 F1 teams that use Mercedes' engines:
#1 McLaren
McLaren ended their previous partnership with the Silver Arrows in 2014 and went ahead with Honda and Renault until they announced a renewed partnership with Mercedes-Benz for their engine supply. This was a critical move for the Woking-based team, who have struggled for several years on the back of the grid. This transition, however, was not the easiest for the iconic team. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, to save costs in that tough period, the teams and the FIA decided to delay the 2021 technical regulations by a year, meaning that the 2020 chassis was carried over into the season. McLaren had planned their 2021 design to accommodate the new power unit. All resources had to be tweaked again, however, to continue with the 2020 chassis.
The transition was certainly a challenge but the team took it in stride. McLaren are the second-most successful team in F1 and have just recently started making their way back up to the top. With a fourth-place finish in the 2021 season and their first race win since the 2012 Brazillian Grand Prix, the team has certainly made the right move.
#2 Williams
While they manufacture their own transmission, Williams signed a long-term contract with Mercedes in 2013 to supply engines for the legendary F1 team from the start of the 2014 season. In 2019, Mercedes-Benz and ROKiT Williams Racing announced a long-term partnership extension for the power unit until the end of the 2025 F1 World Championship season. The extension came as the original agreement with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains was set to expire in 2021.
The 2014 season marked a critical time in the history of F1 with a significant transformation in regulations and the emergence of the turbo-hybrid era. The original 2.4-liter V8 power units were replaced by 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 ones, using hybrid energy recovery systems. Since then, Williams have enjoyed a very successful partnership with Mercedes, especially in the first two years (2014 and 2015), where the British constructor finished in third place consecutively. Wiliams have since struggled in the past few seasons, constantly finding themselves at the back of the grid. The team, however, did see major improvements in 2021 and hopes to take another step up this season.
#3 Aston Martin
After a long 61 years, Aston Martin returned to F1 in the 2021 season. Despite being a manufacturing company themselves, they also use Mercedes power units. Former Aston Martin team boss Otmar Szafnauer struck a deal with the reigning world champions back when the team was branded as Force India in 2014. Later, the contract for the power unit with them continued when the team was rebranded to Racing Point and the relationship remains with Aston Martin as well.
Mercedes also supplies the Silverstone-based team with their rear suspension and gearbox. Aston Martin, however, are reportedly considering the viability of manufacturing their very own F1 power unit ahead of the 2026 season, when engine regulations are set to be significantly revised. Similarly, Red Bull, who are currently running a Honda-made power unit in 2022, have their own operations, with Red Bull Powertrains underway for the 2026 season.
