Mercedes to quit the Formula Electric World Championship at the end of 2022

German automaker Mercedes will withdraw from the Formula Electric World Championship, which it just won in Berlin on Sunday, at the end of the 2022 season, he said on Wednesday.

« As part of its new strategic directions, the brand has decided to transfer its resources as part of an accelerated electrification of its range aimed at offering three fully electric platforms which will be launched in 2025, » Mercedes announced in a press release.

« As a result, Mercedes will transfer the resources devoted to the Formula E world championship to use the experience gained in competition towards products developed in series », adds the brand to the star.

Mercedes has participated with an official team in this championship since the 2019/2020 season, and has just won the two world titles of Season 7: on the drivers side with the Dutchman Nyck de Vries and on the constructors side during the last race in Berlin on Sunday.

Mercedes is also present in Formula 1 where it has won all the driver’s and manufacturer’s titles since 2014, in particular thanks to the Briton Lewis Hamilton, in single-seaters with hybrid engines.

« The group will focus its activities in motorsports on Formula 1, reinforcing the status of this discipline as the best laboratory for developing and testing sustainable and efficient technologies in the future, » the statement added.

Mercedes’ decision to leave Formula E comes as new, more powerful “GEN3” (3rd generation) single-seaters will be introduced from the 2023 edition requiring significant investments for the manufacturers involved.

Two other German brands which were present in this championship launched in 2014, Audi and BMW, will leave it next year, BMW however continuing to supply powertrains to the American team Andretti. But Porsche, which is part like Audi of the VAG group, will continue to participate.

Mercedes did not rule out the possibility of selling its current team or continuing to participate in another form in the Formula E championship from 2023 on Wednesday.

« We thank Mercedes for their support since joining the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, » said Alejandro Agag, the creator and promoter of this discipline.

« Car manufacturers must meet European and British regulations on a total transition to an electric future, which strengthens the vision of our championship, » he said in a statement.

The Formula E championship was launched in 2014, moving this year, for its Season 7, from the stage of « FIA championship » to that of full-fledged world championship, such as F1, rally, endurance and rallycross. .

Several manufacturers are currently involved such as Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan, the Indians from Mahindra, the French from DS (Stellantis group) and the Chinese from NIO.

McLaren, which owns the eponymous F1 team and competes in the American Indycar series, with the Arrow team, has expressed interest in joining the FE from 2023.

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