Mercedes could join the Formula E championship for electric racing cars in the 2018/19 season, after signing an agreement with the series organisers.
Brackley-based Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix, which runs the German brand’s all-conquering Formula One team, has an option to join Formula E for its fifth season, which will begin in autumn 2018.
That’s set to be a milestone season for the championship, when the current practice of drivers swapping cars mid-race is ended in favour of batteries that will last the full one-hour duration of each event.
Currently, 10 teams make up the Formula E grid, but the FIA has authorised an expansion to 12 outfits for 2018 and Mercedes could be one of the two new arrivals. Recently, BMW announced a technical partnership with the Andretti team, while Jaguar, Renault, Audi and DS all already have a presence in the series. Mercedes could use its potential Formula E entry to promote its new range of electric vehicles, under the name 'EQ'.
Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E, said: “We are delighted to confirm that we have reserved one of our two new entries in season five for Mercedes. Formula E wants to become the platform where car manufacturers test and develop the technologies they will then introduce on their road cars. Having the chance to include a brand like Mercedes in our championship in the future would be a major boost to achieve that objective.
Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes motorsport, said: “We’ve been watching the growth of Formula E with great interest. At the current time, we are looking at all the options available in the future of motor racing and we are very pleased with an agreement that secures us an opportunity to enter the series in season five. Electrification will play a major role in the future of the automotive industry – racing has always been a technology R&D platform for the motor industry and this will make Formula E very relevant in the future.”
Formula E’s third season begins this weekend (October 8-9) with a race on the streets of Hong Kong.
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