Mercedes To Take Part In Formula E Season 5 Racing Series

October 5, 20168 years ago James Ayre 0 Comments

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In addition to maintaining its strong presence in Formula One racing, Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will begin taking part in Formula E races beginning in season 5 (2018/2019).

The future entry into FIA Formula E Championship racing follows the signing of an agreement by which Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd (MGP) takes an option to enter the races.

The CEO of Formula E, Alejandro Agag, stated: “We are delighted to confirm that we have reserved one of our two new entries in season five for MGP. Formula E wants to become the platform where car manufacturers test and develop the technologies that 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. Formula E is becoming an exciting mix of consolidated manufacturers like Renault, Citroen-DS, Audi, Mahindra, or Jaguar, and new futuristic brands like Faraday Future, NextEV, or the likes of major component manufacturers like Schaeffler and ZF. Mercedes would be a great addition to that growing line-up.”

The press release provides more: “According to the option agreement, Mercedes may choose to be one of the maximum of 12 entries to be proposed by the championship promoter to the FIA to enter from the 2018/19 season. Mercedes could take one of the two new entries that will be allocated in season five — subject to approval of the FIA — when the all-electric racing series goes from the current format of two cars per driver, to a single car for the entire event. The current 10 teams in Formula E are all expected to continue in season five and beyond in their existing format, or joining forces with other OEM’s.”

The Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, Toto Wolff, commented as well: “We have 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.”

In related news, New York City is currently slated to host a pair of Formula E races next year. Additionally, Mercedes is looking to break into the consumer EV market much more seriously with the new EQ brand, with the Generation EQ concept SUV basically leading the way.