Why Did Mercedes Quit Formula E All Of A Sudden?

An unquestionably important presence in the highest-annals of Grand Prix Racing- Formula 1. A team so dominant that without it the current turbo-hybrid era of the sport can simply not be imagined. A venerable engine supplier in Formula 3. A team with no fewer than four driver and as many championship titles in Formula Three Euroseries and the British Formula 3 Championship.

Apart from this, being in the world famous IndyCar and Formula E, where they competed as the Mercedes-EQ Formula E team with Nick de Vries as the winning driver in the 2020 season- Mercedes have been a versatile winner, not merely a stale participant in not one but several motor-racing forms.

Yet, within days of Nick de Vries winning the revered Formula E title in 2020, what is it that happened so as to have compelled the Brackley-based team to quit Formula E of all motor sports?

One does happen to take a back step in the wake of poor form or during spells marked by winless returns in a sport. Yet, here Mercedes took the championship with the young and able Nick de Vries who made headlines for winning the Formula E championship in 2020 and have still decided to withdraw from the racing format?

What was the reason behind Mercedes stepping back?

Upon first thoughts, one’s compelled to ask- has the team come to be strangled by a serious financial crunch or problem of some other barren nature?

On the contrary, truth be told, the reason behind the famous racing emblem in the world of motor-racing having taken a decision that may seem as stunning as it is shock-inducing is the fact they desire to concentrate properly on F1!

The all-electric championship, shall therefore, no longer see a strong constructor participate in a dominant form of motor-racing that’s in sync with the times the world is jostling with- a novel form of racing to beat the inclement and unfriendly climactic conditions.

On the other hand, in order to spruce up the racing marquee’s efforts to dominate Formula 1, which it has ruled with an iron-fisted level of dominance since 2014, here’s what Markus Schafer, board member, Daimler Group Research and Mercedes Benz cars happened to highlight:

“At Mercedes-Benz, we have committed ourselves to fighting climate change at full force in this decade. This demands the accelerated transformation of our company, products and services towards an emission-free and software-driven future, and to achieve this, we must give full focus to our core activities. In motorsport, Formula E has been a good driver for proving our expertise and establishing our Mercedes-EQ brand, but in future we will keep pushing technological progress – especially on the electric drive side – focusing on Formula 1.”

He’d also highlight, the need to remain resiliently strong in F1, “It is the arena where we constantly test our technology in the most intense competition the automotive world has to offer – and the three-pointed star hardly shines brighter anywhere else. F1 offers rich potential for technology transfer… and our team and the entire series will achieve net-zero status by the end of the decade.”

That being said, why the decision to leave Formula E, it ought to be said, shouldn’t be all that shocking is because in the first place, Mercedes entered the competition with an open mind, their biggest strengths, until all such time, always resting with F1.