A departure of Mercedes-AMG from Formula 1 is totally out of the question, according to statements by Daimler CEO Ola Källenius. Still, things are going to change.
After winning six world titles in a row as a constructor in Formula 1 and the stronger desire for CO2 neutrality, you would say that Mercedes likes it once. Nothing seems further from the truth. Chief Ola Källenius has said that the cake is far from finished, if it were up to him. He does this in unmistakable words: “We have just as much reason to leave Formula 1 as Bayern Munich has to stop playing football”. Automotive News on. No reason. Mercedes, like all other teams, has recently agreed to the new Concord treaty that will run until 2025. Although leaving the sport is still possible, it does not seem like it will.
Last week, Honda announced that it will leave Formula 1 after next year, because it wants to focus more on electric mobility and achieve CO2 neutrality. Källenius also mentions a similar goal for Daimler, but sees no reason why Formula 1 cannot be reconciled with this. According to him, the development of synthetic fuels is essential here. The fact that the costs in Formula 1 are going down thanks to an ever lower budget ceiling is also important, according to him. “We have an even more aggressive cost-cutting goal in Formula 1 than in the rest of the company.” By 2021, the maximum budget will be $ 145 million. In 2022, it will drop to $ 140 million and will remain at $ 135 million from 2023. Mercedes-AMG F1 would now still run on a budget of well over $ 500 million (€ 440 million).