Mercedes in Formula 1: The rise, fall and rebirth of an empire – the story of a team that refused to stay down | Racing News –

Most people think that Mercedes-Benz is just a luxury car brand and the Maybachs you see on the road. But its motorsport story is very different and much deeper. It goes back to the 1950s.

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team’s journey doesn’t really begin in the Formula 1 paddock today; It begins as a legend, where speed, innovation and ambition first combined to build what we now know as the Silver Stocks.Now, before we head into how Mercedes has created its own empire, let’s take a look at why Mercedes has dominated this season.The 2026 season introduced another major regulatory reform in Formula 1, giving teams a new opportunity to reset themselves.

This time, Mercedes approached the changes with a completely different mentality, avoiding the pitfalls that plagued it in 2022.Mercedes has developed a completely new aerodynamic philosophy, focusing on creating a car that performs consistently across different tracks and conditions. This wider operating window allowed them to extract performance more reliably, something that had been missing in previous years.

In the 2026 Formula 1 season, Andrea Kimi Antonelli currently leads the World Drivers’ Championship with 72 points.

Driving for Mercedes alongside teammate George Russell, the 19-year-old Italian made a record start to the year, taking back-to-back victories in China and Japan. With his victory in Japan, he became the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to lead the standings. His victory in Shanghai was the first for an Italian driver in 20 years, since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006.On 1 February 2024, Mercedes confirmed that Lewis Hamilton would leave after 12 years with the team, after activating an exit clause to sign a multi-year contract with Scuderia Ferrari starting in the 2025 season.

Later that year, on 31 August 2024, Mercedes announced rookie driver Kimi Antonelli as his replacement. On 19 December 2024, Valtteri Bottas was confirmed to return to Mercedes as a reserve driver. However, his second stint with the team was short-lived, as he left ahead of the 2026 season to join the newly created Cadillac F1 Team.

But the 19-year-old proved his worth in the first three rounds of the Grand Prix.Mercedes has three consecutive podium finishes in Formula 1 after almost 4 years, something Hamilton has become accustomed to doing in almost every race for Mercedes.

The Lewis Hamilton Mercedes era (2014-2021): A period of unparalleled dominance

After its return to Formula 1, Mercedes experienced an era of dominance, largely due to the team’s champion, Lewis Hamilton. The period between 2014 and 2021 represents the peak of Hamilton’s dominance in Formula 1 with Mercedes. During these eight seasons, Hamilton captured six World Drivers’ Championships (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020), establishing himself as the defining driver of the hybrid era.

The only seasons in which he failed were in 2016, when teammate Nico Rosberg pipped him to the title, and in 2021, when he lost to Max Verstappen in a dramatic and controversial finish.

By 2019 and 2020, Hamilton’s dominance had reached another level. In 2019, he collected a record number of points for a single season, demonstrating his complete dominance in the championship. The 2020 season cemented his legacy, as he equaled Schumacher’s record of seven world titles and became the most successful driver in terms of race victories, surpassing his 91 wins at the Portuguese Grand Prix.However, the 2021 season saw one of the most exciting title battles in Formula 1 history. Hamilton took his 100th race win but ultimately lost the championship to Max Verstappen in the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, marking the end of his uninterrupted reign at the top.But this was not just Hamilton’s era; It was the Mercedes era, when Formula 1 shifted from raw speed to balance of energy management.

This is where Mercedes has gained a decisive advantage. Not only was their power unit the most powerful on the grid, it was also the most efficient in how it used and deployed power. Unlike conventional engines, hybrid units rely heavily on energy recovery systems. Mercedes mastered this balance early.

Its engine could generate strong straight-line speed with less fuel consumption, which allowed drivers to push harder for longer without compromising racing strategy.

Efficiency also means improved thermal management and reliability, two factors that often determine tournaments over the course of a long season.Hamilton fully understood this engine factor, adapting to it very quickly season after season. That period was known as the Mercedes-Hamilton era, when other teams were competing for second place because Mercedes always had the upper hand, until 2021, when the actual downfall of Mercedes and Hamilton began.

2022 – The miscalculation that changed everything

When Formula 1 introduced ground effect aerodynamics in 2022, it radically changed how cars generated performance. Instead of relying primarily on wings, cars now produce most of their downforce from airflow under the floor. This meant that teams had to rethink everything, from the shape of the car to the suspension and even airflow management.Before the teams could fully adapt, Mercedes faced a psychological setback after losing to Red Bull in 2021, where Max Verstappen won his first championship in the final.

The Mercedes era was shattered, and then aerodynamic changes hit the team.Mercedes chose not to follow the traditional design path. Instead, they introduced one of the most radical concepts in modern Formula 1, the ‘zero sidecars’ design, in which the massive sidecars were almost completely removed.From an engineering standpoint, the idea was really innovative. Traditional side legs direct airflow around the vehicle, but they also create drag and can obstruct clean airflow toward the rear.

In theory, this concept could have opened up a completely new design philosophy, giving Mercedes a similar advantage to what it had in 2014.Usually, if a concept doesn’t work, teams can gradually change direction. Mercedes couldn’t, because its design was too extreme and different. Technically, Mercedes lost performance. But psychologically, they have lost something bigger: control. They are betting on a revolutionary idea, but in Formula 1, a revolution only works if it can be controlled.This four-year period was not their only downfall. Before winning back-to-back championships, when they returned in 2010, they weren’t even close to contending for titles. But where were they in the long term?

Origins: Hegemony and Withdrawal in the 1950s

Mercedes’ dominance actually goes back to the 1950s. They entered Formula 1 in 1954, and Juan Manuel Fangio won the championship that year and again in 1955. However, the team withdrew from motorsport after the disastrous Le Mans disaster of 1955. Mercedes returned as a works team in 2010, and they signed 7-time champion Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. Although results between 2010 and 2013 appeared modest, this period was a carefully planned rebuilding process.

Behind the scenes, Mercedes was building a long-term system rather than aiming for short-term success. This laid the foundation for their dominance in the Hybrid Age. The results were in favor of the team, which achieved a record 7 championships, until it suffered a psychological setback in 2021.After an era of dominance, Mercedes returned to racing for three consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2025, and then something happened that completely shocked the Formula 1 world.

Hamilton’s exit: Why he changed everything at Mercedes

When Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes, it was not just a routine move for the driver, it was the breaking point of an era that defined modern Formula 1. Hamilton and Mercedes were not only successful, they were interconnected. Over the course of nearly a decade, they built one of the most dominant partnerships the sport has ever seen. But beyond the statistics, Hamilton has been pivotal to how Mercedes operates. He wasn’t just driving the car, he was shaping its development.

His feedback influenced the design philosophy, race strategy and even the team’s confidence.

Now, in 2026, Mercedes’ aerodynamics and engine combination are completely under their control. Drivers Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell were actively involved in the engineering process, and the results are there for the world to see, with both drivers leading the Grand Prix race.Mercedes in Formula 1 is truly the story of the rebirth of an empire. First, they dominated in an era of raw speed, then they folded after a tragic accident. When they returned, they learned and built a seven-year period of dominance, and then a psychological setback. Now, they are experiencing another rebirth, with a completely different structure within the team.