The exodus from Formula E continues as Mercedes will be leaving at the end of the 2021/2022 season.
Citing their “new strategic direction,” the company has “deliberately chosen” to shift resources away from Formula E and apply them towards the development of new electric vehicles.
As Mercedes explained, they’re going EV-only in most markets and this requires significant investment as three electric architectures will be launched in 2025. The company will use money saved from exiting Formula E to fund development of upcoming models and they’ll also apply “lessons learned in competition to product development in series.”
Also Read: Nissan Commits To Continue Racing In Formula E Until 2026
That being said, Mercedes isn’t abandoning motorsport altogether as they’ll concentrate their focus on Formula 1. They described it as the “fastest laboratory for developing and proving sustainable and scalable future performance technologies.”
While it’s a bit ironic that Mercedes is leaving an electric racing series at the same time the company is going electric, it might not be the end of the road for the Formula E team. In particular, the company noted the team’s leadership group has begun exploring options including a potential sale to new owners.
Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team Principal Ian James said, “We have been extremely fortunate to enjoy the support of Mercedes-Benz in building a class-leading Formula E operation over the past few seasons. I would like to thank the company for its trust and support in our journey so far – and all the way through to what we hope will be a successful conclusion to Season 8 with a strong championship challenge.” He added, “We recognize the value and power of Formula E; therefore, we will be exploring the best options for the team to continue competing beyond Season 8.”
Daimler and Mercedes board member Markus Schäfer struck a different note as he said, “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.”
