Mercedes-Benz: A Timeless Racing Legacy

The history of Mercedes in racing is as extraordinary as it is long and varied. Roarington offers today a summary of an adventure that could fill books. The Mercedes name first appeared at the top of the leaderboard in 1901, at a refined and fashionable location on the French Riviera, where the most important international motor race of the time took place: the "Semaine de Nice," dominated by the Mercedes 35 HP driven by Wilhelm Werner. The automobile had become a reality, and some events stood out over others: the famous Gordon-Bennett Cup was one of these, and in 1903, a 60-horsepower Mercedes Simplex claimed victory, dethroning the French, who had always won before.

In 1901, at the "Semaine de Nice," the name Mercedes appeared for the first time as Wilhelm Werner, driving the 35 HP, won the race.

As power increased, the races became more demanding. In 1908, the Mercedes Grand Prix car that won the French Grand Prix had an impressive 140 horsepower. In 1914, Mercedes achieved another success at this prestigious Grand Prix with a first and second-place finish. In the 1930s, when the European Grand Prix Championship was established—before the World Championship arrived in 1950—Mercedes won 34 out of 56 Grand Prix races and secured three European Championship titles. It’s interesting to note that in those years, the Mercedes W25 Grand Prix cars changed from white (the mandatory color for German cars) to silver. At the 1934 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, the cars were weighed and found to exceed the 750 kg limit. Alfred Neubauer, the racing director, had the cars stripped of their paint, revealing the aluminum body underneath, which brought them within the weight regulations. This marked the birth of the Silver Arrows legend. The European Championship, in its third edition, was based on seven races, and the famous Rudolf Caracciola claimed the title, winning four of the seven. Caracciola was also victorious in 1937 and 1938.

The legend of the Silver Arrows was born at the 1934 Nürburgring Grand Prix. The race was won by Manfred von Brauchitsch, but Rudolf Caracciola claimed three European Championships in 1935, 1937, and 1938.

Mercedes' great racing adventure resumed in 1952, after the painful war. A model was born that would mark an era: the W 194 with a 3000cc engine, from which the timeless 300 SL Gullwing would emerge. Mercedes achieved double victories at both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the grueling Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, taking first and second place in both races.

The W 194, already a winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, also won the 1952 Carrera Panamericana with Karl Kling and Hans Klenk.

Mercedes returned to single-seater racing in 1954 with two twin cars, adapted according to the tracks: open-wheel cars for medium-speed tracks and streamlined cars for fast circuits like Reims and Monza with its banked curves. Their designation was W196, and the drivers, Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, won 75% of the races they entered in just two years. This dominance led Mercedes to withdraw from racing at the end of the 1955 season, having won two World Championships, in a period marred by tragic accidents.

In 1954 and 1955, Mercedes-Benz dominated Formula 1 with Juan Manuel Fangio driving the W196 R, which proved far superior to its competitors.

This track dominance was echoed on the road, in races like the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio in Sicily, as well as on international circuits in the World Sportscar Championship. The model known as the SLR, conceptually close to what would become one of Mercedes' greatest commercial successes, the 300 SL (known as the Gullwing), appeared unbeatable, just like in Formula 1. In 1955, Stirling Moss covered the 1578 kilometers of Italian state roads in the Mille Miglia at an average speed of 157 km/h, setting a record that remains unbroken—literally incredible, considering stops for refueling and checks.

Stirling Moss set a still-unbeaten record at the 1955 Mille Miglia, averaging 157 km/h and dominating the race.

After Mercedes’ dream racing years came to a close, it wasn’t until the 1980s that the adrenaline returned. Early experiments included the V8 Mercedes engine fitted to the Sauber C8 in the Group C World Sports Prototype Championship. A valuable experience that led, in 1989, to the Sauber C9 Mercedes winning the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, and more importantly, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans after 37 years. The Mercedes-Benz name, with the C11 designation, returned to prominence in 1990, winning the World Sports Prototype Championship. It marked the true comeback of the Silver Arrows.

Mercedes-Benz returned to glory in 1989, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Sauber C9 and claiming the World Sports Prototype Drivers' and Constructors' Championships.

Racing had always been in Mercedes’ heart: since 1988, Mercedes-Benz had competed in DTM, the German Touring Car Championship, where they won 13 titles after memorable battles with fierce competitors.

Mercedes-Benz always shone in DTM. Here’s the 1992 team with the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II, which finished first, second, and third in the Championship, with Klaus Ludwig winning.

The temptation of Formula 1 was advancing, but the preparatory work left nothing to chance: in 1994, a Penske single-seater powered by Mercedes won the Indianapolis 500. A brilliant debut, as they say: one-off success for Mercedes. Three years later, in 1997, Mercedes entered the FIA GT Championship, which it won with the CLK-GTR, followed by the CLK-LM in 1998. The cars, though extremely fast, were unlucky at Le Mans, and the dream of winning the 24 Hours faded.

The 1997 FIA GT Championship was won by the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR, the new weapon for the GT1 class.

All these experiences led to the final decision: to return to Formula 1. Initially, Mercedes cautiously supplied engines to McLaren, which won the Drivers' Championship in 1998 and 1999 with Mika Hakkinen, and a Constructors' Title in 1998. The collaboration with McLaren continued, leading to a new Drivers' Title, won by a very young Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

Mika Hakkinen, driving a Mercedes-powered McLaren, won the Formula 1 World Championship twice in a row in 1998 and 1999.

In 2009, Mercedes extended its engine supply to Brawn GP, which went on to win both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships. At the end of the season, Mercedes purchased the team, officially becoming a major player in Formula 1 once again. The first victory for the AMG Mercedes team, with Lewis Hamilton, came at the 2013 Hungarian GP. Then, from 2014 onwards, with new regulations introducing hybrid power units, Mercedes began a period of dominance, winning seven consecutive Drivers' Titles and eight Constructors' Titles—an all-time Formula 1 record. It’s a beautiful, unique story that continues.

Lewis Hamilton's 2014 Championship victory marked the start of Mercedes-Benz's dominance in Formula 1, with 15 World Championships, 8 of which were consecutive Constructors' Titles.