This is every Mercedes Formula 1 car
1954 – Mercedes W196
Drivers: Juan Manuel Fangio, Karl Kling, Hans Herrmann and Hermann Lang
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: N/A
Premiered at the 1954 Formula 1 French Grand Prix, the W196 was powered by a straight eight engine that produced 257 bhp. In its first year, the car won four grands prix out of the six it entered.
1955 – Mercedes W196
Drivers: Juan Manuel Fangio, Karl Kling, Hans Herrmann, Hermann Lang, Stirling Moss, Andre Simon and Piero Taruffi
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: N/A
For its second season in F1, the W196 was the dominant force in the series. It won almost every round of the shortened 1955 season, and Mercedes cars even finished 1-2-3-4 in the British Grand Prix.
2010 – Mercedes MGP W01
Drivers: Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher
Best grand prix result: Third
Constructors' championship position: Fourth
Mercedes made a return to F1 in 2010 after acquiring 2009 championship-winning team Brawn GP. The Silver Arrows didn't quite manage to emulate the success of the side’s former glory, but Nico Rosberg did take the W01 to three grand prix podiums.
2011 – Mercedes MGP W02
Drivers: Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher
Best grand prix result: Fourth
Constructors' championship position: Fourth
Formula 1 had a reset in 2011, and it caught Mercedes off-guard. The season proved to be the toughest for the Silver Arrows, with the side only managing a best result of fourth with Michael Schumacher at the wheel in Canada.
2012 – Mercedes F1 W03
Drivers: Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: Fifth
Mercedes took its first win since re-entering F1 in 2012, with Nico Rosberg qualifying on pole for the Chinese Grand Prix and winning the race on Sunday. The team picked up a further two podiums, but struggled in the second half of the season.
2013 – Mercedes F1 W04
Drivers: Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: Second
The wins continued in 2013 and the Mercedes W04 took Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton to three race wins between them. However, the team proved to be no match for a dominant Red Bull over the season.
2014 – Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid
Drivers: Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: First
The tables turned in 2014, and with F1’s switch to hybrid power Mercedes became the dominant force. The W05 won every race bar three and a Mercedes driver was on the podium at every grand prix.
2015 – Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid
Drivers: Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: First
The W06 Hybrid was an evolution of the 2014 car, with Mercedes making slight alterations where the regulations required. As such, it remained the dominant force – helped by the superior Mercedes power unit, which was still the class of the field.
2016 – Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid
Drivers: Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: First
The dominance continued in 2016, and the W07 only missed out on winning every race of the season when its drivers crashed in Spain and Lewis Hamilton’s engine failed from the lead of lap 41 of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
2017 – Mercedes F1 W08 EQ Power+
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: First
Mercedes rolled out suspension updates with the launch of the W08, and added a T-wing to the rear of the car to aid downforce. It proved to be another strong car for the Silver Arrows, and only missed the podium at one race of the year – the Monaco Grand Prix.
2018 – Mercedes F1 W09 EQ Power+
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: First
Mercedes faced tougher competition from Ferrari in 2018, and it wasn’t until round four that it picked up a win with the W09. However, suspension updates and aerodynamic tweaks over the season helped the Silver Arrows tame the car, and it won 11 races by the end of the year.
2019 – Mercedes F1 W10 EQ Power+
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: First
The W10 helped Mercedes equal Ferrari’s record of six consecutive constructors’ titles. It was strong in slow- and medium-speed corners, thanks to upgrades Mercedes made over the W09, while high temperature races proved to be one of its few weaknesses.
2020 – Mercedes F1 W11 EQ Performance
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: First
For 2020, Mercedes further developed its concept with the W11, which added innovations like the Dual Axis Steering system to optimise mechanical grip. The innovative system only lasted one season and was only used by Mercedes, as it was outlawed for 2021.
2021 – Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: First
Based heavily on the W11, the W12 earned Mercedes its last F1 constructors’ crown following a close fight with Red Bull. Over the course of the season, it won nine races and only missed the podium at two grands prix.
2022 – Mercedes W13
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: Third
Mercedes most controversial car was the W13 in Formula 1’s new ground effect era. While most cars on the grid used a conventional sidepod design, Mercedes opted for a “zero-pod” concept. It struggled against the competition, with drivers complaining that it suffered from handling and balance problems partly due to excessive porpoising.
2023 – Mercedes W14
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Best grand prix result: Second
Constructors' championship position: Second
The W14 was launched with a similar zero-pod concept, but after struggling through the early rounds of the season Mercedes scrapped this and rolled out an update that included traditional sidepods in Monaco.
2024 – Mercedes W15
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: Fourth
After a winless season in 2023, the W15 brought a turn in fortunes for Mercedes and helped the team to four race wins over the season. It was still a tricky car, however, and drivers complained that it was unpredictable.
2025 – Mercedes W16
Drivers: George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Best grand prix result: First
Constructors' championship position: Second
In the final year of F1’s ground effect era, the Silver Arrows rolled out another unpredictable car – with driver George Russell repeatedly criticising the W16 for its inconsistencies. By the end of the year, it had managed just two race wins.
2026 – Mercedes W17
Drivers: George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Best grand prix result: N/A
Constructors' championship position: N/A
In F1’s new era, Mercedes will be hoping that the W17 can bring a turnaround in fortunes. The new car has been developed to F1’s updated rules, which bring active aerodynamics to the front and rear wings, and mandate a near-50:50 split in electrical and combustion power from the power units.
