No plans for total AMG rebrand of Mercedes F1 operation
Mercedes has no plans for a total rebrand of its Formula 1 operation under its AMG banner despite plans to strengthen ties between the two projects.
Mercedes has raced with its high-performance AMG brand as part of its official F1 team name since 2012, as well as carrying AMG sponsorship on its F1 car models.
Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius revealed earlier this month in a strategy briefing that ties between the AMG brand and Mercedes’ F1 team would be strengthened moving forward as part of a wider company emphasis on its sub-divisions.
A number of manufacturers have opted to rebrand their F1 operations under the banner of performance brands, the latest example being Renault, whose team will be known as Alpine from 2021.
But Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said there were no plans in place for a similar rebranding of the team despite the AMG plans.
“It lies in the DNA of Mercedes to race - the first ever Mercedes was a race car, and we build road cars and we build race cars,” said Wolff.
“But the new strategy going forwards is to give the sub-brands a larger marketing platform - AMG, EQ, Maybach - and I think it's good that each of those brands gets a specific patch.
“AMG is our high-performance brand. Formula 1 cars are high performance cars.
“The Mercedes name is not going to be dropped from Formula 1. On the contrary, it's always going to be a Mercedes, the chassis is always going to be a Mercedes, the team name is always going to be Mercedes, and we are all Mercedes people.
“But in addition to that, we are also AMG. We represent AMG as a high performance brand and we want to increase the visibility of AMG which exists today.
“Here is technology transfer between the companies, just give it more marketing exposure and showcase the technology transfer that happens between AMG and the Mercedes Formula 1 team.”
Wolff recently said that he felt F1 was not doing a good enough job to tell the story of the hybrid technology used in its cars, which is a key part of the AMG car range.
Mercedes is on the cusp of winning a seventh straight F1 constructors’ championship this year, while Lewis Hamilton is on-course to win his seventh drivers’ title, leading teammate Valtteri Bottas by 69 points with six races remaining.
Related video
FIA says Stroll illness hasn't exposed COVID testing loophole
Recovered Stroll tested COVID-19 positive after Eifel GP
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work
How Vegas went from byword for F1 indifference to grand Liberty coup
Holding a race in Las Vegas – party central, a city of dreams and decadence and, yes, more than a smattering of tackiness – has been on Liberty Media’s most-wanted list since it acquired Formula 1’s commercial rights. But, as LUKE SMITH explains, F1 has been here before and the relationship didn’t work out
Why de Vries' FP1 outing could add a new path to his current crossroads
A Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries is currently considering where his future in motorsport lies. Continuing in WEC and Formula E is possible and he's also courted glances Stateside after impressing in an IndyCar test. But ahead of his Formula 1 FP1 debut with Williams, he could have another option if he impresses...
Why Leclerc's crash shouldn't put off F1 drivers tasting history
OPINION: For a demo run ahead of Monaco's Historique Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was blessed with the opportunity to drive Niki Lauda's former Ferrari 312B3 - but a brake failure at Rascasse suggested Leclerc's Monaco hoodoo transcended contemporary F1. Although an awkward incident, Leclerc deserves credit for embracing F1's history.
Why the lack of "needle" between Red Bull and Ferrari is a mirage
OPINION: The fight for the 2022 Formula 1 world titles between Red Bull and Ferrari so far features little of the public animosity that developed between the former and Mercedes last year. But that isn’t to say things are full on friendly or won’t get much worse very quickly…
The underdog F1 squad that thrust Senna into the limelight
The Toleman TG184 was the car that could, according to legend, have given Ayrton Senna his first F1 win but for Alain Prost and Jacky Ickx at Monaco in 1984. That could be stretching the boundaries of the truth a little, but as STUART CODLING explains, the team's greatest legacy was in giving the Brazilian prodigy passed over by bigger outfits an opportunity
Why Aston Martin is unlikely to repeat Jaguar’s F1 mistakes
Two famous manufacturer teams born out of humble midfield origins, splashing the cash while attempting to rise to the top of F1 in record time. There are clear parallels between Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin and the doomed Jaguar Racing project of 22 years ago, but Mark Gallagher believes struggling Aston can avoid a similar fate.