Mercedes not expecting to be frontrunner in first FE season
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff says the manufacturer is not taking it "for granted" that it will be among the frontrunners in its debut ABB FIA Formula E season.
After taking over an FE entry from HWA, which competed as a Venturi customer squad to learn about the electric championship ahead of Mercedes' works entry in 2018/19, the manufacturer will join the FE grid for the upcoming 2019/20 season.
Mercedes' formally unveiled its FE squad at the Frankfurt Motor Show on Wednesday, where ex-McLaren Formula 1 juniors Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries were confirmed as its 2019/20 drivers.
The team is joining a championship where nine drivers from eight squads won races in the 2018/19 season and three different entries won the FE teams' championship in its first five campaigns.
Mercedes has secured world title doubles in the last five Formula 1 seasons, but Wolff says it needs to have "both feet on the ground and [stay] humble" when it comes to predicting FE success.
"There are teams and OEMs that have been in FE for a long time and they were successful and have the learning curve," he continued to Motorsport.com
"We haven't got all that – we had a learning year with HWA, with not all the resource that is needed to make it successful, so we very much see season six now as an entry point for Mercedes and we don't take it for granted to play a role in the leading pack.
"That will come over time. If we surprise ourselves and we are able to score highlights – being in the top five, going onto the podium – I would be delighted.
"But it's not something we expect in season one [for Mercedes]."
Vandoorne, who finished 16th in the 2018/19 drivers' championship for HWA, said he believed Mercedes could compete at the front of the FE grid, while sharing Wolff's assertion that that is not guaranteed.
"It's natural that everybody will raise the bar much higher," he told Motorsport.com.
"Last year we were kind of in the background and maybe the pressure wasn't as high on everyone.
"But from my perspective it doesn't change that much, I'm confident that we will have the tools available to compete at the front.
"At the moment it's still a bit of a question mark – how consistent we will be able to do that, and how competitive the package will be exactly.
"But I feel very confident that from what I've seen – the resources, everything – the people that are behind this take it very seriously.
"But we can also not take it for granted because it's not a championship like any other where you can just come in and dominate."
Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow 01
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes signs Vandoorne, de Vries for debut FE season
Wolff "didn't believe Formula E could make it"
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...
How Jake Dennis’ struggles turned him into a Formula E frontrunner
Having emerged as one of Formula E’s strongest drivers in his one-and-a-half seasons in the championship, Jake Dennis cemented his place in the series with a breakout maiden season. But it's not always been smooth sailing for the Briton
How Vandoorne recaptured Mercedes' winning feeling in Monaco
The Mercedes Formula 1 team is struggling, but its Formula E arm is in fine form at the moment and once again leads the drivers' standings courtesy of Stoffel Vandoorne. Here's how the Belgian took a well-judged Monaco victory to emerge at the head of the brewing four-way championship tussle
Will lighter, greener, faster Gen3 deliver on Formula E's many promises?
With a fighter-jet inspired design, revamped technical specifications and a new tyre supplier, Formula E's Gen3 car is set to shake up the series. But can it deliver on all of the promises that Formula E has set out to ensure that manufacturers consider the outlay on going racing in an all-electric arena worthwhile?
Why Nissan's e.dams buyout signifies its Formula E victory intent
The e.dams Formula E squad is one of the most storied in the championship's short history as its original benchmark, but its successes in the Gen2 era have been fleeting by comparison. Nissan's decision to take full control ahead of Gen3 marks a statement of intent that it intends to get back to winning ways
How Evans came, saw and conquered Formula E in Rome
Mitch Evans and Jaguar dominated the Rome E-Prix weekend, winning both races to bring alive a season in which he'd scored just one point from the previous three weekends. Supreme overtaking and strategy proved key in bringing the Kiwi back into title contention on a weekend that he was, his rivals conceded, “in a different league”
How NIO 333's new home is helping it prepare for Formula E's Gen3 era
Under a former guise, the NIO 333 Formula E squad took victory in the championship's inaugural season, but a difficult recent history has resigned the team to the back of the field. Now with a new base and the much-vaunted Gen3 regulations incoming, the Chinese team is looking reinvigorated.
Why Porsche's Formula E breakthrough points to a flawed narrative
A crushing 1-2 in Mexico meant Porsche broke its Formula E duck in fine style to underline its status as a credible title contender. But while its success has taken longer to arrive relative to Mercedes, there are several reasons why their situations aren't directly comparable and, crucially, it appears to be an equal now the series has moved away from its loathed qualifying format