In a shock move, Mercedes has announced that it is to leave DTM after 26 years for Formula E.
The move comes as part of the Stuttgart giant's repositioning of its motorsport activities. The company will conclude its participation in DTM at the end of 2018 and enter Formula E in the 2019/20 season.
This new approach will see Mercedes-Benz competing at both ends of the motorsport spectrum: in Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport combining high technology and the most demanding competitive challenge; and in Formula E, which embodies the transformation that is underway in the automotive industry.
"Since the 'new' DTM was founded in 2000, Mercedes has enjoyed 18 continuous seasons of great racing," said the team is a statement, "spectacular battles and close-matched competition. We were lucky enough to celebrate championship success and learned how to handle defeat. And we loved every second of it.
"Our years in the DTM will always be held high as a major chapter in the motorsport history of Mercedes," said Toto Wolff. "I want to thank every team member whose fantastic work has helped to make Mercedes-Benz the most successful DTM manufacturer during that time. Although leaving is tough for all of us, we will be doing everything during this season and next to make sure we win as many DTM titles as possible before we go. We owe that to our fans and to ourselves."
Since the DTM was founded in 1988, there have been 26 racing seasons during which Mercedes-Benz has won 10 drivers', 13 team and six manufacturer titles (DTM + ITC combined). With our fans, we have celebrated 183 race wins, 128 pole positions and 540 podium finishes.
"Our departure from the DTM brings a long-standing motorsport era to a close. We look back with pride on the commitment of our teams, drivers, partners and the many people behind the scenes, who so often made the series a fascinating platform for our customers and for fans of our brand," concluded Vice President Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars Dr Jens Thiemer. "It is now time to start on a new path."
"Mercedes-Benz will market future battery powered electric vehicles using the EQ label," explained Dr Jens Thiemer, Vice President Marketing Mercedes-Benz. "Formula E is a significant step in order to demonstrate the performance of our attractive battery powered electric vehicles, as well as giving an emotional spin to our EQ technology brand through motorsport and marketing."
"In motorsport like in every other area, we want to be the benchmark in the premium segment and to explore innovative new projects," added Wolff. "The combination of Formula 1 and Formula E delivers that. Formula E is like an exciting start-up venture: it offers a brand new format, combining racing with a strong event character, in order to promote current and future technologies. Electrification is happening in the road car world and Formula E offers manufacturers an interesting platform to bring this technology to a new audience - and to do so with a completely new kind of racing, different to any other series. I am pleased that we were able to extend our entry option for one year to the 2019/20 season. This gives us time to properly understand the series and to prepare for our entry in the right way."
"Today is a great day as we welcome Mercedes to the Formula E family - adding to the increasing number of manufacturers joining the electric revolution," said Formula E Founder and CEO Alejandro Agag. "This step shows how much the world is changing, not only in motorsport, but the whole automotive industry. We're witnessing a transformation that will first change our cities, and then our roads. Formula E is the championship that embodies that change, and together with all our teams and manufacturers we'll keep pushing for technologies to have better and more affordable electric cars."
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