The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and Lewis Hamilton have agreed a new contract which will see the driver with the most Grand Prix victories in F1 history race for the Mercedes works team in the upcoming 2021 F1 season. Lewis joined the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team in 2013; together, they were able to win sixth F1 Drivers’ and seven Constructors’ Championships in the past years.
A significant part of the new agreement builds upon the joint commitment to greater diversity and inclusion in motorsport that was made last year by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. This will take the form of a joint charitable foundation, which will have the mission of supporting greater diversity and inclusion in all its forms in motorsport.
“We’re very happy to keep the most successful F1 driver of the current era in the most successful F1 team of the current era,” commented Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research, Mercedes-Benz Cars Chief Operating Officer and Non-Executive Chairman of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. “Lewis is not only an incredibly talented driver; he also works very hard for his achievements and is extremely hungry. He shares his passion for performance with the entire team which is why this collaboration has become so successful. But Lewis is also a warm-hearted personality who cares deeply about the world around him and wants to make an impact. As a company, we share this sense of responsibility and are proud to launch a new, joint foundation to improve diversity in Formula One. Opening the series to under-represented groups will be important for the sport’s development in the future and we’re determined to make an impact”.
Strategic steps for future success
Retaining Lewis in the team is another important step for the future success of the Mercedes works team. Over the past 12 months, Daimler AG and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team have established several key strategic pillars to lay the foundations for a bright future of the Mercedes F1 works team:
In addition to these important strategic pillars, the new financial regulations in Formula One, which came into effect on 1 January 2021, will help F1 teams on their journey to financial sustainability in the years ahead.
“2020 was a difficult year for Formula One, but we’re happy the series was able to go racing and produce a thrilling season,” said Markus Schäfer. “Despite the challenges, we were able to not only defend both championship titles, but also make some very important strategic decisions for the future of the team. We’ve aligned the sustainability efforts of our Mercedes works team more closely with those of Daimler, both in terms of the environmental impact and the economic value for the team’s shareholders. The closer collaboration between our F1 team and our performance division AMG creates an exciting opportunity for both sides and will take our technology transfer from the race track to the road to the next level. Formula One is one of our biggest global marketing platforms and the steps we’ve taken in the last twelve months ensure that this platform stays highly attractive for us. We remain strongly committed to the sport and are excited to see what the future holds for our Mercedes works team”.