When you think of Formula 1, it’s only natural that the first thing that springs to mind is the exhilarating performance of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team.

The team is one of the most successful in the sport’s history. Between 2014 and 2021, they won a staggering eight consecutive Constructors’ World Championships and seven Drivers’ World Championship titles, with Lewis Hamilton crowned world champion seven times and Nico Rosberg once.

But this is not the first time Mercedes-Benz has made history in the F1 paddock. In the 1930s and again in the 1950s, a series of ground-breaking Mercedes-Benz cars swept the racetracks around Europe. In the hands of drivers such as Rudolf Caracciola (1930s), and Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss (1950s), they redefined the sport.

Racing is intrinsically tied to the origins of Mercedes-Benz. In 1899, an engineer and car salesman named Emil Jellinek entered a Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) Phoenix in the Speed Week races in Nice, France under the pseudonym of ‘Monsieur Mercedes’ and called his team ‘Mercedes’ after his daughter. This marked the beginning of a long and illustrious association with top-line motorsport. In some cases, Mercedes-Benz racing cars became just as famous as their drivers.

Here are five innovative open-wheelers to wear the three-pointed star.

Mercedes-Benz W25 (1934) – the ‘Silver Arrow’

The W25’s victory in 1934 kicked off the legend of the ‘Silver Arrows’ – the fond nickname that has been given to many Mercedes-Benz racers ever since. With driver Manfred von Brauchitsch steering, the W25 model took its maiden victory at the Eifel race on the now-infamous Nürburgring track.

It’s said the vehicle was presented to scrutineers one kilogram heavier than the maximum 750kg, and that race team manager Alfred Neubauer promptly had the car’s lead-based white paint ground back to bare aluminium to achieve the required weight.

The sparkling silver car, powered by a supercharged inline eight-cylinder engine making 350 horsepower (260 kilowatts), won easily, with an average speed of 122.5 km/h – a new track record. Von Brauchitsch later told the press: “To drive a Silver Arrow is an honour.”

It was also behind the wheel of the W25 that Rudolf Caracciola secured the 1935 European Championship title.

Mercedes-Benz W125 (1937)

Produced within the space of just a few months in 1936 by Rudolf Uhlenhaut and his team of design engineers, the W125 is known for its streamlined body, powerful engine, revolutionary suspension tuning, and torsion-resistant frame. Its lightweight and aerodynamic design allowed the new Silver Arrow to dominate the 1937 Grand Prix European Championship and triumph over its rivals.

In the W125, the Stuttgart-based racing team won four of the five Grand Prix races that counted towards the European Championship – including two 1-2-3 and two 1-2 finishes – and Rudolf Caracciola was crowned European Champion for the second time at the end of the season. A modified version of the W125 fitted with a V12 engine also set a world speed record for a public road, hitting 268.9 miles per hour (432.7km/h) on a section of Germany’s autobahn.

With championship rules changing for the 1938 season, the W125 was retired – but its short reign supported the growing legacy of the Silver Arrows and solidified it as one of the most memorable Grand Prix cars of its time.

Mercedes-Benz W196 (1954)

If there was a precursor for the domination of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team in the 2014-2021 era, it was the 1954 and 1955 Formula 1 seasons. In the hands of legendary racers Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, the Mercedes-Benz W196 won nine of the 12 F1 races in which it was entered, and Fangio captured the F1 World Championship in both seasons.

The car was once again designed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, now a highly experienced race engineer who is also credited as the driving force behind the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ – a model that many experts regard as one of the greatest cars ever built.

For the W196, Uhlenhaut brought in technological advancements including a tubular space-frame chassis, full independent suspension and fuel injection. It featured a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre inline eight in two variations – one for high-speed circuits, and another for regular tracks.

Mercedes-Benz F1 W07 Hybrid (2016)

Following two highly successful seasons in 2014 and 2015, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team began 2016 with the new W07 Hybrid and plenty of confidence in drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

Featuring a mandated V6 engine linked to energy recovery systems, plus advanced aerodynamic elements, the output of the hybrid power unit was estimated at 710 to 750 kW.

The two highly competitive drivers pushed each other relentlessly, collectively winning 19 of the 21 races in 2016. Hamilton won 10 races to Rosberg’s nine, but it was the latter who narrowly won the coveted drivers’ title. The team also scored an incredible 765 points, averaging 36.4 points per Grand Prix.

Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ PERFORMANCE (2020)

In 2020, Lewis Hamilton scored a record-equalling seventh F1 world drivers’ championship with the W11 that he campaigned along with Valtteri Bottas. In a season heavily impacted by COVID-19, the pair won 13 of the 17 races held, and collected 15 pole positions.

In addition to its all-black colour scheme, the W11 was notable for several technological innovations including dual-axis steering, which allowed the driver to adjust the toe angle of the front wheels – and therefore optimise tyre performance – by pushing or pulling on the steering wheel. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team also led the way in aerodynamic development and suspension refinement. It was in the W11 that Lewis Hamilton set the record for the fastest average lap at Monza, with an average speed of 264.362km/h.

Much of the cutting-edge technology developed for F1 can be found in select Mercedes-AMG production vehicles.

Discover the Mercedes‑AMG range here.