Following George Russell's podium in Shanghai, Mercedes is experiencing a week of celebrations: the Briton's third place in China was the 300th podium for the star firm in Formula 1After having registered 17 between 1954 and 1955, notably thanks to Juan Manuel Fangio, champion in those two years, the German manufacturer withdrew from the category.
For nearly four decades, Mercedes' star shone away from the premier class paddocks before making its comeback in 1994. The Stuttgart firm returned as an engine supplier to supply a V10 used by Sauber in the 1994 season, then McLaren subsequently. It was on March 27, 1994, exactly 31 years ago, that the story between the engine manufacturer and the Swiss team began at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Far behind the overwhelming winner Michael Schumacher, Karl Wendlinger scored the first point of the Sauber – Mercedes collaboration by finishing 6th in the race.
Mercedes in F1: A story built mainly since 2010
The team of Hinwil Mercedes would score eleven more that year and settle for 8th place in the constructors' standings, before switching to a Ford-Cosworth engine the following year. While Mercedes would continue to power McLaren from 1995, then Force India and BrawnGP in 2009, it would take until 2010 for the German brand to return under its own name, taking over BrawnGP after its victorious epic.
In the following years, the Silver Arrows gained momentum, crushing everything in their path with the new regulations of 2014: Mercedes won eight Constructors' titles and seven Drivers' titles. The Germans reigned supreme for many seasons, and the figures for their dominance are clear. With more than 250 podiums and 100 victories since the 2010s, Mercedes is one of the biggest names in recent Formula 1, even if the last few years have sometimes been more complicated.
The manufacturer is currently in fourth place in the overall Constructors' table, thanks to the 300th podium finish by George Russell in China, behind Ferrari (829), McLaren (527) and Williams (313). The British driver climbed onto his 16th podium since his arrival in 2022, six more than Juan Manuel Fangio. On the other hand, Nico Rosberg (55), Valtteri Bottas (58) and above all Lewis Hamilton (153) still dominate the ranking.
The number of podiums per driver with Mercedes
The number of podiums per driver with a Mercedes engine
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