Mercedes-Benz

==Motorsport==
{{Main|Mercedes-Benz in motorsport}}
[[File:Mercedessimplex1.jpg|thumb|A DMG [[Mercedes Simplex]] 1906 in the [[Deutsches Museum]]]]

The two companies which were merged to form the ''Mercedes-Benz'' brand in 1926 had both already enjoyed success in the new sport of [[auto racing|motor racing]] throughout their separate histories. A single Benz competed in the world's first motor race, the [[Paris–Rouen (motor race)|1894 Paris–Rouen]], where Émile Roger finished 14th in 10 hours 1 minute. Throughout its long history, the company has been involved in a range of motorsport activities, including [[sports car racing]] and [[rallying]]. On several occasions, Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn completely from motorsport for a significant period, notably in the late 1930s, and after the [[1955 Le Mans disaster]], where a [[Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR]] rammed another car (an Austin-Healey), took off into the stands, and killed more than 80 spectators. [[Stirling Moss]] and co-driver [[Denis Jenkinson]] won the 1955 [[Mille Miglia]] road race in Italy during a record-breaking drive with an average speed of almost 98&nbsp;mph in a [[Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/3902283/Mercedes-honours-Stirling-Moss.html |title=Telegraph 23 December 2008 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK |date=23 December 2008 |access-date=12 March 2011 |first=Paul |last=Hudson |archive-date=7 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207221102/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/3902283/Mercedes-honours-Stirling-Moss.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Although there was some activity in the intervening years, it was not until 1987 that Mercedes-Benz returned to front line competition, returning to Le Mans, [[Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft]] (DTM), and [[Formula One]] with [[Sauber]]. The 1990s saw Mercedes-Benz partner with British engine builder [[Ilmor]] (now [[Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines]]), and campaign [[IndyCar Series|IndyCars]] under the [[United States Automobile Club|USAC]]/[[Champ Car|CART]] rules, eventually winning the [[1994 Indianapolis 500]] and [[1994 CART World Series season|1994 CART IndyCar World Series]] Championship with [[Al Unser Jr.]] at the wheel. The 1990s also saw the return of Mercedes-Benz to GT racing with the [[Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR]], which took the company to two titles in FIA's GT1 class.

Mercedes-Benz is currently active in two motorsport categories, [[Formula One]] and [[GT racing]].

===Formula One===
{{Main|Mercedes-Benz in Formula One}}
[[File:Mercedes duo 2013 Malaysia.jpg|thumb|Both [[Mercedes-Benz in Formula One|Mercedes-AMG]] Formula One cars at the [[2013 Malaysian Grand Prix]]]]
Mercedes-Benz took part in the world championship in 1954 and 1955, but despite being successful with two championship titles for [[Juan-Manuel Fangio]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/hall_of_fame/268/ |title=The official Formula 1 website |publisher=Formula1.com |date=24 June 1911 |access-date=26 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629204547/http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/hall_of_fame/268/ |archive-date=29 June 2007 }}</ref> the company left the sport after just two seasons.

Mercedes-Benz returned as an engine manufacturer in 1994, with the engines being designed and manufactured by [[Ilmor]] in [[Brixworth]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Ilmor: Bowmen of the Silver Arrows|publisher=Atlasf1.autosport.com|url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2001/jan03/tytler.html|access-date=26 April 2009|archive-date=15 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415231412/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2001/jan03/tytler.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> It initially partnered with [[Sauber Motorsport|Sauber]], before switching to [[McLaren]] in 1995. Although the Mercedes engines were not successful at first, they later won drivers' championships for [[Mika Häkkinen]] in 1998 and 1999, and for [[Lewis Hamilton]] in 2008, as well as a constructors' championship in 1998. Mercedes part-owned McLaren, and the collaboration had been extended into the production of road-going cars such as the [[Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren]].

In 2007, McLaren-Mercedes was fined a record US$100&nbsp;million for stealing confidential Ferrari technical data.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fia.com/mediacentre/Press_Releases/FIA_Sport/2007/September/130907-02.html |title=FIA: $100M fine handed to Mercedes |publisher=FIA |access-date=26 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408103136/http://www.fia.com/mediacentre/Press_Releases/FIA_Sport/2007/September/130907-02.html |archive-date=8 April 2009 }}</ref>

In 2009, [[Ross Brawn]]'s newly conceived Formula One team, [[Brawn GP]] used Mercedes engines to win the titles. At the end of the season, Mercedes-Benz sold its 40% stake in McLaren to the McLaren Group and bought 70% of the Brawn GP team jointly with an [[Abu Dhabi]]-based investment consortium. Brawn GP was renamed [[Mercedes-Benz in Formula One|Mercedes GP]] for the 2010 season and became the main team for Mercedes-Benz. The company continued providing engines to other teams under customer relationships.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Benson|first1=Andrew|title=Formula 1 2016: All you need to know about the teams|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/30913845|publisher=[[BBC Sport]]|access-date=8 November 2016|date=3 July 2016|archive-date=11 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111145441/http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/30913845|url-status=live}}</ref>

After major rule changes in {{F1|2014}}, Mercedes clinched the drivers' and constructors' titles with drivers [[Lewis Hamilton]] and [[Nico Rosberg]], after dominating much of the season. Mercedes repeated the feat in {{F1|2015}}, winning 16 out of 19 races, and again in {{F1|2016}}, winning 19 of the 21 races. In the following years, Mercedes continued their success by winning the drivers' championships from [[2017 Formula One World Championship|2017]] to [[2020 Formula One World Championship|2020]] and the constructors' championships from [[2017 Formula One World Championship|2017]] to [[2021 Formula One World Championship|2021]], becoming the first team to win seven consecutive "double-championships".<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2020-11-01|title=Hamilton wins wild race in Imola as Mercedes clinch seventh-straight constructors' title|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.hamilton-wins-wild-race-in-imola-as-mercedes-clinch-seventh-straight.3B7QIQp1BeTM7SMlKlcoj8.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119174919/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.hamilton-wins-wild-race-in-imola-as-mercedes-clinch-seventh-straight.3B7QIQp1BeTM7SMlKlcoj8.html|archive-date=19 November 2020|access-date=2020-11-10|website=Formula1.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/f1-mercedes-constructors-2021-hamilton-25677987|title = Mercedes win eighth straight constructors' title as Verstappen wins Abu Dhabi GP|website = [[Daily Mirror]]|date = 12 December 2021}}</ref> In these years, Hamilton was the champion in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, while Rosberg won in 2016.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2020-11-15|title=Lewis Hamilton seals historic 7th title with peerless wet-weather victory in Turkey|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.hamilton-seals-historic-7th-title-with-peerless-wet-weather-victory-in.4wK1atemiXDvWXQxOknL4J.html|access-date=2020-11-15|website=Formula1.com|language=en|archive-date=17 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117064210/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.hamilton-seals-historic-7th-title-with-peerless-wet-weather-victory-in.4wK1atemiXDvWXQxOknL4J.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Their unbeaten streak was broken in 2021, when [[Max Verstappen]] of [[Red Bull Racing|Red Bull]]-[[Honda in Formula One|Honda]] won the drivers' championship.

=== Formula E ===
{{Main|Mercedes EQ Formula E Team}}

Prior to pre-season testing of the 2019–20 Formula E Championship, it was announced that Mercedes, through its EQ branch, would join the championship with drivers [[Stoffel Vandoorne]] and [[2019 Formula 2 Championship|2019 FIA Formula 2]] champion [[Nyck De Vries]]. The team named their [[Spark Gen2]] challenger the Mercedes EQ Silver Arrow 01.