Mercedes’ Incredible Formula 1 Success Story

Mercedes Returns to the Summit of Formula 1

Mercedes has secured its ninth Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, completing a remarkable return to the top of the sport at the 2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix. George Russell’s fourth-place finish and Kimi Antonelli’s fifth at Interlagos gave Mercedes enough points to clinch the title, ending a five-year wait for another teams’ championship.

The result came one week after Antonelli became the youngest Italian to claim his maiden Drivers’ Championship in Mexico. Mercedes’ latest success brings the team level with Williams on nine constructors’ titles, with only Ferrari, on 16, and McLaren, on 10, having won more.

Mercedes’ record now includes an unprecedented eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships from 2014 through 2021. That dominant era followed an earlier period of success that began before the modern Formula 1 World Championship was established and included Juan Manuel Fangio’s title-winning campaigns for the manufacturer.

The Silver Arrows’ Early Success

Mercedes’ Grand Prix history stretches back to the 1930s, when its Silver Arrows achieved considerable success in international motor racing. The manufacturer made its World Championship debut at the 1954 French Grand Prix, where Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling finished first and second in the Mercedes W196.

Fangio won four races for Mercedes during the 1954 season and secured his second Drivers’ Championship. He returned in 1955 to win another title alongside team-mate Stirling Moss. In the following campaign, Mercedes won five of the six World Championship Grands Prix in which it competed, including Moss’s victory at the British Grand Prix, the first of his 16 career wins.

Mercedes withdrew from motorsport at the end of 1955 after a season overshadowed by the Le Mans disaster, in which driver Pierre Levegh and more than 80 spectators lost their lives. The decision ended the manufacturer’s first period of Formula 1 success after just two seasons, during which Mercedes won two Drivers’ Championships. The Constructors’ Championship was not introduced until 1958.

The manufacturer returned to Formula 1 as an engine supplier during the 1990s, first partnering with Sauber and later developing a successful relationship with McLaren. Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton subsequently won Drivers’ Championships using Mercedes power. Mercedes returned as a full works team in 2010 after purchasing the Brackley-based Brawn GP operation, which had won the 2009 championship.

Mercedes’ Eight-Year Championship Run

Mercedes began its works-team return with Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. The team’s initial seasons produced mixed results, but Rosberg secured Mercedes’ first victory as a works team since 1955 at the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix.

Hamilton joined Rosberg in 2013, just before Formula 1 introduced major technical changes. When the turbo-hybrid era began in 2014, Mercedes immediately became the sport’s leading team. It won 16 of the season’s 19 Grands Prix, with Hamilton taking his second Drivers’ Championship and Mercedes claiming its first Constructors’ Championship.

Mercedes repeated that achievement in 2015, again winning 16 of 19 races, before raising its performance level further in 2016 with 19 victories from 21 Grands Prix. That season featured a major intra-team rivalry, as Rosberg defeated Hamilton to win his only Drivers’ Championship and announced his retirement days later.

Valtteri Bottas replaced Rosberg in 2017 and helped Mercedes extend its winning streak alongside Hamilton. Hamilton won four consecutive Drivers’ Championships from 2017 through 2020, while Rosberg had added another title in 2016. Mercedes retained the Constructors’ Championship in 2021 even after Max Verstappen ended the team’s run of Drivers’ Championships.

By the end of 2021, Mercedes had won eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships, a record no other Formula 1 team had previously achieved. New ground-effect regulations introduced in 2022 then brought the team’s period of dominance to an end.

Mercedes Reclaims the Title in 2026

The 2022 regulations proved difficult for Mercedes, which struggled to reproduce its previous pace. Russell delivered the team’s only victory that season in Sao Paulo, while Mercedes endured its first winless campaign since 2011 in 2023. The Silver Arrows returned to winning ways in 2024 with four victories but finished fourth in the Constructors’ standings.

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari at the end of 2024 ended the most successful driver-team partnership in Formula 1 history. The seven-time World Champion had won 84 Grands Prix for Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli, then 18, replaced him for the 2025 season and partnered Russell as Mercedes finished second in the standings.

Another major set of technical regulations arrived in 2026, giving Mercedes a fresh opportunity to regain its advantage. Russell won the season-opening race in Australia, while Antonelli claimed his maiden victory in China and quickly emerged as a championship contender.

By the time Formula 1 reached Brazil, Mercedes had won 12 of the season’s 19 Grands Prix, and Antonelli had already secured the Drivers’ Championship in Mexico. Russell and Antonelli’s finishes at Interlagos completed the championship double and made Mercedes the third-most successful constructor in Formula 1 history, level with Williams.

Team Principal Toto Wolff has overseen all nine of Mercedes’ Constructors’ Championships. The achievement also places him level with Sir Frank Williams for the record for the most titles won by a team boss.

“We’ve taken a few years to be back on the top spot. Not many teams have been able to come back from such a situation.

“And it just shows that, you know, the great work, the great people that we have in our organisation. And it’s fantastic to be among them.”

Why This Matters

Mercedes’ ninth Constructors’ Championship confirms its place among Formula 1’s most successful teams and demonstrates its ability to recover after a difficult regulation cycle. The title follows four seasons in which the team lost its previous advantage, including a winless 2023 campaign and a fourth-place finish in 2024.

The 2026 result also highlights Mercedes’ response to another major technical reset. Russell’s leadership, Antonelli’s rapid rise and the team’s successful adaptation to the new regulations have restored Mercedes to championship-winning form. More than seven decades after Fangio’s early success, the Silver Arrows are again at the summit of Formula 1.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Mercedes win its ninth Constructors’ Championship?

Mercedes secured its ninth title at the 2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, where George Russell finished fourth and Kimi Antonelli finished fifth.

How many Constructors’ Championships has Mercedes won consecutively?

Mercedes won a record eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships from 2014 through 2021.

Who are Mercedes’ 2026 drivers?

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are Mercedes’ drivers for the 2026 season. Antonelli secured the Drivers’ Championship in Mexico before Mercedes clinched the teams’ title in Brazil.