2014 Hybrid Era Start
The car that kick-started Mercedes' eight-year dominance in the hybrid era.
The Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid, originally known as the Mercedes F1 W05, is a highly successful Mercedes-Benz Formula One racing car designed and developed under the direction of Bob Bell, Aldo Costa, Geoff Willis, Loïc Serra, Russell Cooley, John Owen, Mike Elliott and Jarrod Murphy to compete in the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship. The cars were driven by World Drivers' Champion Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. The F1 W05 was designed to use Mercedes's new 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged engine, the PU106A Hybrid.
Quick Facts
- Season
- 2014
- Engine type
- V6 Turbo Hybrid (PU106A)
- Drivers
- Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg
- Constructors' title
- Yes (First of six consecutive)
- Key innovation
- MGU-H and MGU-K Energy Recovery Systems
- Chassis
- W05 Hybrid
Lore & Background
The chassis was named 'F1 W05 Hybrid' to represent the fifth Formula One car that Mercedes had constructed since, while the hybrid was marked to recognize the utilization of fully integrated hybrid power units. The car made its competitive debut at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. After participating in 18 rounds of Grand Prix racing, the car made its final competition appearance at the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. As the first Mercedes F1 car of the hybrid era of the sport, this was the car that kick-started an unparalleled period of dominance by Mercedes that lasted for eight years. It became the second Mercedes F1 car to win the drivers' title in 59 years and the first to win the constructors' title.
Reader's Guide
The car was an instant success, with Nico Rosberg winning the season-opening race by 27 seconds. The car was said to be so dominant because of an innovative design feature on the PU106A: the compressor and turbo were packaged at opposite ends of the internal combustion engine. Lewis Hamilton described it as the best car he has ever driven. At the halfway point of the season, Mercedes had secured all but one win and one pole. The team clinched the Constructors' Championship at the 16th race. In the nineteen races, the F1 W05 Hybrid took sixteen wins, eighteen pole positions, twelve fastest laps, twelve front row lockouts and eleven 1–2 finishes.
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