Mercedes will have to decide whether it will join Formula E by October.
The German manufacturer still has an option to enter the series in season five, but only as a client. Mercedes is not a registered manufacturer, meaning it won’t be able to make its own powertrain as Renault and Mahindra do.
“I think the interest is very strong but, for 2018/19, if they come they are not registered as a manufacturer,” FE CEO Alejandro Agag told Autosport. “They will need to be a client for somebody.”
Entering FE in 2018 would mean pairing up with one of the nine manufacturers that are confirmed for the season: Renault, Abt, Penske Autosport, DS, BMW, Mahindra, NextEV, Venturi, or Jaguar.
Alternatively, they could wait until season six, when they can enter as a manufacturer.
“We’ll see what they do,” Agag said. “They still have their option until October. They can choose to exercise it or not. If they exercise it they will be a client.”
Current manufacturers are welcoming the possible challenge from Mercedes.
“More competition is always motivating and it’s very good for the championship if we have Mercedes or Porsche or another one coming to complete the grid,” Renault e.dams’ Jean-Paul Driot told Read Motorsport. “I think it would be great for Formula E.”
Dragon Racing (Penske Autosport) is one of the more likely options for Mercedes to choose, should it join FE as a client.
Team boss Jay Penske told Read he’s excited about Mercedes joining the series, but didn’t mention the possibility of a deal with the manufacturer.
“I think any new entrants to the sport is positive for the ecosystem,” he said. “They run an incredible motorsports team and I think we’d be lucky to have them here in the sport. We’re hoping that they decide to make Formula E a focus of theirs.”
