Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains

Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains
Name	Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains
Former names	Petronas Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive Motorsport
Founded	1951 (as Ullmann Motor Company predecessor) 2013 (current name)
Headquarters	Brixworth Northamptonshire
Area served	Global
Products	Racing engines Power units
Parent	Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Group

Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains is a British engineering company that designs and manufactures racing engines and hybrid power units for Formula One and other motorsport categories. It serves as the powertrain division of Mercedes-Benz and supplies engines to works and customer teams while operating a high-performance research and development facility in Brixworth. The organisation combines heritage from historic racing engine makers with contemporary hybrid technology developed in collaboration with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.

History

The organisation traces lineage through multiple historic engineering entities including Ullmann Motor Company, Cosworth, and the factory operations that supported Mercedes-Benz entries in Formula One and sports car racing. During the 1990s and 2000s corporate reorganisation linked operations to Ilmor Engineering and later to the works programmes of Mercedes-Benz. The formation of a consolidated powertrain division coincided with the return of Mercedes-Benz as a works team partner of Brawn GP and the transition to the hybrid era introduced by the 2014 Formula One season technical regulations. Strategic investments from Daimler AG and alignment with Mercedes-AMG intensified R&D focused on energy recovery systems pioneered in collaboration with partners such as Petronas, UBS, and technology suppliers across Europe.

Organization and Facilities

Headquartered in Brixworth, the facility houses design offices, test cells, dyno rigs and composite workshops adjacent to aerodynamic and chassis partners in Silverstone and Exeter. The organisational structure includes departments for power unit design, hybrid systems, control software, testing and manufacturing, with integration teams liaising with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, customer teams and suppliers like Renault Sport (historical comparator), Bosch, and Mahle. Key personnel have included engineers and technical directors who previously worked at McLaren, Williams Grand Prix Engineering, and Ferrari bringing cross-team expertise. The site operates advanced test benches, telemetry suites and computer-aided engineering linked to research partners at University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and institutions in Germany.

Formula One Operations

The company supplies complete power units to the works Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and selected customer teams under commercial agreements that manage homologation, parc fermé interface and FIA compliance. Operations cover specification management for internal combustion engines, turbochargers, motor generator units (MGU-K and MGU-H), energy stores and power electronics to meet FIA homologation cycles and 2014 Formula One season-era fuel flow and energy recovery rules. Collaboration with the race team at Brackley ensures packaging, cooling and integration with chassis produced by firms such as Dallara and Sauber Engineering (historical customers and comparators). The division supports trackside engineers during grands prix including Monaco Grand Prix, British Grand Prix, Monza, and Singapore Grand Prix with rapid-response logistics and spares management.

Engine Development and Technology

R&D efforts emphasise hybridisation, thermodynamic efficiency, turbocharger development and energy recovery systems drawing on expertise similar to that in BMW M Division, Audi Sport, and Toyota Gazoo Racing. Developments include bespoke combustion chamber design, advanced materials from suppliers like Alcoa and Siemens, and real-time control software interoperable with electronic control units used by Ferrari and McLaren. The power unit architecture integrates the internal combustion engine with the MGU-K and MGU-H, lithium-ion energy stores, and bipolar power electronics developed with semiconductor partners in Germany and Japan. Innovations in heat management and exhaust-driven turbine recovery reflect best practices seen in endurance racing programmes such as 24 Hours of Le Mans entrants from Porsche and Audi.

Notable Achievements and Championships

The powertrains have powered championship-winning campaigns in seasons dominated by teams including Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and partner constructors. The division contributed to multiple Formula One World Championship titles for drivers like Lewis Hamilton and constructors titles for Mercedes-Benz across the hybrid era beginning in 2014 Formula One season. Engines have achieved numerous race victories at circuits including Silverstone Circuit, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and set performance benchmarks in power density and fuel efficiency recognised by automotive and motorsport organisations such as Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and engineering award bodies.

Motorsport Partnerships and Customers

Beyond the works team, the organisation has supplied power units and technical support to customer teams and partners, interfacing with outfits such as Williams Racing, Force India (now Aston Martin F1 Team), and historic customers in lower formulas and prototype programmes. Collaboration extends to fuel and lubricant partners like Petronas and component suppliers including Brembo, ZF Friedrichshafen, and Magneti Marelli for ancillary systems. Technology transfer initiatives link the division with roadcar performance teams at Mercedes-AMG and R&D centres in Stuttgart and Affalterbach to translate racing-derived innovations into production performance models and endurance racing projects.

Category:Mercedes-Benz Category:Formula One engine manufacturers