BRIXWORTH

Home of the Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP)

The origins of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) date back to 1984 with the establishment of Ilmor Engineering Ltd by Paul Morgan and Mario Illien, funded by Roger Penske. Since 1995, the Brixworth team has been responsible for designing and developing every Formula One engine bearing the Mercedes-Benz emblem. Renamed Mercedes-Ilmor Ltd in 2002, the company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG in 2005, operating under the name of Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines Ltd. Today, Brixworth stands as a cutting-edge technology campus with over 700 skilled individuals dedicated to engines and powertrains for Formula One and high-performance hybrid road cars. For Formula One, the team designs, manufactures, and tests Hybrid Power Units for the Mercedes works team and customer teams like Williams Racing, Aston Martin Formula One Team, and McLaren F1 Team.

Mercedes-Benz achieved its first victory in the modern era at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix, with V10 and V8 engines from Brixworth contributing to World Championship victories in 1998 (Drivers’ and Constructors’), 1999 (Drivers’), 2008 (Drivers’), and 2009 (Drivers’ and Constructors’). The company received the Dewar Trophy for Technical Excellence in 2009 for its Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), the first Hybrid system to win a Grand Prix at the 2009 Hungarian GP. In the current Hybrid F1 era, Mercedes-Benz V6 Power Units have propelled the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team to eight consecutive Constructors’ titles (2014-2021) and seven consecutive Drivers’ Championships (2014-2020).

Today’s F1 Power Unit from Brixworth stands as one of the most efficient internal combustion engines, boasting over 50 percent thermal efficiency. Each season, HPP pushes to evolve, improve, and develop the Power Unit to extract maximum power and performance within the regulations. The fully operational technology center in Brixworth, since late 2009, provides HPP with state-of-the-art and continuously upgraded facilities, covering a total area of over 75,000m2. Holding ISO 14001 certification for international environmental management systems, the technology center features a 1-megawatt Solar PV system on its roof and a 1.5-megawatt energy-efficient CCHP plant, generating approximately 52% of on-site electricity used in operations. The site was awarded a 3* FIA Sustainability Accreditation in 2021.