© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Mercedes is upgrading its Brackley factory with new Race Bays! The old ones have been in use since British American Racing built them in 1999.
Those of you who have studied Mercedes’ F1 history know that the modern Merc team evolved from the legendary Tyrell outfit that entered Formula 1 in 1968. The team was then bought out by British American Tobacco and renamed British American Racing (BAR) for the 1999 season. Failing to win any championships, the team was sold to Honda and became the Japanese manufacturer’s works team in 2006. With the 2008 financial crisis in full swing, Honda decided to pull out of Formula 1 and sold the team to Ross Brawn, who renamed it Brawn GP for the 2009 season. The team was powered by Mercedes and famously won both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 2009. After its first sensational season, the team got sold to Mercedes and became the manufacturers’ first works team since 1955.
Why is this important? Well, because the high-tech Brackley factory that is being used by Mercedes to this day was built by British American Tobacco in 1999. The factory included Race Bays that were used to build the team’s cars ever since.
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As Mercedes explains it, Race Bays are areas “where the cars are prepared for their next race and where all the pieces of the puzzle fit together”. It is there that mechanics “assemble all of the carefully engineered parts in a carefully orchestrated burst of activity. Returning from a race, the cars are stripped down, serviced, examined and tested to ensure reliability”.
The Brackley Race Bays were also the setting of Mercedes’ title winning celebrations that all members of the team would attend.
© Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Well now Mercedes decided to replace the existing Bays with new state of the art ones.
“After over two decades in use, we’ll say goodbye to our old Race Bays in the next few weeks,” Mercedes wrote on social media.
“Since 1999, the cars built in these race bays have scored 115 wins, 253 podiums, 126 poles, 79 fastest laps and 57 one-two finishes.
“These race bays have seen it all over the years. From the euphoric highs, to the deepest lows, to the moments of hope and the moments of head-scratching and ‘where-do-we-go-from-here?’
“We’ve gathered there as a Team, in both troubled times and in celebration. But as a wise person once said ‘If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling back!’
“And as one chapter in the Team’s history comes to an end, a new and exciting one starts.”
The team then provided a digital visualisation of their new Race Bays. Take a look below!
Source: Mercedes F1 Twitter
Source: Mercedes F1 Twitter
