MERCEDES OVERTAKE FERRARI TO BECOME F1’S MOST SUCCESSFUL ENGINE BUILDER

Mercedes claimed their 252nd Formula 1 victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, passing Ferrari to become the sport's most successful engine builder. Ferrari had held the record since 2004, but Mercedes' relentless run through the hybrid era—and strong customer partnerships—closed the gap.

Mercedes won on debut in 1954 with Fangio at Reims, then vanished after the 1955 Le Mans disaster killed scores of spectators. They didn't return until 1997 as McLaren's supplier. The real surge came when Mercedes bought the Brawn team in 2009, fielding a factory outfit that would dominate the 2010s.

Customer teams delivered a significant chunk—McLaren has scored 101 victories on Mercedes power alone. Ferrari, by contrast, earned all but one victory with their factory squad. That spread tells the story: Mercedes built an engine program, Ferrari built a team. The manufacturer playbook wins titles. Now it owns the record book.