So the opening races of this season’s new-era Formula 1 saw Mercedes-AMG perform so badly that team principal Toto Wolff declared it “unacceptable”. Although they are rare, this is not the first hiccup in the hallowed Mercedes marque’s Grand Prix history.
When funding from the German state oiled Mercedes’ Grand Prix comeback in the 750kg maximum-weight Formula of 1934, their ground-breaking new W25 cars won their debut race, the Eifelrennen on the Nürburgring. After demonstrating fantastic speed at Montlhéry for the French GP reliability let them down, but they got a grip and their hired-gun Italian driver Luigi Fagioli then won the important Coppa Acerbo race at Pescara, and both the Italian and Spanish GPs. Against sophisticated German rival Auto Union, and a valiant Italian Alfa Romeo rearguard action, Mercedes would shine brightest by the end of that year.
Through 1935 Mercedes effectively dominated Grand Prix racing. Its latest 4.3-litre supercharged straight-8 engine delivered a reliable 400bhp plus 424lb/ft torque. The chassis handled nicely and harnessed that power and torque well enough to win five of the year’s seven European Championship rounds, plus four lesser GP Formula events – nine victories in all, including five 1-2 finishes and a 1-2-3 result at San Sebastián.