Toto Talks Belgium

We head into the final race before the summer break on a run of five consecutive podium finishes. We are therefore looking to continue that momentum and finish the first half of the season strongly. The pack at the front is close and we will have to be at our best to do so though. Whilst we are lacking a little bit of pace compared to some of our competitors, we continue to bring performance to the car. We are on a positive trajectory and that is encouraging. It is not yet enough to fight for victories consistently each and every weekend, but has enabled us to be in contention for the top-three more regularly.

Last weekend in Hungary was not straightforward. We qualified out of position and left ourselves with plenty of work to do. We were able to race hard on Sunday though and score solid points, including Lewis claiming his 200th podium in F1 which is a superb achievement. It was positive to see the steps we have made in those hotter conditions, although there is more work to do. Spa is a very different challenge to Budapest. With cooler temperatures and a much more high-speed layout, it will be interesting to see how the W15 performs compared to our rivals.

Fact File: Belgian Grand Prix

    At 7.004km, Spa-Francorchamps is the longest on the F1 calendar. As a result, the race is run over the shortest number of laps of the year – 44.
    The weather at Spa can also heavily impact the race, with a 48% chance of a wet session across the weekend. This makes Spa the race most likely to be affected by rain.
    The run down to the first braking zone at Turn One (La Source) is one of the shortest of the season at just 137m. Only Azerbaijan (90m) and Las Vegas (111m) are shorter.
    The tow at Spa-Francorchamps is very powerful due to the long straights, particularly the section after Raidillon. On the first lap this is even more powerful, because drivers chasing can pick up a tow from multiple cars. The lack of DRS on lap one also increases this effect.
    Parts of the circuit have been re-laid in the lead up to the 2024 race, with a new track surface awaiting the drivers from the exit of Turn 17 to the exit of Turn 4. This included the F1 pitlane.
    It used to be one of the biggest challenges for engine duty and time spent on full throttle, but with the new regulations and new tracks joining it has fallen down the list. It still remains in the top five, though.
    Tyre duty and wear are some of the highest of the season at Spa, with high averages across all four corners of the car.
    From the exit of La Source to the braking zone for Les Combes, the drivers have their foot firmly on the throttle for around 23 seconds (and 1,875 metres) of track layout.
    Valtteri Bottas holds the race lap record at the circuit (1:46:286) from the 2018 event in his Mercedes W09.
    Lewis leads the way for most podiums at the Belgian Grand Prix with 10, including seven in a row between 2015 and 2021.   

Lewis Hamilton

It’s been very difficult to find a balance with the car this weekend where it’s not snappy. That has likely been exacerbated by the heat but, even in the cooler conditions today, we still struggled. It was a real challenge to get the tyres working and we couldn’t quite get them to where we wanted. If we had optimised everything, we could have likely gone one tenth or two quicker, but we didn’t have enough to challenge for pole position today.

Tomorrow is forecast to be, like Friday, very warm. That will make it a challenge, but everyone is in the same boat. It will be interesting to see where our speed is relative to those around us. Our long run pace in practice was solid but we will have to wait and see where we fall out tomorrow.
George Russell

We didn’t do a good enough job today. I was unable to put a lap together earlier in Q1 and that had left us vulnerable near the cut-off. After the red flag, we were on track at its most damp and then we didn’t have enough fuel complete a push lap as it was at its most dry. We should have been comfortably through and that is frustrating. We shouldn’t have been in that position though in the first place and that’s on me. We will go through it tonight to understand what happened, what went wrong, and how to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

P17 is clearly not where we should be qualifying. We should have a car to battle back into the points tomorrow though. We have shown good speed throughout practice and our long run pace was encouraging. Tomorrow is a new day, and we will see what we can achieve.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

That was a very disappointing Qualifying session for us today. It was a total underperformance from all of us. Losing a car in Q1 is clearly not acceptable. George struggled to get in a solid lap earlier in the session and we didn’t execute the final run at all. That stemmed from a lack of solid communication between ourselves and the driver. We need to ensure we learn from this so that it doesn’t happen again.

Lewis made it through to Q3 but ultimately, we didn’t have the pace to challenge for much more than P5. We were likely a couple of tenths slower than those ahead in normal conditions anyway, but we were struggling to get on top of the tyre temperatures. It was tricky to find the middle ground and that likely cost us a few more tenths. We need to dust ourselves down and come back stronger tomorrow. It will be a long race so hopefully we can create some opportunities.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

It was a very frustrating day today. We didn't manage the session well and because of that, George was knocked out in Q1. We will review all the communications to understand how we can learn from our mistakes but ultimately, we weren't joined up and sent the car too early for the fuel we had in the tank.

Lewis finished in a more representative position but aside from the early lap in the damp, the car just wasn't working particularly well in the lower track temperatures. We were struggling with an oversteer balance from relatively early in the lap, which was then getting away from us in the final two sectors. That cost us a lot of time but, even with the car in a better window, it's unlikely that we'd have been troubling any of the top three today.

We've left ourselves with a fair bit of work to do tomorrow. With Lewis, we'll be looking to see if we can get him into a position to fight for a podium. With George, we'll be looking for ways to get him back into the points and hopefully the upper reaches.

Music, dance, performance and comedy: over the next four weeks, “Urban Culture at the Mercedes-Benz Museum” will once again be offering a diverse programme. From 18 July to 18 August 2024, artists from numerous genres will be performing on the open-air stage. All events and ticket booking options can be found on the website: www.mercedes-benz.com/stadtkultur.

“Urban Culture at the Mercedes-Benz Museum with concerts, club evenings and comedy now has a large fan base. Artists from various fields will be offering their programme to large audiences. They will be performing on their own initiative, and we will make our open-air stage and infrastructure available to them. The diversity of programs underscore the importance of the Mercedes-Benz Museum as a cultural venue.”
Bettina Haussmann, Director of Mercedes-Benz Museum

The event will kick off on 18 July 2024 at 7 pm with an evening of “Best of Poetry Slam”. Other performance programmes include “Best of Erotic Slam” (24 July, 7 pm) and “Kopfkino Vol. 14” (28 July, 7 pm). “Comedy 72” (4 August, 7 pm) and “Stuttgarter Comedy Clash” (16 and 17 August, 7:30 pm) will ensure plenty of laughs.

Music lovers are in for a treat with events such as the “Summer Night Concert” (25 July, 8 pm), “Old School Vibes” (27 July, 5 pm) and “Udo Jürgens – Homage to a Legend” (8 August, 7:30 pm). Top-class bands and DJs guarantee unforgettable evenings in the open air, for example Dominic Eulberg (21 July, 5 pm) and Genetikk (3 August, 7 pm).

First events are sold out already. The following have proven to be crowd pullers: “MAMAGEHTTANZEN” – the party event for mothers (19 July, 6 pm), “Best of Erotic Slam” (24 July) and “Stuttgarter Comedy Clash” (16 August). Due to high demand, the six artists of the Comedy Clash are offering an additional date on 17 August. Tickets are still available for all other events.

The museum’s further own events include the popular open-air cinema (23 August to 8 September, www.mercedes-benz.com/oak). On Sundays until 13 October, the Classics & Coffee open-brand classic car meeting will also be attracting (www.mercedes-benz.com/classics-coffee) classic and vintage fans with their vehicles, with the next time planned for 28 July. The themed specials on individual model series and vehicle categories from the history of the Mercedes-Benz brand are very popular.

Exciting, energising and breathtaking – the Mercedes‑AMG PureSpeed concept is the highlight in the run-up to the Formula 1™ Monaco Grand Prix. The radical design of a completely open, two-seater performance car without a roof or windscreen is a tribute to motor racing. The concept car provides a preview of the first model in the highly limited Mercedes-Benz Mythos series. The world premiere of the Concept Mercedes‑AMG PureSpeed took place in an exclusive setting on the sidelines of the Formula 1™ Monaco Grand Prix. The vehicle was unveiled on a floating pontoon in the harbour of the principality and also impressed Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team racing drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

“The Concept Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed offers a glimpse of what is probably the most direct way to experience performance and driving pleasure. Radically open, neither a roof nor the windscreen separate the two passengers from the elements. You can experience light, air and passion unfiltered with all your senses. As the concept of our first Mythos vehicle, it embodies the highest level of exclusivity. Design elements such as the HALO also create a Formula 1 feeling. There is therefore no better place for its world premiere than Monaco.”
Michael Schiebe, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH and Head of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class & Mercedes Maybach divisions

The Concept Mercedes‑AMG PureSpeed celebrates the unique tradition of Mercedes‑Benz with pure and uncompromising race-car design, innovative materials and modern technology. The strictly limited series of 250 units will only be available to the most dedicated Mercedes‑Benz enthusiasts and collectors. Inspired by legendary race cars, the combination of unrivalled racing aesthetics and highly dynamic performance makes the Concept Mercedes‑AMG PureSpeed a unique driving machine for connoisseurs. It embodies the “pinnacle of exclusivity” from Mercedes-Benz in the top segment.
HALO system instead of A-pillar

One highlight is the HALO system which replaces the conventional A-pillar on the vehicle. This element is a direct derivative of the premier class of motorsport and has been part of every Formula 1™ vehicle since 2018. It protects the driver's head in the event of an accident. The name HALO describes its shape. As in Formula 1™, the safety system in the Concept Mercedes‑AMG PureSpeed consists of a bracket that is connected to the body of the vehicle. This aerodynamically optimised component serves to protect the occupants, just as in Formula 1™. Included are two aerodynamically optimised helmets specially designed and manufactured for the Concept Mercedes‑AMG PureSpeed. The field of vision as in Formula 1™ thus becomes a reality for two people. Neither roof, windscreen nor side windows separate them from their surroundings. The interior adds further highlights, with its unique colour and equipment concept as well as a custom clock designed by IWC Schaffhausen on the dashboard.
Design inspired by the Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar

The Mercedes‑AMG PureSpeed concept is a true performance car with an extremely low silhouette. Many design features were inspired by the Mercedes‑AMG ONE hypercar – technical, sharply cut visible carbon fibre parts in the lower section of the vehicle provide a strong contrast to the sensual, rounded shapes of the upper part of the vehicle.

The design of the wheels is characterised by the unique carbon fibre cladding on the front and rear wheel covers. The rear wheel covers are completely closed to improve aerodynamics. The front wheel covers are open to optimise airflow at the front end for brake cooling and downforce.

Typical of a sports car are the long bonnet and the very low front end with a pronounced “shark nose”. The front design is similar to the Mercedes‑AMG ONE with a wide lower air intake with AMG lettering and a dark, chrome-plated Mercedes star on the soft nose. Added to this is the aerodynamically optimised, sportive bonnet with an additional air outlet. Small, transparent deflectors at the front and sides direct the wind over the cockpit.

The design team's precision work can also be seen in the side-sill panelling with aero flics. The muscular shoulders above the wide-track rear wheels merge into the elegant boot lid and the width-emphasising rear apron.
Homage to legendary Mercedes models

Many other design details also pay homage to motorsport. The two flying buttresses behind the seats are reminiscent of legendary racing cars such as the 300 SLR, in which Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson won the 1955 Mille Miglia in Italy – with a record average speed of an incredible 157 km/h on public roads.

The eye-catching paintwork – in a colour gradient from Le Mans red to graphite grey with a black AMG pattern – alludes to the colour scheme of the victorious Mercedes car at the 1924 Targa Florio race in Sicily. It was painted red, which was typically reserved for Italian vehicles. German race cars were traditionally painted white at the time. The red paint was meant to deter local fans from impeding the car’s progress in the race. The coup worked. After 6:32:37.4 hours and a race distance of 432 kilometers, the victorious Mercedes 2-litre race car with the number 10 crossed the finish line in first place with Christian Werner behind the wheel. The number 10 can also be found on the front wings of the Concept Mercedes‑AMG PureSpeed and refers to that Targa Florio victory 100 years ago.

The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is pleased to announce a new round of investment into innovative carbon removal initiatives as part of our ambition to become one of the world’s most sustainable sports teams.

As a Formula One team racing on multiple continents, we have worked tirelessly to understand the environmental impact that we have and the role that we can play in driving change. We are reducing our race team’s emissions, targeting a 75% reduction by 2030 and setting SBTi-aligned targets for our entire supply chain to hit Net Zero by 2040, in line with our Climate Pledge Commitment.

Emissions reduction remains our primary focus, but we recognise that some sectors within our footprint may have lingering residual emissions which will require the highest quality, lasting carbon removals.

Carbon removal projects actively remove carbon from the atmosphere. Removal can be achieved through both natural and technological solutions, offering storage in a variety of locations and over a range of timeframes. In line with the recommendations of the Oxford Offsetting Principles, high quality projects with long durability and low risk of carbon being released back into the atmosphere can be used to counterbalance residual emissions in support of Net Zero strategies.

Recognising that the carbon removal market is still in its infancy, with new project types and methodologies, we have begun to invest in a blended portfolio of nature-based and permanent removal initiatives that we anticipate will help us meet our Net Zero targets in the short, medium, and long-term. We are supporting schemes operating in different geographies and at different scales to promote innovation, build confidence and help make the case for market growth. 

The first project is a carbon removal purchase, facilitated by Frontier, and is our first investment in permanent, technology-based carbon removal solutions.

To compensate a portion of our residual emissions, carbon will be permanently sequestered on our behalf, via new technologies such as direct air capture, enhanced weathering, and biomass sequestration. Upfront purchases will help to scale the most promising carbon removal start-ups by providing them with guaranteed demand and development through forward-looking commitments.

We have also made a three-year commitment to a soil carbon removal project in the UK, generating credits which will help compensate for a portion of our residual carbon emissions.

These pioneering projects, breaking ground in their respective sectors, are part of our blended approach and transition towards high-integrity removals in line with the Oxford Offsetting Principles.

Alice Ashpitel, Head of Sustainability, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team:

"Innovation is at the heart of everything we do, both on and off the track. These new projects reflect our commitment to pioneering solutions that not only mitigate our environmental impact but also drive broader change. We’ve explored many solutions, from immediate projects to future tech, that can help us implement innovative carbon removal methods and reach our long-term climate goals. Independent experts have guided us through the process in selecting the projects that we’re announcing today. We remain committed to driving emissions reduction, and we hope our investment in innovative removals initiatives will boost their impact and help the market grow.”

Accelerating Carbon Removal Technologies with Frontier

Our agreement with Frontier will help accelerate carbon removal technologies that store carbon permanently (> 1,000 years), do not compete for arable land and have a path to being affordable at scale (< $100/ ton), even if they’re not there today.

These are crucial requirements to ensure long-term viability and we anticipate our carbon removal credits with Frontier contributing to our permanent removals as early as 2027.

Hannah Bebbington, Strategy Lead at Frontier:
“A lack of customer demand has been a huge blocker to progress in carbon removal. Purchases like that made by the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team send a clear signal to entrepreneurs and investors that the market is ready to scale up. Every business that is serious about climate needs to be doing this.”

Supporting the Adoption of Regenerative Agricultural Practices with Blaston Farm

Closer to home, we are investing in a project at Blaston Farm in Leicestershire where this initiative is set to inspire wider adoption of regenerative agricultural practices across the UK.

We are purchasing nature-based carbon removal credits from Respira International to compensate for residual carbon emissions in our footprint today. Here, we’re not just capturing carbon; we’re enhancing soil health, boosting crop productivity, nurturing biodiversity and empowering farmers with new revenue opportunities.

Our investment at Blaston Farm aligns with stringent registry standards, ensuring that each greenhouse gas reduction is precisely calculated. This pioneering project represents a new carbon accounting methodology which, alongside independent validation, will help us uphold the highest levels of credibility and trust.

Soil is the world’s largest terrestrial carbon sink, emphasising the crucial role of soil management in climate change mitigation. A shift to Regenerative Agriculture has the potential to sequester atmospheric CO₂, mitigating an estimated 5-10% of global emissions if widely adopted.

The project at Blaston Farm will demonstrate that conventional production systems are associated with soil organic carbon losses, whereas regenerative systems are recording gains.

David Wright, CEO of Ecometric:

“Our highly accurate soil organic carbon monitoring system merges direct soil measurement with AI-driven image analysis. This fusion significantly enhances the accuracy and scalability compared to conventional systems. UK corporates are now empowered to actively participate in mitigating climate change through regenerative soil management, as demonstrated by changes in carbon stock. On behalf of Respira, Indigro and Hylton Murray-Philipson, Farmer and Estate Manager at Blaston Farm, we are delighted to collaborate with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team offering them the potential to compensate for their ongoing emissions by funding domestic sequestration and, in turn, provide performance related financial reward back to the farm to incentivise their positive change”.

The investments announced today form part of our wider sustainability strategy and commitment to reach Net Zero.

Find out more about our team’s commitment to sustainability here.

Notes:

About Frontier

Frontier is an advanced market commitment founded by Stripe, Alphabet, Shopify, Meta and McKinsey, along with support from thousands of businesses through Stripe Climate. With a pledge to purchase over $1 billion of permanent carbon removal between 2022 and 2030, Frontier aims to spur the development of carbon removal technologies by guaranteeing future demand. By sending a strong market signal to researchers, entrepreneurs and investors, Frontier is driving innovation and investment in the carbon removal sector, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.

Offtakes are a uniquely catalytic way to buy carbon removal. A forward purchase of offtakes is a contractual agreement to purchase carbon removal at a certain price for delivery and retirement in future years. Offtakes are crucial to scaling the carbon removal market because the guaranteed multi-year demand allows suppliers to secure financing (e.g. a loan from a bank to develop the project) and expand supply capacity. If more buyers purchase offtakes, we can help create new carbon removal supply, rather than compete over what exists today.

frontierclimate.com

Our purchase via Frontier is a forward purchase delivering technology-based carbon removal solutions as soon as 2027.

About Respira International

Respira International is an impact-driven carbon finance business. Respira operates with an innovative offtake and profit share model which reinvests back into project stakeholders. Respira’s high-quality carbon credits allow corporations and financial institutions to mitigate their environmental impact. Respira channels private capital into climate solutions ensuring long-term relationships with trusted carbon project developers that enable its clients to build sustainable, climate-positive businesses and portfolios. Respira’s team combines deep and varied experience working in global financial markets with a robust understanding of carbon project development in leading international conservation organisations.

respira-international.com

About Ecometric, Blaston Farm and Indigro

Ecometric worked with the Blaston Estate to accurately measure baseline and annual field-level soil carbon stock change in support of their regenerative agriculture adoption and sustainability strategy. The owner Hylton Murray-Philpson and the agronomy team from Indigro used this quantification data to improve sustainable productivity and reduce the Estate’s carbon footprint - principally through lower inputs, the adoption of min till, and the inclusion of companion and cover crops in the rotation. Ecometric’s results evidenced that more carbon was being annually added to the soil than was being emitted by crop production, creating a climate-positive soil carbon surplus.

The Carbon Registry Regen Network independently audited the results and issued Carbon Credits for the additional carbon sequestered in the soil beyond the crop production emissions. Selling these Carbon Credits, based on measured soil carbon gains, validated the farm’s regenerative agriculture practices and created a new income stream. The powerful combination of accurate data, agronomic knowledge and performance-related financial incentive provides a pathway for British farmers to profitably transition to a climate-positive future.

Our investment is a three-year commitment to a soil carbon removal project generating credits which will help compensate for a portion of the team’s residual carbon emissions.

www.ecometric.co.uk            www.respira-international.com