Mercedes-Benz has been supplying cars to the Vatican for 94 years and for the past 45 years, the Pope has been using the renowned “Popemobiles” based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Now, for the first time, the Popemobile from Mercedes-Benz is going all-electric: Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius and the team members involved personally handed over a handmade unique vehicle based on the new electric G-Class to Pope Francis in the Vatican today.

This means that the Pope will be travelling locally emission-free in a new Mercedes-Benz in time for the 2025 Jubilee – an event that only takes place every 25 years and one for which millions of pilgrims are expected in Rome. The vehicle fulfils high requirements and was developed in close cooperation with the Vatican specifically for the Pope's use. Its electric drivetrain, which was adapted to the particularly low speeds required for public appearances, contributes to the realisation of the encyclical “Laudato Si”. In it, Pope Francis describes the need for sustainable development.

At the handover, Ola Källenius thanked Pope Francis and all those involved and emphasised the sustainable business strategy of Mercedes-Benz:

“With the new Popemobile, Pope Francis is the first pope to be travelling in a fully electric Mercedes-Benz when making public appearances. This is a special honour for our company, and I would like to thank His Holiness for his trust. With this Popemobile, we are also sending out a clear call for electromobility and decarbonisation. Mercedes-Benz not only stands for the special and individual – but also for consistently creating the conditions for a net-carbon-neutral[1] new car fleet in 2039.”
Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG
A unique experience: Pope Francis invites participating team members from Graz, Sindelfingen and Rome

Ola Källenius was accompanied by Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Sales and Marketing, and Marc Langenbrinck, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Italia, at the appointment just outside St Peter's Basilica. But the Holy Father also met with those who developed and built his new vehicle. Employees from Design, Research & Development, Manufacturing and Sales & Marketing were therefore also invited to the event and were able to hand over “their” vehicle on behalf of many others involved. The handover was followed by a private audience with the Pope. A team of specialists from Graz (A), Sindelfingen (D) and Rome (I) worked together for around a year. The project was managed by the team in Rome while the electric drivetrain was adapted by the team in Graz. The experts from Sindelfingen produced the bodywork, interior fittings and customised equipment using traditional craftsmanship.
Handmade model: Details of the vehicle based on the new G580 with EQ technology

The electric drivetrain of the new G580 with EQ technology (combined energy consumption: 30.4-27.7 kWh/100 km | Combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km | CO₂ class: A)[2] was adapted to fully utilise the advantages of the four near-wheel motors for the special purpose of slow journeys at public appearances.

In the rear, the bench seat was replaced by a centrally positioned and height-adjustable single seat. This swivelling main seat makes it possible to move around flexibly and address an audience from different angles. Behind the single seat, two single seats have been integrated on the left and right for additional passengers.

The roof was removed at the B-pillar, and the B-pillar itself was harmoniously transitioned into the side wall to create an unmistakable side profile. In case of rain or bad weather conditions, a separate hardtop offers protection for the occupants. The left rear door was removed and rebuilt by the specialists – in traditional coachbuilding style – from a single piece and seamlessly welded into the bodyshell. On the right-hand side, the hinges of the rear door were relocated to the opposite side.

Like the previous Popemobiles, the vehicle is painted in classic pearl white on the outside.
A long tradition: The history of Mercedes-Benz vehicles for the Vatican

Mercedes-Benz has been manufacturing vehicles for the head of the Catholic Church and his travels and public appearances for almost 100 years. The first vehicle of this type was a Nürburg 460 Pullman Saloon for Pope Pius XI from 1930. At the time, Mercedes-Benz was awarded the delivery contract due to a harmonious overall package – and because the team at the time transferred an important characteristic of previous carriages to the vehicle: The possibility of travelling with two dignitaries and other staff using folding seats. In the 1960s, John XXIII received a 300 Landaulet with an automatic transmission and extended wheelbase. His successor Paul VI initially used a 600 Pullman Landaulet and later a 300 SEL – also a Landaulet. In the 1980s, John Paul II used the first vehicle officially called Popemobile for events in St Peter's Square, a modified 460 series G model. From 2002, he used a 463 series G 500, which was also used by his successors Benedict XVI and Francis. Specially-designed cars based on the Mercedes-Benz M-Class and the GLE were also used at times. After their retirement from service, some of the Popemobiles were placed for viewing in the Vatican and the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
Statements from Britta Seeger, Marc Langenbrinck, Gorden Wagenerand participating team members

“We build the perfect Mercedes for every customer – including, for almost 100 years, the Vatican. We are overjoyed to be able to fulfil the Holy Father's wish for an electric Popemobile and are particularly proud to be able to build the vehicle according to his requirements. This cooperation at eye level honours us deeply and is a valuable symbol of sustainable change together.”
Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, responsible for Sales & Marketing

“The G-Class is one of Mercedes-Benz's most iconic vehicles and we are proud that we can develop vehicles for the Holy Father in this tradition. The first all-electric G-Class combines sustainability, elegant design and maximum functionality. It is a great honour for us to be able to present this special vehicle to Pope Francis today.”
Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Mercedes-Benz Group AG

“Today we are experiencing an important moment that underlines the deep bond that has united Mercedes‑Benz Italy and the Vatican for more than half a century. As Pope Francis emphasizes, business must be an integral part of the community. Thus, it is a great honor for us to contribute to this unique project. On behalf of the large family of Mercedes-Benz Italy, I would like to extend to the Holy Father my sincerest wishes for his well-being and the fruitful continuation of his Magisterium. We look forward to a wonderful Jubilee and we are certain that ‘our Papamobile’ will be a valuable support for His Holiness in the many engagements that await him.”
Marc Langenbrinck, Mercedes-Benz Cars Italy Sales & Head of Mercedes-Benz Italy

“I’m very proud that I was able to contribute to the electric Popemobile. From the first sketch to the final sign-off, the team's work was characterised by great passion, professionalism and respect for the task. The vehicle represents an incredible amount of manual labour and passion – but it’s also full of state-of-the-art technology. The fact that Pope Francis has invited some of us to hand it over personally really tops everything off. It’s an experience that you’ll tell your grandchildren about.”
Klaus Millerferli, Development Engineer at Mercedes-Benz AG in Sindelfingen

“With the G-Class, we are used to working on one of the most legendary and iconic Mercedes-Benz models on a daily basis. Building a vehicle for the Pope is something also very special for us – but even here we have experience. The entire team in Graz is very happy and proud that the Vatican is once again relying on our G.” 
Peter Zotter, Development Engineer at Mercedes-Benz G GmbH in Graz

[1] Net carbon-neutral means that carbon emissions that are not avoided or reduced at Mercedes-Benz are compensated for by certified offsetting projects.

[2] The specified values were determined in accordance with the WLTP (Worldwide harmonised Light vehicles Test Procedure) measurement method. The ranges given refer to ECE markets. The energy consumption and CO₂ emissions of a car depend not only on the efficient utilisation of the fuel or energy source by the car, but also on the driving style and other non-technical factors.

George Russell

It was a very strange race because our pace has been so strong all weekend, but it just didn’t seem to be there today. Overall, my race wasn’t great, I had a bad start then poor pace and finally a penalty at the end of the race. We ultimately didn’t have the pace on the hard tyre that we thought we would and were not quick enough compared to those around us. Max and Lando managed to pass by at the start and I didn’t have the speed to catch them again. Even after the pit stop I struggled to try and make it back through to regain my position.

The car was great all day Friday and yesterday so we need to understand where that pace went for us today. Both Lewis and I made bad starts and we have some idea why, but we need to fully understand how we lost the performance that we showed in the Sprint. I think ultimately you can see how you only need to gain two tenths or lose two tenths and you go from being a front runner to being down in P6 or P7 so I hope we can have the car from yesterday and Vegas next week in Abu Dhabi. It would be great if we can hopefully have a better weekend together as a Team.
Lewis Hamilton

It was a pretty bad race for me overall, but these things happen. It started off badly with my false start which was my fault and resulted in a penalty which I served during my stop. Then I had the puncture which was just unfortunate, followed by the pitlane speeding which was on me, too. The car had a lot of understeer today because we didn’t have enough front wing in the setup. I gave it my best shot, but it all seemed to go downhill from the start.

This race weekend hasn’t been great but we have another week next week where we can try and finish a bit better and I hope we do have a better result. These last races don’t have an impact on all of the great things we have done together as a Team. Races are a rollercoaster ride of emotions, I’ve had great races in my life and bad races too. Ultimately, it’s not how you fall it’s how you get back up and we will try again next week.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

Today we ultimately didn’t have the pace. Our car is a handful to drive on its worst days and today was one of those days and both drivers had a similar experience. I think if the race had been yesterday then we would have had a shot at winning but today we just didn’t have the speed behind Lando and Max. The car was super difficult for both Lewis and George to drive, we had a lot of understeer and both of them suffered from that. We started to lose ground from those ahead of us and that’s when we decided to box George and hopefully put us in a better situation. Unfortunately, we suffered a slow stop, then ended up in traffic and struggled to make it back through. Then with Lewis we had the false start and pit lane speeding which impacted further on his race along with the lack of pace.

We have one more to go and we will continue to give it our utmost. We will celebrate the relationship and partnership we have had with Lewis and these difficult races will be forgotten quickly. We have had an amazing partnership with Lewis that’s spanned over twelve years with six driver titles and eight constructors’ titles won together, and these are the things which we will hold dearly.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

That was a difficult evening for the team. The underlying picture was that the car balance was very different to yesterday’s Sprint – and both drivers were limited with severe understeer in the opening stint, and lacking pace relative to the cars around us. However, we made too many other errors to earn strong finishing positions, and we were ultimately fortunate to salvage P4 with George thanks to retirements or problems for cars ahead of him.

It’s a valuable lesson in how quickly things can turn from a week ago in Las Vegas, and we have seen these kinds of performance oscillations for all teams at various points this season. There’s plenty for us to learn in order to improve, and we will be focused on doing so as we prepare for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi – and what we hope will be a fitting farewell for Lewis.

Reserve Driver departs team after two years in role

The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team can confirm that Reserve Driver Mick Schumacher has chosen to leave his role at the conclusion of the 2024 season.

Mick, 25, joined the team at the start of 2023 and has spent the past two years as Reserve Driver. Along with his duties in the team’s simulator, Mick has also provided valuable on-track feedback during various tests and races. He has also competed for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship in the past season, scoring the manufacturer’s maiden podium in Fuji, Japan.

Toto Wolff, CEO & Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, said: “Mick’s hard work, diligence, and determination in his role as Reserve Driver has been vital for the team over the past two years. From his work in the simulator, testing of various cars, and being part of the trackside team, we couldn’t have asked for any more from him. From day one, he fitted into the team with ease and has become an incredibly well-liked colleague for everyone at Brackley and Brixworth.

“However, Mick is first and foremost a racing driver. We have seen from both his time in F1, and this year with his performances in the World Endurance Championship, that he is a racer of an incredibly high calibre and one that deserves to be competing in the very best championships. As he moves on to his next challenge, I would like to thank Mick personally for his contribution to our team and we all wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”

Mick Schumacher added: “I am grateful to Toto and the entire Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team for the insight I have gained over these two years. They have undoubtedly made me a more experienced racing driver because I have got to know the engineering side better. But watching these cars race and not sitting in the cockpit myself is tough. I want to get back to focusing 100% on racing. I want to be fully committed to the sporting side of motorsport. Ultimately, it is racing that you want to do as a driver, it is racing that gives you that feeling you love.”

Toto Talks Qatar

We’re looking forward to the penultimate race of the season in Qatar after our 1-2 finish in Las Vegas. The team did a great job across the three days in the United States. We were quick throughout and executed well on Saturday night. George controlled the race from pole position, drove superbly and had pace in hand to spare. Lewis meanwhile put in a stellar comeback from P10, cutting his way through the field to P2 to secure the top two steps of the podium for the team. A highlight result is exactly what we wanted at the end of the season, and it is well-deserved given the hard work and determination everyone has shown in the second half of the year.

The races in Las Vegas and Qatar couldn’t be more different. The Lusail International Circuit has many high-speed sections and few, if any, big braking zones. Despite going there later in the calendar than last year, it will still be very warm. That is in contrast to the cool conditions and many slow speed sections of Las Vegas. Nevertheless, we are aiming for another strong showing this weekend. The W15 has looked more at home at circuits with lots of high-speed corners, such as Silverstone or Spa. We certainly benefitted from the night-time cold in Las Vegas, but the layout in Qatar should be more favourable to the strengths of our car. We know our competitors will be stronger than they were last weekend, but we will be aiming to get the car in a good window once again and be in the fight at the front.

Fact File: Qatar Grand Prix

    Following F1's inaugural visit to the Lusail International Circuit back in 2021, the circuit was completely resurfaced ahead of its second race in 2023.
    A completely new pit and paddock complex was also constructed in the run up to last season’s race.
    This included larger pit garages, new team buildings, and new access tunnels.
    Temperatures during the day in Doha last year reached close to 40°C, and several drivers found the conditions incredibly tough, as the race was held earlier in the year in early October.     
    The track has a fast and flowing nature as it is predominantly used for motorcycle racing.
    There is only one corner, Turn Six, that sees the minimum speed drop below 100 km/h.
    There are therefore no heavy braking events for the cars to tackle, a unique occurrence on the 2024 calendar.
    While the braking energy requirement is low, there are still six braking events that the cars encounter across the lap.
    There are 16 corners in total: 10 to the right and six to the left. The track's main straight covers over 1km of the total lap distance and is the sole DRS zone on the circuit.
    The pit lane in Qatar is the third longest of any circuit we visit on the calendar, behind only Imola and Silverstone. It clocks in at 502 metres and the expected pit lane time is over 20 seconds.
    Lewis Hamilton won the first Qatar Grand Prix for Mercedes in 2021.
    This will be the second year in a row that the circuit has hosted an F1 Sprint Race weekend.

George Russell

It feels incredible to be back on pole position. We’ve been so quick all weekend, but I knew that, coming into Q3, it was going to be that last lap that counted and nothing that had happened before mattered. On my first effort, I had a little bit of a moment out of turn five and clipped the wall. The mechanics did a great job to switch the front-wing quickly before our final run, but there was a brief moment where I thought we wouldn’t get back around and make the flag. I felt confident in myself though and knew that if I put together a clean lap that pole was possible and that was what we were able to deliver.

Ultimately though we’ve had a few good qualifying sessions recently and we need to convert them into good results. It will be a long race tomorrow, and there will be plenty of unknowns, but I am hopeful that we can fight for victory. I’m excited for the Grand Prix; it’ll be a great atmosphere on Saturday night racing down the Strip in Las Vegas. I’ll have a good night’s sleep this evening and come back raring to go tomorrow.
Lewis Hamilton       

The car was feeling great today, and it has been a good weekend up to the final segment of Qualifying. I was quickest in Q2 but unfortunately, I had two bad laps in Q3 and that left us P10. The conditions were still good, but I didn’t get the job done. It’s really disappointing as we definitely had the pace for pole position today. Congratulations to George who did a great job to take P1. It will be difficult starting from where we are in P10, but I will try and get up to the podium tomorrow. I will be giving it my best to do so.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

The car has been really strong all weekend. We seem to be able to extract good performance in these cold temperatures, as we saw at Silverstone and Spa earlier in the season, and that has helped us today. Taking pole position is great but it is also a little bittersweet with Lewis in P10. We definitely had the speed to be on the front row with both cars, but I am sure he will bounce back tomorrow.

It is difficult to say how the race will go tomorrow. We saw on Thursday that graining is a risk; nobody has had a proper look at the Hard tyre either, so there are going to be plenty of unknowns. Hopefully our single lap speed translates into race pace, and we have a competitive Grand Prix and fight for victory. Let’s see what we can do.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

We’ve had a fast car all weekend and there was a real possibility of us locking out the front-row. It was a tricky session and George did a great job to take pole position. Lewis had shown fantastic speed throughout and was unlucky to have issues on both his laps in Q3. Unfortunately, that left him P10 for tomorrow.

The car has been working really well on a single lap; that has been the case from the first laps of FP1 all the way through to the final lap of Q3. However, it's a lot harder to read where we will be on long run pace. The graining caused by the cool temperature is dominating the degradation and because some pushed early in their runs in FP2, whilst others managed their tyres, it's hard to know where everything will fall out tomorrow. We will have to be live to how the race is going and react well if we want to fight for victory.