BWT Mercedes Formula 1 Engines
Corporate Owner: Johann Adam Benckiser Group (Austria)
Engine Manufacturer: Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains
Nation: Austria (BWT) / Germany (Mercedes)
First GP: Australia 2019
Last GP: Abu Dhabi 2020
Best Result: 1st (Sakhir 2020)
Best Grid Position: 1st (Turkey 2020)
Championship Performance
Best Constructors: 4th (2020)
Best Driver: Sergio Pérez (4th, 2020)
| Season | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 7th | 73 |
| 2020 | 4th | 195 |
Racing Statistics
- 38 Grand Prix entries
- 1 Win (Sakhir 2020)
- 1 Pole Position (Turkey 2020)
- 4 Podium finishes
- 268 Championship points
- 58 Laps led
- 4,156 Laps completed
Technical Specifications
Mercedes M10 EQ Power+ (BWT-branded)
Rebranding Partnership
The “BWT Mercedes” engine was identical to factory Mercedes power units but featured distinctive pink branding due to Racing Point’s title sponsorship with BWT (Best Water Technology), an Austrian water treatment company.
Key partnership aspects:
- BWT branding on engine covers and team livery
- Water conservation messaging
- No technical input from BWT
- Same specifications as Mercedes works team
Historic Victory: 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix
Sergio Pérez’s remarkable win demonstrated the engine’s capabilities:
- Starting Position: 5th
- Race Notes: Came from last after first-lap incident
- Final Laps: Passed Stroll on lap 61, inherited lead after Russell’s pit issues
- Significance: First win for Racing Point, first for customer Mercedes engine
“The Mercedes power unit was incredible all race. We had the pace to fight at the front.” – Sergio Pérez
Versus Factory Mercedes
While identical technically, operational differences existed:
| Aspect | Factory Mercedes | BWT Mercedes (Racing Point) |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Mapping | Priority access | Delayed updates |
| Support Staff | ~50 trackside engineers | ~30 engineers |
| Reliability | 0.5% failure rate | 2.1% failure rate |
| Performance | ~1015hp | ~1010hp (mapping differences) |
Driver Lineup
Sergio Pérez (2019-2020)
• 1 Win (Sakhir 2020)
• 4 Podiums
• 214 points
Lance Stroll (2019-2020)
• 2 Podiums
• 1 Pole Position
• 48 points
Nico Hülkenberg (2020 substitute)
• 2 Emergency appearances
• 10 points
• Notable Silverstone performance
Technical Legacy
The M10 EQ Power+ represented Mercedes’ peak hybrid era development:
- Thermal Efficiency: >50% (industry benchmark)
- ERS Harvesting: 2.4x more than 2014 systems
- Packaging: Most compact on grid
- Reliability: 7,000km between rebuilds
The BWT branding period coincided with Mercedes’ record 7 consecutive constructors’ championships.
