The F1 W10 EQ Power+ was designed and developed by Mercedes-Benz under the direction of James Allison, John Owen, Mike Elliott, Loïc Serra, Ashley Way, Emiliano Giangiulio, Jarrod Murphy, Eric Blandin and Aldo Costa. It was the successor to the Mercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+, continuing the trend of highlighting Mercedes’ electric road car models and the relationship between Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Benz. The chassis continued the numbering sequence, designated F1 W10 to represent the tenth Formula One car constructed by Mercedes since 2010. The car’s design was heavily influenced by the evolving 2019-20 regulations, prompting the team to explore two distinct aerodynamic packages during pre-season testing, one with ‘inboard’ and one with ‘outboard’ front wing philosophies. The latter, featuring a significantly revised nose, bargeboards, floor, and engine cover, was ultimately chosen for the 2019 season.
The W10 was powered by the Mercedes-AMG F1 M10 EQ Power+ engine. While considered less powerful than Ferrari’s 064 engine in terms of outright qualifying power and straight-line speed, the Mercedes power unit was lauded for its fuel efficiency. The car’s aerodynamic package was particularly strong in slow- and medium-speed corners, a contrast to its predecessor. This strength was attributed to the car’s ability to effectively utilize the new Pirelli tire concept and generate significant downforce. Major upgrades were introduced throughout the season, including a front wing update in China, a redesigned bargeboard “boomerang” in Spain, and revisions to the rear-facing cooling outlets, sidepod vanes, bargeboards, and rear wing endplate in Germany. Despite these upgrades, the team experienced some reliability concerns with the third iteration of the engine (Phase 3), which suffered failures at the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix.
The Mercedes AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ made its competitive debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix. Bottas achieved a dominant win, leading Hamilton to a 1-2 finish. This success continued at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Hamilton secured victory after a strategic undercut and overtaking maneuver on Vettel. Mercedes continued their strong form with a 1-2 finish at the Chinese Grand Prix, marking three consecutive race wins to start the season. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw another 1-2 victory for the team, with Bottas leading Hamilton. Hamilton continued his winning streak at the Spanish Grand Prix, leading every lap. At the Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton won despite intense pressure from Verstappen, while Bottas finished third after a pit lane collision.
The Canadian Grand Prix saw Hamilton equal Michael Schumacher’s record of seven wins at the Montreal circuit, while Bottas finished fourth. Mercedes continued to dominate at the French Grand Prix, achieving another 1-2 finish. The Austrian Grand Prix proved more challenging, with overheating issues hindering the team’s performance. Hamilton won the British Grand Prix, while Bottas finished second. Following a difficult race in Germany where Hamilton finished 11th and Bottas retired, Mercedes rebounded with wins in Russia and Japan, securing the Constructors’ Championship. The team continued to perform strongly in the closing rounds, with Hamilton winning in Mexico and Abu Dhabi, clinching his sixth Drivers’ Championship in the process. Bottas secured a win at the United States Grand Prix.
[unverified] No regulatory outcomes are explicitly stated in the corpus.
[unverified] The corpus does not detail any specific influence of the W10 on subsequent designs. However, a modified W10 was used during testing of the 2022 tyre compounds after the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Gallery · 4 related images
