Despite F1 CEO’s Fears, Hybrid Tech Transfers Nicely to MB Street Machines

By Adam Pockross - May 28, 2015

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi

Thomas Weber, head of R&D at Mercedes-Benz, is really pumped about Formula 1’s hybrid turbo engines, regardless of what F1’s chief exec, Bernie Ecclestone, thinks.

Ecclestone has spoken out about the new hybrid engines having too little noise and costing too much money. And in next month’s issue of F1 Racing, he even goes so far as to question how much technology is really transferred from the F1 hybrid turbos into road car engines.

“People should understand that when this engine was thought about, nobody realised it would turn into what it is. It’s a powerplant, not an engine. It has nothing to do with cars, it will never be used in cars.”

Weber, who’s also a Daimler board member, thinks the exact opposite is true. And he was very vocal about it while discussing the matter with journalists at the Monaco Grand Prix this past weekend.

“We are doing everything possible to maintain [our position] in the F1 championship, but equally when it comes to the road car business it is about what can we do to bring the ideas from F1 as fast as possible to the road car business.”

PU106a Hybrid Power Unit

Weber goes on to talk at length about how the sport’s 100Kg fuel limit is driving innovation at Mercedes, and how quickly that innovation is finding its way into the road fleet.

Since he’s the R&D guru, Weber sees research turning into development on other fronts too, specifically in the area of connectitivity, where Mercedes is poised to take leaps forward, what with their new technology partnership with Qualcomm.

“It is not only a partnership in the conventional sense, but a technical partnership which not only will accelerate the F1 car but will be translated into road cars. There are so many potential areas of collaboration. I can tell you there is so much innovation and potential in the relationship,” says Weber.

Innovation and potential never get old, certainly not around the MB offices.