Mercedes could stay in Formula E as privateer entry

Mercedes has "officially announced" it will quit Formula E at the end of the '22 season to concentrate on F1 amid a “refocus of resource for electric vehicle development" (MOTORSPORT, 8/18). However, bosses of the Mercedes FE team have started "evaluating options, including a potential sale," for the outfit to remain in the championship beyond the manufacturer’s exit after '22. Mercedes has confirmed that the leadership of the FE squad, fronted by Team Principal Ian James and CEO Toto Wolff, are "working on a contingency plan to keep the concern on the grid for the Gen3 regulations" starting in '22-23. The Mercedes FE team is understood to be "profitable" thanks in part to commercial deals with headline partners Vestas (wind turbines), NEOM (Saudi Arabian city project), SAP (software) and Modis (digital technology). Speculation persists that Wolff "could come in as the principal investor to lead a newly independent iteration of the current Mercedes Formula E setup" (MOTORSPORT, 8/18).