The Mercedes Formula 1 team generated an "astonishing" turnover of £289M in '16, and its parent company "only had to pump in" around 10% of that figure, according to AUTOSPORT. While they do not include the costs of the HPP powertrain division in Brixworth, the numbers "suggest that F1 is a bargain for Mercedes in terms of the exposure the marque receives," certainly compared to the figures spent by Porsche and Audi in recent years. The Brackley team's '16 accounts show that turnover rose from £213.2M the previous year to £289.4M last year. That figure includes sponsorship, income from F1's commercial rights holder and what the team calls "marketing revenue" -- the payments that it receives from Daimler AG. Costs increased by £27.9M in '16, "due to the extra R&D investment required as the team prepared for the huge changes" to the '17 regulations, and to currency exchange rate losses. There was also a £15.9M tax charge, as opposed to a £13.3M tax credit in '15. The team made an operating profit of £14.3M -- compared to a loss of £33.9M in '15. Mercedes Motorsport Dir Toto Wolff said, "The marketing contribution from Daimler is around 10% of revenue. That is a fraction of the exposure they generate" (AUTOSPORT, 10/4).
