Racing the Future: Mercedes-AMGF1 and PETRONAS Power Towards Two Decades of Partnership and Embrace F1's Sustainable Future

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 September 2022 – The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is delighted to announce today the renewal of the Title and Technical Partnership between the team and progressive energy group, PETRONAS from the 2026 season onwards. Not only will this renewal power the partnership towards two decades of success at the pinnacle of motorsport, but it also signals a commitment to a more sustainable future – and the determination to excel in the exciting technical challenge presented by the 2026 power unit regulations. The partnership extension was announced today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the iconic PETRONAS Towers.

“Today we are doing something a little bit unusual – announcing a partnership that will begin in four years’ time. This sends an important message: our team and PETRONAS are no longer just partners, we are family, and we will be one team for many more years to come,” said Toto Wolff, CEO and Team Principal.

“From 2026, advanced sustainable fuel will be at the heart of F1 performance – and this gives us a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in this domain, through both the power unit and PETRONAS Fluid Technology Solutions™. We are excited to be racing into the future alongside PETRONAS, with the ambition to set the standard once again, in our on-track performance and by pioneering the transition of a global sports team to a net-zero future.”

Since 2010, the partnership has been founded on a shared ambition to achieve world-class performance. In the space of nearly 13 seasons so far, we have won together eight constructors’ world championships and 115 Grand Prix victories – an achievement unmatched in F1. And this success has been underpinned and enabled by continuous technical innovation.

Through this experience, PETRONAS develops class-leading fluids for consumers around the world, namely PETRONAS Primax fuel, PETRONAS Syntium engine oil and PETRONAS Tutela functional fluids.

Datuk Tengku Muhammad Taufik, PETRONAS President and Group Chief Executive Officer said, “What you are witnessing today bears testimony to the shared conviction of both PETRONAS and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team: that the synergy and shared ambition of both parties will deliver a pathway to responsibly provide the sports and our customers with energy that is cleaner and more sustainable.

“Given the accumulated experience as a team over the last decade, and the technical capabilities and expertise sourced from our combined talents, PETRONAS looks forward to charting the next chapter with a focus on advanced sustainable fuel for Mercedes and its customer teams. Together with our partners, PETRONAS will keep pushing boundaries with our Fluid Technology Solutions™ through innovative offerings. At the heart of our efforts will be sustainability - as we all progress towards a lower-carbon future,” he added.

For 2026, the sport has set its most significant challenge yet with its ambition to race towards a more sustainable future. With a target of 50% electrification of the power unit and development of road- relevant 100% advanced sustainable fuels, the new rules will require innovative solutions to lead the way in the sport’s next era. Currently in line with the 2022 regulations, PETRONAS is supporting Mercedes and its customer teams with advanced sustainable E10 fuel, comprising 10% second- generation non-food based ethanol E10, which reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions overall.

Datuk Sazali Hamzah, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS Downstream said, “With our longstanding partnership and extensive experience in formulating the Fluid Technology Solutions™ for the team, PETRONAS is fully equipped with the capacity and capabilities to perfect the technology to produce and supply 100% advanced sustainable fuel for the next-generation power units.”

“In that same vein, we are already on track with developing a greenfield biorefinery and co-processing at our facilities to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a cleaner and more viable option for aircrafts in our effort to support the aviation industry needs,” added Datuk Sazali. This is in line with Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) which is expected to come into mandatory effect by 2027 as well as Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile’s (FIA) net zero by 2030 commitment – both of which will affect the logistics operations of F1 teams.

The planned biorefinery will also have operational flexibility to produce hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) for on-road vehicles, diesel-powered trains, and marine transportation as well as petrol range products which can be included and/or upgraded for on-road vehicles. Beyond that, PETRONAS also offers a suite of cleaner energy solutions such as EV chargers and fluids, liquefied natural gas and solar as well as other renewable energy solutions as a concerted push to support its partners’ sustainability goals.

“PETRONAS is an important part of our heritage and history, and we’re delighted that they will continue as our Title and Technical partner long into the future,” commented Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Commercial Director, Richard Sanders. “The partnership with PETRONAS will now span two decades and we look forward to making this the most enduring and successful sponsorship in elite global sport.”