Mercedes learned something in Formula E that’s been crucial to their 2026 F1 dominance

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A great deal of Mercedes’ strength this season has come from their experience in Formula E over the last few years.

Mercedes entered Formula E in 2018, with their official participation in the league beginning during the 2019-20 season.

Given how much emphasis has been put on the electric deployment under the 2026 regulations, Mercedes have relied on their Formula E experience to gain a significant edge.

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And with changes coming to the regulations during the 2027 season, Mercedes expect their dominance to grow even more.

But it was this experience in Formula E that allowed them to gain an edge in one area when coming up with their 2026 power unit.

READ MORE: Mercedes think one F1 rule change for the 2027 season could make them even more dominant

Mercedes used Formula E ‘knowledge’ to perfect energy management for 2026 power unit

According to Autosport Web, Mercedes have leveraged their experience and knowledge from Formula E when putting together their 2026 power unit.

In fact, even before they entered Formula E, Mercedes pursued the development of their KERS system in-house, led by Andy Cowell. This proved to be the basis for their success with their power unit this year.

And with their time in Formula E, Mercedes managed to deepen their understanding of energy generation, especially about charging and deploying the battery in a full race scenario.

This has helped Mercedes get the most out of the power unit and earn a significant deployment edge over the rest of the field.

And if reports are to be believed, Mercedes are holding on to a power advantage that they haven’t unveiled in racing conditions yet.

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Mercedes must ensure 2026 advantage results in title win

For all the talk of Mercedes’ advantage over the rest of the field, none of their dominance will amount to much if they don’t win the world championship.

Mercedes began working on their current power unit in 2022, and it has paid off in the start of the 2026 season, with them winning all four races.

But with there still being 18 races left in the season, teams like McLaren and Ferrari can close the gap between themselves and Mercedes in short order.

It cannot be overstated just how much of a catastrophe it would be if Mercedes don’t manage to use their advantage this season to win the world title.