TheMercedes F1 W07 Hybrid is aFormula One racing car which competed in the2016 FIA Formula One World Championship. It is one of the most successfulMercedes-Benz designs of all time, designed and developed under the direction ofPaddy Lowe,Aldo Costa,Geoff Willis,Loïc Serra,Russell Cooley,John Owen,Mike Elliott, andJarrod Murphy.^{[10][11][12][13][14]} The cars were driven by three-timeWorld Drivers' ChampionLewis Hamilton, andNico Rosberg, both of whom remained with the team for a fourth and a seventh season, respectively.^[15][16] In addition, it was the last Formula One car driven by Rosberg, following his announcement on his retirement from the sport after clinching his first World Drivers' Championship title.^[17]

Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid

The F1 W07 Hybrid, driven byNico Rosberg during theMalaysian Grand Prix
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Mercedes
Designer(s)	Paddy Lowe(Technical Director) Aldo Costa(Engineering Director) Geoff Willis(Technology Director) Mark Ellis(Performance Director) John Owen(Chief Designer) Loïc Serra(Chief Vehicle Dynamicist) Russell Cooley(Chief Engineer) Mike Elliott(Head of Aerodynamics) Jarrod Murphy(Chief Aerodynamicist) Andy Cowell(Lead Power Unit Designer)
Predecessor	Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid
Successor	Mercedes AMG F1 W08 EQ Power+[1]
Technical specifications[2][3][4][5][6]
Chassis	Moulded carbon fibre &Honeycomb composite structure
Suspension (front)	Carbon fibre wishbone and pushrod activatedtorsion springs & rockers
Suspension (rear)	Carbon fibre wishbone and pullrod activatedtorsion springs & rockers
Length	5,000 mm (197 in)
Width	1,800 mm (71 in)
Height	950 mm (37 in)
Wheelbase	3,500 mm (137.8 in)
Engine	Mercedes-Benz PU106C Hybrid,[7] 1.6 L (98 cu in), 90° -V6turbocharged engine, limited to 15,000RPM, in amid-mounted, rear-wheel drive layout
Electric motor	Motor Generator Unit–Kinetic (MGU-K),Motor Generator Unit–Heat (MGU-H)
Transmission	Mercedes co-developed withXtracsemi-automatic seamless shiftsequentialgearbox with eight forward and one reverse gears
Battery	Mercedeslithium-ion batteries solution
Power	900horsepower (670 kW)[8]
Weight	702 kg (1,547.6 lb)
Fuel	Petronas Primax
Lubricants	Petronas Syntium & Tutela
Brakes	Carbone Industriecarbon brake discs,pads andBrembobrake calipers with rearbrake-by-wire
Tyres	Pirelli P Zero (Dry/Slick) Pirelli Cinturato (Wet/Treaded) Advantiforged magnesium wheels: 13"
Clutch	Carbon fibre reinforced carbon plate
Competition history
Notable entrants	Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team[9]
Notable drivers	6.Nico Rosberg 44.Lewis Hamilton
Debut	2016 Australian Grand Prix
First win	2016 Australian Grand Prix
Last win	2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Last event	2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 21 19 33 20 9
Constructors' Championships	1 (2016)
Drivers' Championships	1 (Nico Rosberg,2016)

The chassis was named "F1 W07 Hybrid" to represent the seventhFormula One car that Mercedes had constructed since2010, while the hybrid was marked to recognize the utilization of fully integrated hybrid power units.^[18] The car made its competitive debut at the2016 Australian Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2016 season.^[19] After participating 20 rounds of grand prix racing, the car made its final competition appearance at the season finale race –2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, before retirement.^[19]

With a total of 19 wins, 20 pole positions, 33 podium finishes and a total of 765 constructors championship points in a single season, the F1 W07 Hybrid is statistically the third most dominant Formula One car in the history of the sport with a win percentage of 90.47%, behind the 2023Red Bull RB19 (95.45%) and the 1988McLaren MP4/4 (93.75%).^[20]

The F1 W07 Hybrid was the successor to theF1 W06 Hybrid, which has been described as one of the most dominant cars in the sport's history.^[21] Mercedes declared that the new car designed inBrackley, with the engine fromMercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains atBrixworth, featured "mini revolutions" over its predecessor.^[22][23][24] The F1 W07 Hybrid was designed to use theMercedes-Benz PU106C Hybrid power unit, a revolution ofMercedes-Benz PU106B Hybrid power unit.^[7] The power unit consist of the upgraded version of the Mercedes-Benz PU106B Hybrid, which was introduced during the2015 Italian Grand Prix.^[7] The power output revolution of the PU106 Hybrid power unit was estimated around 950horsepower (710 kW) to 1,000horsepower (750 kW) which had more power thanFerrari 059/5,Renault R.E.16 andHonda RA616H.^[25][26]

The team went on improving the F1 W07 Hybrid over the course of the season. "S-duct" remains evolved by Mercedes for improving airflow efficiency from the front of the car to the back of the chassis without major disruption.^{[clarification needed][27]} Several improvements were made during theCanadian Grand Prix, "L-shaped turning vanes" were introduced under the chassis and beside thebargeboards, front wing fins were added to better direct airflow on the outside of the car’s front wheels.^[28]

A bowl-shaped rear wing was also introduced during the2016 Canadian Grand Prix, to allow top speeds in excess of 350 kilometres per hour (220 mph) by reducing drag, producing higher downforce.^[29] The bowl-shaped rear wing was seen similar in2015 known as curve rear wing and was used at the back-to-back race – theEuropean Grand Prix.^{[clarification needed][29]} To enhance the control of ride height and roll, Mercedes tried an innovative design duringSingapore Grand Prix by having hydraulic third suspension element housed transversely in the upper chassis bulkhead.^[30] Revised brakes discs with concave surface was seen developed along the season, by dissipating heat efficiently and keeping tyre temperatures consistent.^[31]

The Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid was unofficially launched at theSilverstone Circuit with Rosberg and Hamilton completing an inaugural shakedown during a promotional event on 19 February 2016.^[32] The car was driven a total of 98.2 km.^[32]The F1 W07 Hybrid was officially launched online on 21 February 2016, one day before the 2016 inaugural pre-season testing.^[24] The F1 W07 Hybrid took part in pre-season testing atCircuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 22–25 and March 1–4. During the eight testing days, the car completed 1294 laps; a total of 6,024 km (3,743.1 mi), equivalent to over 19 race distances.^[33][34] The car was also driven by2015 GP3 Series championEsteban Ocon andManor Racing's regular driverPascal Wehrlein during in-season testing.^[35]

Having "mini revolutions" over its 2 predecessors; - theF1 W05 Hybrid andF1 W06 Hybrid, the F1 W07 Hybrid continued to enjoy the same immense success that Mercedes had taken since2014. At the halfway point of the season, Mercedes had secured all but one win – theSpanish Grand Prix, won byRed Bull'sMax Verstappen, where the two Mercedes drivers collided on the opening lap, immediately sending both men into retirement^[36] – and one pole – theMonaco Grand Prix, where Red Bull'sDaniel Ricciardo took pole position due to technical gremlins affecting both drivers during Q3.^[37] The car took ten consecutive wins – from the2016 Monaco Grand Prix to the2016 Singapore Grand Prix, just one win shy of the record held byMcLaren during the1988 Formula One season.^[38][39]

For Mercedes, the win at theMexican Grand Prix marked the 17th triumph in 19 races. With that tally, the F1 W07 Hybrid broke the previous record from its predecessors of 16 wins in a single season, set in both 2014 and 2015.^[40] At the next race, theBrazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton secured a record 19th pole position for the team in the season,^[41] beating the previous record of 18 poles in a season, achieved in 2011 (Red Bull), 2014 and 2015 (both Mercedes). In twenty-one races, the F1 W07 Hybrid took nineteen wins (ten for Hamilton and nine for Rosberg), twenty pole positions (twelve for Hamilton and eight for Rosberg), nine fastest laps (three for Hamilton and six for Rosberg), fourteen front row lockouts and eight 1–2 finishes, earning 765 constructors' points. The team clinched their third consecutive Constructors' Championship at theJapanese Grand Prix, the 17th race of the season with four races to spare.^[42]

Poor getaways at the start of the race and reliability issues troubled Mercedes throughout the season.^[43] The poor starts issue was deemed to be a hardware problem related to clutch warming.^[44] It occurred at various races including theAustralian,Bahrain,German,Italian andJapanese Grands Prix.^[44][45] Reoccurring power unit issues were suffered at theChinese,Russian,Monaco andBritish Grands Prix.^[46] The most notable reliability problem arose during theMalaysian Grand Prix, where Hamilton's engine failed and he retired from the lead.^[47]

Hamilton took pole position for the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix, ahead of teammate Rosberg, in the first use of a new qualifying format.^[48] During the race, both Mercedes cars suffered poor starts compared to theFerraris ofSebastian Vettel andKimi Räikkönen. A violent accident resulting from a collision betweenFernando Alonso andEsteban Gutiérrez on lap 19 caused a red flag. Mercedes took the opportunity to use a tyre strategy which relegated Vettel to third place, completing a 1–2 finish.^[49] Hamilton took pole position again at theBahrain Grand Prix, ahead of Rosberg.^[50] Rosberg had a better start in the race than Hamilton and passed him into the lead, whilst Hamilton had contact withWilliams'Valtteri Bottas at turn one, dropping to ninth on the opening lap. Rosberg went on to win the race, while Hamilton fought his way back to secure third.^[51]

Rosberg took his first pole position in theChinese Grand Prix. Hamilton had suffered reliability issues with theMotor Generator Unit–Heat (MGU-H), making him unable to set a lap time in qualifying.^[52] Rosberg took his third consecutive win in2016 ahead of Sebastian Vettel, with teammate Hamilton fighting his way back from 22nd to seventh.^[53] Rosberg claimed his first careerGrand Slam (pole position, fastest lap, led every lap and win during the same race), at theRussian Grand Prix, while Hamilton again suffered reliability issues during qualifying, fighting back from 10th to secure a 1–2 finish for the team during the race.^[54][55]

Hamilton and Rosberg locked out the front row once again at theSpanish Grand Prix, with Hamilton taking his third pole of the season. On the first lap of the race, Rosberg had a slightly better start and overtook Hamilton on the outside of Turn 1. On the run down to Turn 4, Rosberg realized he was on the wrong engine mode which caused him to slow down and he quickly corrected it, Hamilton, at the same time, seeing a gap, rapidly closed on Rosberg and made an overtaking maneuver. Rosberg immediately closed the gap but it was too late, Hamilton was pushed into the grass, spun at high speed and collided with Rosberg sending both of them into the gravel trap leading to Mercedes' first double retirement since the2011 Australian Grand Prix, thus ending any hope of a perfect season.^[56][57]Mercedes lost out on pole position atMonaco Grand Prix due to technical gremlins affecting both drivers.^[37] Changeable condition from wet to dry saw Hamilton take his first win in 2016 by beatingDaniel Ricciardo (who suffered after a pitstop in which the tyres were not ready), while Rosberg struggled from start to finish due to suspected glazed brakes, finishing in 7th.^[58]

At theCanadian Grand Prix, Hamilton took pole position by 61 hundredths of a second with Rosberg on the front row.^[59] During the race, Hamilton held off Vettel to claim his fifth win in Canada. Rosberg was only able to manage 5th after first-corner contact with his teammate and a late-race puncture.^[60] Having completed one-third of the season, Mercedes had a 76-point lead over their closest rivals,Ferrari.

Coming to the newly revivedEuropean Grand Prix held atBaku City Circuit, Rosberg took his second career Grand Slam while Hamilton qualified tenth due to an error during qualifying, finishing the race in fifth with an incorrect pre-set hybrid deployment mode costing him time.^[61][62]

At the ninth round of the season –Austrian Grand Prix, Hamilton took his 10th career hat-trick as the Mercedes pair collided during the last lap, with Rosberg limping home for fourth with a seriously damaged car.^[63] Following the collision, Mercedes introduced a new driver management policy – "Rules of Engagement", dictating the terms by which Hamilton and Rosberg could race one another and promising penalties in the event of on-track altercations.^[64][65] Hamilton won his third consecutiveBritish Grand Prix from pole position, a record at theSilverstone Circuit, while Rosberg holding second, suffered a critical gearbox problem during mid-race. Mercedes instructed him to reset the gearbox and to avoid using seventh gear or else risk a catastrophic failure, which prompted an investigation by the stewards for providing him with assistance. Rosberg was ultimately penalised for the radio call, having ten seconds added to his race time, which demoted him to third behindMax Verstappen.^[66][67]

Hamilton took over the lead in the Drivers' Championship after theHungarian Grand Prix as he led Rosberg to complete a 1–2 finish, thus in succession setting a new record for the most wins in Hungary, surpassingMichael Schumacher.^[68][69] Hamilton took his fourth consecutive victory within a month at theGerman Grand Prix, heading into the summer break with a 19-point lead over his teammate.^[70][71] At theBelgian Grand Prix, Hamilton took 60 grid penalties for exceeding his season allocation of engine components, therefore starting at the back of the grid, whilst Rosberg took pole position.^[72] Eventually, Rosberg won his firstBelgian Grand Prix by leading from start to finish, while Hamilton fought his way up to claim 3rd – thereby making him the first driver to start 20th or lower and finish on the podium on three occasions.^[73] At theItalian Grand Prix, Rosberg claimed his seventh win of the season after Hamilton lost the lead due to a poor start but recovered to finish second, thus making it the fourth 1-2 finish for the team in the season. As a result, Rosberg narrowed Hamilton's lead in the driver's championship to only 2 points.^[74] Having completed two-thirds of the season, Mercedes had a 208-point lead over their nearest competitors -Red Bull Racing.

At theSingapore Grand Prix, Rosberg took back the Drivers' Championship lead over Hamilton when he won his third consecutive race and eighth overall after fending off a late charge by Ricciardo in the closing laps. Hamilton, despite having brake temperature problems, was able to claim the final spot on the podium by keeping Räikkönen at bay.^[75]

A major twist in the Drivers' Championship occurred at theMalaysian Grand Prix. Hamilton, while leading, suffered an engine failure which led to a Red Bull 1–2 finish. Rosberg dropped to 17th due to a first lap collision with Vettel but recovered to finish in third which extended his lead in the championship to 23 points over Hamilton with five races remaining.^[76] At theJapanese Grand Prix, Hamilton started poorly and dropped from second to eighth place, but recovered to finish third, while Rosberg got away cleanly from the start and won the race from pole position, making this his ninth win of the season. The first and third places also secured Mercedes' 3rd Constructors' title in a row.^[42] At theUnited States Grand Prix, Hamilton took his seventh win of the season from pole position.^[77] It was his first win since the German Grand Prix before the summer break and his 50th Grand Prix career victory. He became only the third F1 driver in history to reach 50 Grand Prix victories, trailing onlyAlain Prost (51) and Michael Schumacher (91).^[78] Rosberg initially lost out to Daniel Ricciardo at the start but he was able to retake the second position due to a "free" pitstop under aVirtual Safety Car (VSC) on lap 31, which was caused by the retirement of Max Verstappen. Both drivers went on to complete a fifth 1-2 finish for the team in the season.^[79]

At theMexican Grand Prix, Hamilton took pole position while Rosberg secured the twelfth front row lockout for the team by beating Verstappen and Ricciardo on his final run.^[80] Both drivers managed to stay ahead after the start although neither Hamilton nor Rosberg stayed on track at the first corner. Hamilton missed the braking point while a diving Verstappen made heavy wheel-to-wheel contact with Rosberg, causing both Mercedes drivers to go on to the grass. The Verstappen-Rosberg incident was reviewed by the stewards though no further action was taken. Hamilton went on to win his eighth Grand Prix of the season, Rosberg meanwhile had to defend his position from a charging Verstappen.^[81] On lap 49, Verstappen had a go at Rosberg who lost time by going over a curb (while being behind a backmarker). Verstappen could not successfully execute his move, however, and Rosberg managed to keep his second position until the end, completing yet another 1-2 finish for the team.^[81] Meanwhile, Hamilton won his 51st Grand Prix which saw him tie Alain Prost for second most career victories on the all-time list.^[82] Hamilton's win in Mexico also gave Mercedes their seventeenth win of the season, setting a new Formula 1 record for most team wins in a single season, breaking their own record of 16 wins in each of the previous two seasons.^[82][83]

Hamilton took his maiden victory at theAutódromo José Carlos Pace after starting on pole position at the penultimate race –Brazilian Grand Prix, while Rosberg survived a near-spin due to wet weather conditions, gave Mercedes their seventh 1-2 finish of the season.^[84] With this wet-weather masterclass victory, Hamilton set a new record forwins at the most different circuits (24) and moved ahead of Alain Prost on the list of all-time wins.^[85] Moreover, he also kept his Drivers' Championship chances alive, setting up a title decider between the Mercedes duo at theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix – a repeat of the 2014 Drivers' Championship showdown at theYas Marina Circuit.^[86][87]

At the final race of the 2016 season, the title rivals took their 14th front-row lockout with Hamilton having out qualified championship leader Rosberg by one-third of a second.^[88] During the race, both Mercedes started well and maintained their respective positions. Hamilton moved clear from the field while Rosberg had a lengthy pit stop for preventing an unsafe release, thus critically losing a position to Verstappen. Rosberg followed Verstappen for the next 12 laps before finally slicing past the Red Bull.^[89] Rosberg then set numerous fastest laps to cut down Hamilton's advantage, while Hamilton, in his bid to secure his fourth title, tried to back his teammate up into the clutch of Verstappen. Vettel joined the group by using alternative strategy – using fresh supersoft tyres, he then made a pass on Verstappen for a podium position, thus separating Hamilton, Rosberg, himself, and Verstappen by less than three seconds. Hamilton was told numerous times via team radio to speed up due to risk of jeopardising the win.^[90] Hamilton ignored and disobeyed team radio instructions, arguing that his team should "let us race", and continued backing his teammate up.^[91] Eventually, Hamilton took the chequered flag by 0.4s from Rosberg, while Rosberg defended well from the fast coming Vettel by another 0.4s, while Verstappen took fourth, just 0.8s behind Vettel.^[89][92] From this result, Hamilton took his tenth win of the season but had lost the Drivers' Championship by five points. (Hamilton: 380 points; as compared to Rosberg: 385 points), therefore Rosberg was crowned as the 2016 Formula One World Drivers' Champion, his maiden and only title.^[93][94]

The team finished the season with 765 constructors championship points, breaking their own record again of 703 points set at theprevious season for most constructor points in a single season.^[95] Furthermore, it had also defeated the nearest rivals –Red Bull by 297 points, the highest difference on points between world constructor's champion and the runner-up in the sport's 67th year of history.^[95] In addition, Mercedes ultimately claimed the Drivers' Championship and Constructors' Championship title double for the third consecutive season.^[96]

As of December 2024^[update], the F1 W07 Hybrid holds the followingFormula One records:

• Most pole positions in a season with highest percentage: 20 pole positions (95.2%)^[20][97]
• Most podiums in a season: 33 podiums^[98]

(key) (results inbold indicate pole position; results initalics indicate fastest lap)

• Mercedes-AMG Project One (Related road car development)

• The F1 W07 on Mercedes' official website