The Mercedes Formula One team has upped its involvement with the British attempt to win the America’s Cup in yachting, with technical chief James Allison being pulled in.
Mercedes’ Applied Science division, a part of the Brackley-based F1 team, began working with Ineos Team UK last year.
However, after losing to Italy’s Luna Rossa in the Prada Cup final in Auckland, project leader Sir Ben Ainslie has overhauled the rebranded Ineos Britannia team and management for the next try.
Mercedes F1 will play a vital role in the design and development of the new yacht once the new rules are finalized, according to the new plans.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff stated at the unveiling of the team tie-up on Monday at its Brackley factory: “There’s not a lot of difference between trying to put the best car on the road and racing against others, and F1 on water, and that is the America’s Cup.
“We slowly merged into the project, pretty late into the last campaign, but we loved it. I could see the buzz within the organisation that people started to follow the America’s Cup and raced it as our own project. Now we’re doing it properly next time around.
“I think we have to say the mindset is about trying to do the best possible job; hopefully good enough to be right there.”
In addition to the Ineos team having access to Mercedes’ facilities and brainpower, F1’s chief technical officer Allison will devote some of his time to the project.
Allison said he had no illusions about the size of the work before of Mercedes, but that the mindset that helped the team win seven consecutive F1 titles would be essential.
“People talk about the America’s Cup being like F1 on water,” he said.
“Most people are immediately thinking, well it’s a bit hydrodynamic, it’s a bit aerodynamic, it’s technological, it’s all of those things.
“But actually the most striking comparison to me is that it’s difficult.
“The way in which it’s worked okay for us in F1 is having the humility to admit that it’s difficult, and [knowing] that your competitors will eat you up the moment you stop remembering that it’s difficult. This challenge is proper difficult.”
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