Mercedes power reaches 250 race wins in F3

• Start at Hockenheim Sunday

  Formula 3 as a springboard for a motor racing career: Ten of the current crop of Formula 1 drivers and six of the eight-strong Mercedes-AMG DTM Team drove Mercedes-powered cars during their time in Formula 3

• The opportunities for talented youngsters in Formula 3 have led to the emergence of some great names in the sport such as Lewis Hamilton, Esteban Ocon, Felix Rosenqvist and Pascal Wehrlein
• Toto Wolff: "The long list of successful juniors coming through underlines the high value our company has placed on the encouragement of young talent over the years."

Hockenheim: The Hockenheim race weekend saw Mercedes-AMG reach another milestone, as Lance Stroll (Canada, 17, Prema Powerteam) registered victory number 250 for a Formula 3 engine manufactured by the brand in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship or its predecessor, the Formula 3 Euro Series. With its involvement in Formula 3, Mercedes-AMG has been supporting talented youngsters seeking to make a name for themselves in motor racing since 2002.

DTM regulars such as Lucas Auer, Daniel Juncadella, Paul Di Resta, Felix Rosenqvist and Christian Vietoris, as well the Formula 1 stars Valtteri Bottas, Romain Grosjean, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Sebastian Vettel and Pascal Wehrlein have all been powered by a Mercedes-AMG Formula 3 engine earlier in their career. Mercedes Junior Esteban Ocon made the step up from the DTM to Formula 1 this season, joining the Manor Racing Team for the Belgian Grand Prix and has since continued as a team-mate to Pascal Wehrlein.

Silver Arrows driver Lewis Hamilton also had a spell in Formula 3 driving a Mercedes-powered car. On his way to the championship in the 2005 Formula 3 Euro Series campaign, he won 15 out of 20 races and made 17 podium appearances.

"Lewis is one of many talents who have made the step up from Formula 3 to a higher echelon of the sport in the past 15 years," says Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Toto Wolff. "The long list of successful juniors coming through underlines the high value our company has placed on the encouragement of young talent over the years. But ultimately, it is up to each individual driver to show the necessary commitment, the necessary determination and the necessary will to make it right to the top."

It all started at the Nurburgring…

The success story of the Mercedes-AMG Formula 3 engine began on 4th August 2002. On that day, Markus Winkelhock recorded a maiden victory for the M271 Formula 3 engine (the F3 414 successor model came later in 2014) in a Dallara Mercedes entered by Mucke Motorsport, appropriately enough at the birthplace of the legendary Silver Arrows, namely the Nurburgring. And he did it in style with a hat-trick of race win, pole position and fastest lap.

Even at that stage, it was clear that the involvement of Mercedes-AMG in Formula 3 would soon turn out to be a springboard for talented youngsters. Winkelhock subsequently competed in Formula 1 and the DTM. He actually led the rain-affected 2007 Europa Grand Prix for several laps, and as chance would have it, this was also against the backdrop of the Nurburgring.

The success story of the Mercedes-AMG Formula 3 engine really took off in 2003, the debut season for the new Formula 3 Euro Series. Alexandre Premat, who later went on to compete in the DTM, won at the Norisring in Nuremberg, recording the first of 250 victories in this series as well as its successor, the FIA Formula 3 European Championship.

These 250 victories, including 184 one-two wins, provided a solid foundation for eight drivers' and nine team titles in the Formula 3 Euro Series, as well as four drivers' and four team titles in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. Felix Rosenqvist won more races than any other driver along the way, ascending the top rung of the podium on 29 occasions. Runner-up in the win stakes is Raffaele Marciello on 19.

From Zandvoort to Macau: Victories all around the world

The Mercedes-AMG Formula 3 engine has also enjoyed success outside the framework of the Formula 3 Euro Series and the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. Between 2010 and 2014, it propelled contestants to 44 victories in British Formula 3. In addition, there were eleven race wins in the Formula 3 Masters at Zandvoort and/or Zolder as well as seven victories in the prestigious Formula 3 Grand Prix on the legendary Guia street circuit in Macau.

This is where current Mercedes-AMG DTM driver Felix Rosenqvist successfully defended his title last year. In previous years, the streets of Macau have seen victories for Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna (1983) and record Formula 1 championship winner Michael Schumacher (1990). The most recent three races staged there were won by drivers powered by Mercedes-AMG.

Statistics: Formula 3 Euro Series & FIA Formula 3 European Championship

Drivers: Most Formula 3 wins in a Mercedes-powered car

Formula 3 champions powered by Mercedes