Formula 1: Wild rumors of major Mercedes change shot down

Petronas shot down wild rumors that Mercedes will be replacing them as the title sponsor of their Formula 1 team after the 2021 season.

This past weekend, rumors emerged that Mercedes, officially classified as Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, will be replacing Petronas with Aramco as their title sponsor following the 2021 Formula 1 season, thus creating what would be the “Mercedes-AMG Aramco F1 Team”.

These rumors emerged as Aramco, the world’s largest integrated oil and gas company, continue to try to expand in terms of their sponsorship profile and as Formula 1 prepares for its first ever race in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Mercedes co-owner Ineos have close ties with the Saudi Arabian company.

In March 2020, Aramco signed a deal to become a global partner of Formula 1, and that deal has been on full display, with company logos visible at race tracks and with the company having the title sponsorship rights to several races on this year’s 22-race calendar and beyond.

As for the first ever race in Saudi Arabia, Formula 1 is set to run a race at the brand-new Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Sunday, December 5.

This race, the Saudia Arabian Grand Prix, is a 50-lap race around the 27-turn, 3.836-mile (6.173-kilometer) temporary street circuit in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. It is the penultimate race of the 2021 season.

But Petronas, a sponsor and technical partner of Mercedes since 2010, signed a multi-year deal with the Silver Arrows that is believed to run through at least the 2025 season back in 2019, and they have made very clear that there is no intention from either side to end the agreement early.

Here is what the Malaysian oil and gas company had to say in a statement about the matter.

"“Petronas and Mercedes have been partners since 2010 in a collaborative long-term relationship that is mutually beneficial to both parties. Last year, we extended our partnership for another multi-year cycle and we are proud to continue to be working together to deliver cutting-edge performance.”"

So expect to see the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team back in action in 2022, with the only big change being that George Russell, not Valtteri Bottas, is set to be the teammate to Lewis Hamilton.