A Formula 1 Silicon Valley, that’s how motorsport boss Toto Wolff had his sights set on the new Mercedes Formula 1 campus, which is currently being built in Brackley. The racing team is currently working on a major renewal of its factory facilities, which is part of an €80 million investment by Mercedes in its infrastructure and people.
The creation of a state-of-the-art new Silicon Valley-style Formula 1 campus is the next phase of a major program that has been running for four years and will eventually result in facilities “that are truly world-class,” according to Mercedes COO Rob Thomas announces.
“As a team, it’s really important that we create facilities for our people. Our people are our most important asset and when we have facilities where they can come to work and feel proud to be there, it ultimately leads to more performance,” he says.
A large park-like area is to be created at Mercedes, which will be largely car-free and where the employees will feel comfortable. In the past four years, the focus has been primarily on the areas of manufacturing and design, with the machine shop, design area and many office spaces being redesigned.
Now for the outdoor areas, Mercedes is constructing a brand new building that will house a gym, restaurant and general wellbeing center, among other things.
“And at the front of the site we will be constructing another new building that will house the Marketing, Finance and Commercial departments, which is really impressive when you drive onto the site,” reveals Thomas.
“Ultimately, it’s about our employees, from whom all our ideas come,” he continues. “So if we build a facility where people like to come to work, where they have areas to think, to move in, then new ideas will emerge and those ideas will eventually translate into lap times. “
“Therefore, an innovative environment in which creativity can flourish is part of the achievement and that is what we invest in for the long term.”
Standing still means going backwards
Chief Technology Officer Mike Elliott also knows how important such an investment in the future is: “There’s an old saying in Formula 1 that says that when you’re standing still, you’re actually going backwards, and that’s because the pace of development is really high is,” he says.
“Formula 1 is about how you can learn faster than the competition, and if you learn faster than the competition, you can translate these ideas, these thoughts into designs and into parts that make the car faster,” he said technical manager.
Formula 1 itself has also evolved, and that is exactly what is happening at the new campus in Brackley: the facility is growing with the Mercedes team.
He is convinced: “The possibility of building a special marketing building, a real well-being center and a gym will take us a big step forward.” It is also a good way to create breakout rooms and set up better ways for the individual departments to work together.
“These are all things that might seem small, but when you consider that the most important asset is the people and you have to offer them the best working conditions, then this is what we really need,” says Elliott.
“Because if we can improve our facilities and the skills of our people, then we’re going to make a better product. We’re going to make something that has a better chance of winning races and championships, so it’s always about constantly improving. “
Sustainability in focus
Another important topic on the new Formula 1 campus is sustainability. Mercedes previously announced that the factory improvements will address all aspects of the team’s NetZero goals. They are powered by 100 percent renewable energy from internal and external sources. A new multi-storey car park will also include an on-site solar system.
“Sustainability is important to the team because we’ve already seen the impact of climate change around the world and we have this really exciting opportunity as we sit at the intersection of sport and technology,” said Alice Ashpitel, Head of Sustainability.
“On route we are trying to reduce the impact of our freight, logistics and passenger transport and to do this we have developed our sustainable fuel strategy. That means we are increasing the proportion of biofuels that we use in the European season and using, wherever possible, sustainable aviation fuels for the transportation of our people and our cargo.”
“And here at the factory, where we’re not always able to address some of those logistical issues, it’s about bringing sustainability to everyone here and allowing it to become part of everyday life,” says Ashpitel. So Mercedes should become the “most sustainable professional sports team in the world”.
This is how Mercedes wants to become the most sustainable team
She announces: “Not only will we be able to reduce our emissions, but also to reduce our resource consumption, which is crucial for our further development.”
The aim is to reduce water consumption per person per day by around 50 percent and increase the amount of waste that can be recycled on site by up to 60 percent. There is also a great opportunity to improve biodiversity.
“The two new buildings we are designing will be net-zero in operation and powered by 100 percent renewable energy, both on-site and off-site,” she explains.
“On-site power generation is very important as it gives us a secure, proprietary supply of renewable energy that powers some of the on-site activities. This ensures that we are adding capacity to the national grid and that the Renewable energy supply in the UK is growing.”
Better electricity than gas
In the past, gas was repeatedly used on the site, for example for heating or for process engineering work such as in the paint shop. But wherever possible, Mercedes wants to avoid using gas because electricity has a better CO2 footprint.
“So where we can switch to electric heating or heat recovery, we will,” says Ashpitel. “Off-site, we will continue to source all of our electricity from renewable sources, be it gas or electricity, and that’s something we’ve been doing across the site for a number of years.”
She says: “I think having a campus that reflects the team’s sustainability vision is really key to making sure everyone feels invested in this journey and understands that this is a real asset to the team and that we really believe in sustainable excellence believe.”