Mercedes to acquire 100 percent of Ilmor
DaimlerChrysler AG has agreed terms to purchase Mercedes-Benz's F1 engine partner, Ilmor Engineering, by 2005. The Brixworth, UK, company will operate as Mercedes-Ilmor with immediate effect. The German/US giant recently acquired a majority stake [Sept 17], but will buy the remaining stock from current shareholders Mario Illien, Liz Morgan and Roger Penske. Mercedes-Benz board director Dr Jurgen Hubbert said: "This will strengthen the Mercedes-Benz influence on F1 engine development."

The price has not been disclosed.
Ilmor technical director Mario Illien said: "I am happy to see the foundations Paul Morgan and I created less than 20 years ago being further developed through Mercedes-Ilmor and therefore secured for the long term. This demonstrates great confidence in all our staff who will do everything to justify this confidence."
Norbert Haug, the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport director, said the company will be well placed for future changes in F1 regulations, including a proposed one-engine per meeting rule, due to be introduced in 2004. "With this step, our F1 programme is geared up to meet the requirements of the future, also in respect of the changes to the regulations from 2004 on. The capabilities of Ilmor will be even more closely linked to the resources of the DaimlerChrysler Group, thereby expanding the range of options for Mercedes-Ilmor. We are confident that with this step we will succeed in creating an even better foundation for a powerful, cost-efficient and highly responsive F1 engine system."
Latest news
Rodin reveals more details about 'F1-beating' hypercar
More details have been revealed about Rodin’s new closed-cockpit FZERO hypercar, which it intends will offer greater performance than Formula 1 machinery.
Magazine: F1 Hungarian GP review, FE London and BTCC Knockhill
Last weekend's Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, featuring another Ferrari clanger and Max Verstappen victory, is our focus on the cover of this week’s Autosport magazine, out today (4 August).
MotorsportDays LIVE reveals date of 2022 show at Silverstone
Motorsport Network is excited to announce that MotorsportDays LIVE will be held at Silverstone on 4-5 November 2022.
Red Bull F1 driver Perez to enter team in Agag's E1 powerboat series
Red Bull Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez is to enter a squad in the electric powerboat series being established by Formula E co-founder Alejandro Agag.
Why romanticism isn't the key factor in Lola’s racing return
The iconic Lola name is being relaunched after it was taken over by new ownership. Part of that reboot is a planned return to racing, though the exact details of this are still to be finalised - though its new owner does have a desire to bring the brand back to the Le Mans 24 Hours. But romanticism doesn't appear to be the driving force behind this renewed project...
Rating the best drivers of the century so far
Autosport's Top 50 feature has been a staple of the magazine for the past two decades since its first appearance in 2002. Here are the drivers that have featured most prevalently during that time
The best motorsport moments of 2021
Motorsport produced one of its greatest years of all-time in 2021 despite a backdrop of ongoing COVID-19 challenges and an ever-changing racing landscape. Through the non-stop action Autosport has collected the finest moments from the past 12 months to highlight the incredible drama and joy motorsport generates
The racing comeback artists who resurrected long-dormant careers
Making it in motorsport can be tough, and sometimes drivers move elsewhere before their best chance arrives. Here are some of those who made it back
The hidden racing gem attracting ex-F1 heroes
It’s rarely mentioned when it comes to assessing the best national contests, but the Brazilian Stock Car series that reaches its climax this weekend has an ever-growing appeal. Its expanding roster of ex-Formula 1 names has helped to draw in new fans, but it's the closeness of competition that keeps them watching
The one-time Schumacher rival rebooting his career Down Under
Joey Mawson made waves in the middle of the last decade, beating future Haas Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher - among other highly-rated talents - to the 2016 German F4 title. A run in F1's feeder GP3 category only caused his career to stall, but now back in Australia Mawson's S5000 title success has set that to rights
The lesson football’s would-be wreckers could learn from racing
OPINION: The greed-driven push for a European Super League that threatened to tear football apart is collapsing at the seams. Motor racing's equivalent, the football-themed Superleague Formula series of 2008-11, was everything that the proposed ESL never could be
The F1 and Indy 'nearly man' that found contentment in Japan
Having had the door to F1 slammed in his face and come within three laps of winning the Indianapolis 500, the collapse of a Peugeot LMP1 shot meant Japan was Bertrand Baguette's last chance of a career. But it's one which he has grasped with both hands