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Champion Nyck de Vries, Mercedes-Benz EQ, celebrate
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Special feature

How Mercedes and de Vries achieved Formula E glory the hard way

When Nyck de Vries dominated the first race of what would be the most controversial and unpredictable Formula E season to date, it looked as though Mercedes was in for a cakewalk. But as the campaign wore on, the path to a title double became increasingly rocky. Neither driver or team would be assured of the crown until the closing stages of the very final race on a weekend of struggle in Berlin.

The pandemic created a sliding doors moment for Mercedes. There’s what happened in reality, in which it snared the drivers’ and teams’ Formula E title double. But what took place on the other side of the glass was almost certainly less prosperous.

In either case, Daimler likely would have announced its plan to kill the electric programme at the end of next season. The pivotal point in question came as a result of the High Performance Powertrains site at Brixworth being repurposed to manufacture breathing aids to support the battle against COVID-19. Engineers fully switched over to assist the hugely commendable venture and, understandably in the circumstances, the Formula E effort ground to an absolute halt. 

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