The return of the Silver Arrows in the 2010 Formula One World Championship with the new MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team begins the latest chapter in the proud 116 year history of motorsport success for Daimler and Mercedes-Benz.

The Silver Arrows were born on 3 June 1934 when Manfred von Brauchitsch won the Eifelrennen at the Nürburgring at the wheel of a Mercedes W25. The car´s white paintwork had been sanded down to meet the weight requirements and the car raced in the silver colour of its aluminium body. On 4 July 1954, the Silver Arrows returned for the first time: Juan Manuel Fangio drove his W196 streamliner to victory in the French Grand Prix at Reims which he won ahead of his team mate Karl Kling. It was the first Formula One race win for Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz has been a force in motor sport since 1894. The first four cars home in the race from Paris to Rouen on 22 July in that year were powered by a 954cc V2 engine designed by Gottlieb Daimler. This victory set the ball rolling and in subsequent decades, the marque won countless races. For the Nice-Salon-Nice race of 1901, Daimler´s cars were entered under the name Mercedes for the first time, named after the daughter of the Daimler importer and racing driver, Emil Jellinek. The event was won by the Mercedes of the German driver Wilhelm Werner.