Maro Engel has once again driven AMG’s F1-derived hypercar to a new lap record, this time in Italy.
Following its record-breaking 6:35.183 Nürburgring lap late last year, Mercedes-AMG has hit Monza with its AMG One hypercar. Lapping the iconic Italian circuit with professional racing driver and AMG ambassador Maro Engel at the helm, the F1-powered hypercar achieved a time of 1:43.9, the fastest lap set by a production car.
The lap was completed with an AMG One in road-going specification, running a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R MO tyres that were developed for the Mercedes-AMG One project. As has already been well documented, the AMG One’s hybrid powertrain combines a 1.6-litre V6 engine derived directly from the Formula 1 program with three electric motors that together produce a peak power figure of 781kW.
This huge power figure is combined with a state of the art aero package that includes active aero elements around the nose, front wheel arches, rear diffuser and rear wing. It’s this combination that helped the One produce these exceptional times, sitting head and shoulders above other road car lap times.
Due to the way the hybrid powertrain delivers its performance, Maro Engel doesn’t just have the task of driving the One flat-out around these circuits, but also has to manage the powertrain’s battery consumption to ensure maximum performance on the lap’s higher-speed sections. Through careful management, the AMG One still achieved a 336km/h top speed on the Nürburgring’s Döttinger Höhe, further aided by the inbuilt DRS system.
Commenting on Mercedes-AMG’s triumph last year, Maro Engel commented ‘that was really an unforgettable experience. I didn’t expect that we would be able to set such a lap time with these track conditions. In some crucial areas of the track, it hadn’t dried completely yet and was therefore tricky. That was a special challenge.’
This astonishing time is a testament to the AMG One’s long development, having now finally completed its durability testing to be one of the most extreme road-going cars to ever be put on sale.
Of course the AMG One’s hypercar rivals, such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie, are yet to attempt their own lap times, but with a 6:36.183 time, we can consider the gauntlet thrown down for a new era of Nürburgring lap record attempts.
The Mercedes-AMG One is now officially in production. AMG has partnered with Canadian outfit Multimatic in the setup of a small production facility in Coventry, UK, where all 275 units will be assembled. The One’s F1-derived powertrains will come from down the road at Mercedes F1’s Brixworth-based engine works, creating what will become Mercedes-AMG’s most extreme road car ever.
First customers have already received their cars, each not just employing F1-inspired engineering, but a literal sister unit to the engine that’s helped Mercedes-AMG Petronas win eight constructors championships.