Formula 1: Are the major manufacturers making a comeback?

Mercedes' victory in the Constructors' Championship is the first for a team fully supported by a manufacturer in six years, and Ferrari has not won the title since 2008. Could this encourage new competitors to enter the fray?

Mercedes' 2023 championship has reignited a debate that has been simmering since the sport's inception in 1950: can the world's biggest car manufacturers survive—and thrive—in Formula 1? The answer may finally be shifting from “no” to “why not,” as the German giant's triumph could persuade other automotive groups to reconsider a sport they had once abandoned.

At the dawn of Grand Prix racing, a handful of independent workshops built and drove their own cars. By the turn of the millennium, the starting grid had become a showcase of industrial power, with manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, and BMW fielding full-fledged factory teams alongside the ever-present Ferrari and a resurgent Renault team. However, these big-budget programs often only made headlines. Toyota, for example, invested billions in its efforts without ever crossing the finish line in first place, while only Renault managed to turn its technical expertise into a lasting partnership, one that enabled Red Bull to win four consecutive titles.

The financial pressure of running a full team, combined with the disappointment of inconclusive results, has prompted most of these brands to withdraw. Few have remained as mere engine suppliers; Renault remains the only success story, having survived by focusing on power units rather than large-scale operations.

That's when Mercedes arrived. After a decade dominated by Ferrari and Renault, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer broke the deadlock, becoming the first major team to win the drivers' title since Ferrari's triumph in 2008. This victory not only restored the team's name to the top of the sport, but also sent a clear signal to the automotive world: a well-resourced and strategically managed team can still dominate.

The ripple effect was immediate. Within weeks of Mercedes' victory, the Volkswagen Group announced a feasibility study for a return to Formula 1, calling on former Audi executive Stefano Domenicali to lead the project. Volkswagen has a long history in motorsports—Porsche and Audi already compete—but the company has always avoided fully committing to a team. Now, with a rival on the podium, the Wolfsburg-based conglomerate seems ready to test the waters, perhaps even as a full-fledged manufacturer rather than just an engine supplier. The renewed interest from manufacturers doesn't stop there. Honda has already confirmed its return as an engine supplier for McLaren, while the door remains open for BMW, Toyota, or even the long-absent Ford to return to the race. An expanded list of engine manufacturers and full-fledged teams would breathe new competition into a championship that has recently shown signs of stagnation. If Mercedes' success proves anything, it's that the era of manufacturer dominance is not over, but simply waiting for the right catalyst. The coming seasons could see a new wave of automotive giants lining up on the starting grid, restoring Formula 1 to the diverse and spectacular character originally envisioned by its founders.