Frankfurt (AFP)

"Here is born the next generation of Mercedes race cars". The German firm, dominating in F1, announced Wednesday its entry into the world championship of Formula E, by the voice of its team manager Toto Wolff.

"We are embarking on a new mission, an electric mission," said Wolff at the presentation of the Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow 01 and the team on the sidelines of the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The star brand, giant of world motorsport for over a century, joins the Formula E, a young championship founded in 2014, for the season 2019-2020, with Stoffel Vandoorne, already a Formula E driver for HWA, and Nyck de Vries, current leader of Formula 2, for his team.

"We are opening a new chapter," Mr Wolff told AFP. "This is the first time we have all-electric, and it's a very special moment."

"Our goal is to reach a position that allows us to fight for race or championship wins," but the first season "is learning," he said in his presentation.

From the mythical "silver arrows" of the 1930s to Lewis Hamilton, to the world titles of the myth Manuel Fangio, Mercedes has marked the history of auto sport, and has dominated Formula 1 for several years.

She has won the last five constructor and driver world championship titles, with Lewis Hamilton (four times) and Nico Rosberg (2016).

© 2019 AFP