Mercedes-Benz W196

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Mercedes-Benz W196

Karl Kling driving the W196 at the Nürburgring in 1976
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Mercedes
Designer(s)	Rudolf Uhlenhaut
Successor	Mercedes MGP W01
Technical specifications
Engine	Mercedes-Benz M196 2,497 cc (152.4 cu in) I8 naturally aspirated
Tyres	Continental
Competition history
Notable entrants	Daimler Benz AG
Notable drivers	Juan Manuel Fangio Stirling Moss Hans Herrmann Karl Kling
Debut	1954 French Grand Prix
First win	1954 French Grand Prix
Last win	1955 Italian Grand Prix
Last event	1955 Italian Grand Prix
Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 12 9 17 8 9
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	2 (1954, 1955)

The Mercedes-Benz W196 (sometimes written as the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R^[1]) was a Formula One racing car produced by Mercedes-Benz for the 1954 and 1955 F1 seasons. Successor to the W194, in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss it won 9 of 12 races entered and captured the only two world championships in which it competed.

Firsts included the use of desmodromic valves and Daimler-Benz developed mechanical direct fuel injection adapted from the DB 601 high-performance V12 used on the Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter during World War II.

The 3-litre 300 SLR was derived from the W196 for the 1955 World Sportscar Championship season. Its crash at Le Mans that year ended not only its own short-lived domination but also spelled the end for the W196. Mercedes pulled out of competitive racing in 1955 and did not return for another three decades.