That's how complicated it is to drive the Mercedes-AMG One

The goal of the Mercedes-AMG One is to bring “a Formula 1 car to the road”. To achieve this milestone, the star brand equipped the model with an engine practically identical to the one used by Russell’s and Hamilton’s single-seaters, but how does it drive? The truth is that it is quite complicated.

Let’s remember that only 272 units are being manufactured at a price of around 2.68 million euros. To give you an idea of how complicated it must be, the German manufacturer organized a driving event for all 272 owners to show them every system in the car and how to use them. Its active aerodynamics and its four electric motors won’t make things easy for you.

This is how you drive the Mercedes-AMG One

Let’s set the scene: this impressive sports car features a 1.6-litre V6 engine bolted to the carbon monocoque chassis. It can reach up to 11,000 rpm and has a catalytic converter to control emissions. This engine has two electric motors coupled to the technical block and two more on the front axle. It is linked to a seven-speed sequential gearbox, and let’s not forget that it delivers a power output of 1,063 CV.

Driving is not the only complicated part; getting into the car is also a task of its own. You must adjust the pedals to your driving position using the red lever located between your legs. You can also choose between six driving modes called EV, Individual, Race, Race Safe, Race+ and Strat 2. To change modes, you just need to turn the wheel you can see on the steering wheel.

So far, so easy. If you want to enter Race+ mode, you will have to have gone through Race, press the brake pedal, press the N button on the steering wheel, turn the mode selector to the right and press the right paddle on the steering wheel until you hear a sound. You will know you are in Race+ when the driving position lowers and the rear wing comes into action.

In addition, within this mode you will have four sub-modes to control the electrical energy you want to use. In Strat 2, the One will use all the battery energy in a single lap. With the Pass mode we can shift to the lowest possible gear to achieve maximum acceleration performance.

https://youtu.be/YUtXNa2UdOU