The Mercedes-AMG One hypercar is the new queen of the Nurburgring circuit with a time of 6:35.183 minutes (6:30.705 minutes on the track version used by German Sport Auto magazine).
The record was set on 28 October 2022 by Maro Engel, DTM driver and Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador, and was recorded at the last attempt at 17:14:31, just a few tens of seconds before the track closed at 17:15. The time recorded was 6:35.183 minutes or 6:30.705 if you take into account the version used by the German Sport Auto magazine. The Sport Auto ranking has the highest notoriety and is used as a reference by all manufacturers.
The Mercedes-AMG One thus beat by more than 8 seconds the record held by Lars Kern who completed the track variant used by Sport Auto on 14 June 2021 in 6:38.835 minutes (6:43.300 minutes on the 20.832 km variant) at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT2 RS equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres and OEM Manthey Performance Kit.
Maro Engel used Race Plus mode and not Strat 2. This means active, maximum possible aerodynamics, tight chassis tuning, vehicle lowering by 37 mm at the front axle and 30 mm at the rear axle and, of course, full power from all motors. The DRS system was activated when needed. This retracts the front louvres on the wings as well as the upper aero element of the two-stage rear wing.
The DTM driver could not drive to the limit on all sections of the track and he had to use special energy management. To this end, he used the four-stage Energy Flow Control (EFC) of the Mercedes-AMG ONE and let off the gas a little earlier in some sections, known as “lift and coast” in technical jargon. He also used energy recovery in the braking phases. However, on the long Dottinger Hohe line, the battery provided enough energy for a top speed of 338 km/h.
The weather was not ideal for the record although it was sunny with a light wind. But the track was still damp and dirty in some areas, typical of the Nurburgring in autumn. In some sections like the Kesselchen section, the asphalt was not completely dry. With the outside and asphalt temperature just below 20 degrees there was only time for four fast laps.
The record was certified by a notary who confirmed that the car was the production car. It is fitted as standard with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R MO tyres, specially developed for this model, and ceramic disc brakes.
You can see here the full record lap.
