The car is the successor of the Mercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+, continuing the approach with increasing the exposure of Mercedes' electric road car models, whilst AMG was included to reflect the relationship between Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Benz. The chassis also continued its numbering as F1 W10 to represent the tenth Formula One car that Mercedes had constructed since 2010. The car made its competitive début at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2019 season.