This is the small amount that Daimler needed to buy a place in Formula 1

Mercedes has been working hard in recent years to become the most successful Formula 1 team of the 21st century and perhaps ever. On the way all kinds of season records are being broken. Of course that costs a lot of money and the annual investments in the team are immense. Compared to that, the amount it all started with is a bargain.

Mercedes stems from Brawn GP, which should have been Honda's factory team. The Japanese manufacturer had made a huge investment for the new regulations of 2009 (allegedly around $800 million), but was forced by the financial crisis to pull the plug on the project just before the season.

Brawn GP continued with a minimal budget and managed to win both world titles in 2009 thanks to Honda's earlier investments. Forbes reports that Mercedes took over Ross Brawn's team at the end of 2009 for only $175.7 million, an amount that was also paid over a three-year period.

It seems to be the bargain of the century, buying a championship team for that amount. Especially when you compare that to the amounts that Honda had pumped into the team the years before. However, it had to be completely rebuilt and because of the ban on the double diffuser, their technological advantage disappeared as well. Even Mercedes eventually needed new engine regulations to reach the top again.