Mercedes News

[Anna]

Team Info

Base: Brackley, UK
Team Principle: Ross Brawn
Chassis: Mercedes MGP W02
Engine: Mercedes Benz
1st Driver: #7 Michael Schumacher
2nd Driver: #8 Nico Rosberg
3rd Driver: n/a
Website: Mercedes-gp.com
Twitter: OfficialMGP
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_GP

Statistics

Year Entered: 1954*
1st Grand Prix: 1954 French GP
Races: 44
Wins: 9
Pole Positions: 8
Fastest Laps: 9
Points: 345
Drivers Championships: 2 (1954 & 1955)
Constructors Championships: 0
Highest Championship Pos: 4th (2010)
Current Championship Pos: 4th (114 Points)

Recent Championship Positions

2010: 4th (214 Points, 0 Wins)

Driver History

Juan Manuel Fangio (1954-1955)
Karl Kling (1954-1955)
Hans Hermann (1954-1955)
Hermann Lang (1954)
Stirling Moss (1955)
Andre Simon (1955)
Piero Taruffi (1955)
Michael Schumacher (2010-Present)
Nico Rosberg (2010-Present)

Engine History

Works Team

Notable Achievements

*Left the sport in 1955 and returned as a works team in 2010 after buying the Brawn GP team

[Anna]

Italy 2011 - GP Preview - Mercedes GP


Team quotes

Friday 2 September 2011 - 12h06, by Olivier Ferret
The final European race of the 2011 season, Round 13, the Italian Grand Prix, takes place on Sunday 11 September at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, just outside of Milan. One of the most atmospheric circuits on the calendar, the 5.793 km circuit in the royal park at the heart of Monza features four long straights where top speeds can reach 340 kph.

Monza is the fastest circuit of the year with an average lap speed of 255 kph; the season average is 211 kph.
The Formula One Italian GP has been won from pole 18 times in 61 races, including seven times in the past ten years.
DRS can be used for 74% of the lap (or 4.29 km) in practice and qualifying - the highest percentage of the season.

Michael Schumacher: “The final European race takes place at Monza, a truly historic Formula One circuit, and one where I have always been so warmly welcomed and supported over the years. We achieved a good team result in Spa last weekend, and I especially enjoyed the overtaking battles and the challenge of making up so many places during the race. This gives us a boost going into the final part of the season, and we will continue pushing hard to get the best possible results.”

Nico Rosberg: “I’m really looking forward to the weekend in Monza. We learned at the last race in Spa that our car can be competitive at high-speed tracks, and we definitely took a step forward there. I am confident that we can do that again in Italy next weekend. I visited the factory this week and I’m quite happy with how things are working out there. I’ll be arriving in Italy on Wednesday and attending the FOTA Fans Forum at Pirelli’s headquarters in Milan. It should be a really interesting event and I’m looking forward to the chance to speak with some of our fans there.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal: “Monza is always a fitting venue for the final European race, and spending a race weekend there is a special experience. The unique high-speed circuit is a classic racing venue, and one of the best places to watch Formula One cars at their very top speeds. Coming off the back of our best result of the season in Spa, we are looking forward to the weekend and to finishing the European season on a high. With the emphasis jointly on engine power and aerodynamic efficiency, we have the benefit of our Mercedes-Benz engine and, as always for Monza, we will run a special low-downforce aerodynamic package to minimise drag on the long straights.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport “Monza features the highest straightline speeds of the year at around 350 kph, the highest average lap speed and, at 83%, the highest percentage of the lap spent at full throttle - not for nothing is it known as a ‘temple of speed’. The engine and KERS system will play an important role at this circuit, but it is equally important to develop an effective low-drag aerodynamic package and to make sure the car feels stable on the brakes. Michael and Nico both enjoyed strong, trouble-free races in Spa to score a solid result for the team with fifth and sixth places. We will be hoping for more of the same in Monza. Saturday 10 September will also mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Wolfgang von Trips in tragic circumstances in the 1961 race. Von Trips was well-placed to become the first German Formula One World Champion with Ferrari, and also drove sports cars for Mercedes-Benz in the early years of his career.”

[Anna]

Mercedes GP


The first two practice sessions for the final European race of the 2011 season, the Italian Grand Prix, took place today in warm sunshine at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.

Michael and Nico completed a total of 113 laps (655 km) during the two practice sessions, more than two race distances
Nico’s car had a KERS problem at the start of P2, which required the system to be changed and cost him some track time
His programme was subsequently adapted to focus on race preparation and he did not complete any running on lower fuel
The fastest time of the afternoon - 1:24.010 - was over a second slower than the fastest time from P2 in 2010 - 1:22.839

Michael Schumacher: “It’s always a special feeling to be here in Monza. It began yesterday when I did my lap of the circuit, saw the tifosi and enjoyed the particular atmosphere of this track. Then going out in the car today, it’s nice to feel what comes across from the fans - it reminds me of being at my home races. In terms of the character of the circuit, we are usually good on braking and traction, and there are not so many of the medium and high-speed corners in which we have not been so strong this year. It certainly looks good in terms of my position today, and I’m pleased with that; but we will only find out tomorrow what it is really worth.”

Nico Rosberg: “I didn’t have an ideal session this afternoon as we had some issues, particularly with the KERS problem at the start of the session. However by the end of the day, we have learned quite a lot for the race, and importantly I was able to get used to the track. Monza is a very different circuit from many others with the high speed sectors and low downforce corners and it takes a bit of time to find your rhythm here.”

Ross Brawn: “We had two very solid practice sessions today and achieved some good work. We had a small problem with Nico’s car this afternoon which required the KERS pack to be changed, and the team did a good job to get him out again so quickly. I’m pleased with our progress over the course of the day, and we’re looking forward to a good weekend at this very special race track.”

Norbert Haug: “A constructive first day for us here on this classical race track in the beautiful Parco di Monza. Nico had a KERS problem at the beginning of the second session which cost him 10 laps compared to Michael, who completed 39 laps this afternoon including race simulations and one option run on a lower fuel load. The lap times during our race simulation runs looked consistent. Tomorrow, and on Sunday, we can build on the decent base we have found today.”

[Anna]

Mercedes GP

Michael Schumacher finished the Italian Grand Prix in fifth place today after an exciting and battling drive saw him make up three places from his grid position. Nico Rosberg’s race came to an early conclusion as he was hit by another car on lap one.

Michael ran a two-stop soft/soft/medium strategy, stopping on laps 16 and 37, to finish in fifth place

Nico´s race ended at the first chicane when he was taken out through no fault of his own in an accident caused by Liuzzi

Michael gained four positions on the first lap, taking his season total of places gained on the first lap to 35

Michael & Nico will attend the Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday to premiere the 2012 DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupe

Michael Schumacher - P5: “It was an exciting race today, both for me and I think for all of our fans, and that is why I am happy. The fighting against Lewis was big fun, and my mirrors seemed to be very small at times. We are both known for driving on the limit, and that is what we did. I had to make my car as wide as a truck, and had to stretch the possible as much as I could, but in the end, as expected, he was still faster. The start was ideal, I held back on purpose at first in order to use the grip perfectly afterwards, and then the left side was all free. To make the most of your possibilities is the maximum possible at times, and that is why I had fun today, especially knowing that there is more to come in the future, with all the support we have from Mercedes.”

Nico Rosberg - DNF: “It was a disappointing race for me today in Monza. I had a difficult start on my prime tyres but still managed to gain a place at the first corner, so it was quite good. Then Liuzzi flew like a torpedo over the grass and put me out of the race. It´s a pity because I had a strong strategy and, as Michael’s good result showed, our car was very strong this afternoon.”

Ross Brawn: “A fantastic drive from Michael today, and I’m sure he really enjoyed his racing out there. The boys have done a great job with our starts this year, and Michael was able to get away well and show his race craft in the first part of the race. Then he settled into a really tough battle with the McLarens, particularly Lewis, which was great racing and vintage Michael. We haven’t quite got a car that’s quick enough yet but we are all pleased with Michael’s fifth place today. For Nico, it was a short and not at all sweet afternoon. We had an exciting strategy starting him on the prime tyres, and looking at how those tyres performed on other cars at the beginning of the race, it would have been very interesting to see how it developed. It’s doubly frustrating that he was taken out by a car starting in 24th position. If you get tangled up at the first corner because you are vying for position, that’s racing, but to be swiped out by someone that far back is hard to take. However, we have shown as a team that when we do have the right car, we will be able to compete at the front, and that’s our inspiration for next year.”

Norbert Haug: “A thrilling drive from Michael again today - the first half of the race delivered probably one of the best television shows of the year and I am sure lots of people at home were standing rather than sitting in front of their televisions, which was the case for us on several occasions today. Michael repeated his Spa result today and everybody realised during his drive how committed and hard-fighting he is - it was a joy to watch, and certainly not just for us. It was a shame for Nico to be in the middle of a first-lap shunt at Turn One. With two fresh sets of option tyres available - which none of the top drivers had today - I am sure he would have been in a good position to fight for a strong result. We all are now looking forward to the Singapore night race where we want to consolidate our recent performances from Spa and Monza.”

[Anna]

Singapore 2011 - GP Preview - Mercedes GP


Team quotes

Friday 16 September 2011 - 11h52, by Olivier Ferret
The Singapore Grand Prix, Round 14 of the 2011 Formula One season and the first of the season-ending flyaway races, takes place on Sunday 25 September. The season’s only night race, with a 20:00 local start time, takes place around the city streets of Singapore’s Marina Bay area, lit up by 1500 specialist light projectors around the 5.073 km circuit.

All three Singapore Grands Prix so far have featured Safety Car deployments, with an average of 6.7 laps per race.

The drivers change gear 71 times per lap for a race total of at least 4331, nearly twice as many as in Spa.

There are 15 braking events per lap, with eight corners taken below 100 kph - the same number as Monaco.

Michael Schumacher: “I really enjoyed my first experience of Formula One night racing in Singapore last year and it was an interesting weekend to be working on such a different time schedule. Surprisingly, it worked out very well and somehow even fun to drive and have meetings in the middle of the night. The street circuit is good fun and quite challenging, and as an event for the fans, it is also fantastic as they can get so close to the cars around the city streets and see a real racing spectacle. We have enjoyed good results at the final two European races in Spa and Monza, and everyone will be working to continue the hard work and keep up the points finishes as we head to Asia for the flyaway races.”

Nico Rosberg: “I’m really looking forward to the Singapore Grand Prix and it’s a circuit that I enjoy very much. I finished second at the first race held here in 2008 so I have some good memories from that weekend. Singapore is a fantastic city and I always try to spend some extra time here with friends after the race. The track itself is good fun to drive and a real challenge. The stop-start nature means you have to concentrate hard throughout the lap and it feels very narrow and enclosed, like a true street circuit. We’ve made a good step forward with the car in the last few races and I hope we can take advantage of that again next weekend in Singapore.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal: “The Singapore Grand Prix has resoundingly become one of the most impressive events on the Formula One calendar and a unique weekend which is enjoyed by drivers, teams and fans alike. With the fourth race taking place next weekend, we are now well-practiced at working late at night and on a European time schedule, and it makes an interesting change to the usual race weekend format. The Singapore street circuit is very narrow with many first and second gear corners resulting in a low average speed and requiring a high-downforce aerodynamic package. We look forward to achieving further good points-scoring finishes in Singapore and at the final few races.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “This year´s Singapore Grand Prix will be just the fourth edition of this unique race, but this night race has already established itself as a fixture on the Formula One calendar - and one of the most spectacular race weekends of the year. The circuit itself is extremely challenging for both the cars and drivers: it is the toughest of the season for the brakes and gearbox. In the final sector alone, the drivers must negotiate 10 corners in the space of 1,500 metres and there is very little margin for error on such a twisty and bumpy street circuit. MERCEDES GP PETRONAS enjoyed an up-turn in form at the last two low-downforce circuits and, although Singapore is a very different type of track, we will work hard to carry our form into the final six flyaway races of the 2011 season.”

[Anna]

Brawn slams ’favours’ for team name changes


"It needs to be done in an adult way and not used in a divisive way"

Saturday 15 October 2011 - 10h45, by GMM
Ross Brawn has called upon rival teams to stop asking for "favours" before helping Renault and Team Lotus to change their names for 2012.

Because name changes are generally frowned upon by the sport’s officials, the Renault/Lotus issue has been referred to a meeting of the F1 Commission early next month.

But Mercedes team boss Brawn suggested it is not right that rival teams have a say.

The Briton told reporters that one "unfortunate (thing) about formula one" is that motives are not always pure.

"Unfortunately, if it becomes a trading position - and I guarantee those teams that are trying to change their name will have had approaches from other teams who want different favours paid in order to agree to the name change - that’s not correct," he said.

As team principal, Brawn negotiated the change of Mercedes’ name from Brawn GP after the German carmaker bought his Brackley based team.

"I know that (teams asking for favours) happened to us when we wanted to change our name," he revealed. "People sought to get favours from that decision. (But) it needs to be done in an adult way and not used in a divisive way."

McLaren and FOTA chief Martin Whitmarsh agrees.

"I recall when there was a desire to change the (Brawn) team name to Mercedes, how a number of people conspired against that, which was a ridiculous position to take and very damaging to the sport," he said.

"As Ross said, if (a team comes) up with a clearly silly, divisive name or a name that’s damaging to formula one, then we should be able to use good judgement to prevent it.

"But if it’s clear that the name change facilitates the funding and the retention of that team, then we shouldn’t use the polemics and politics of formula one to prevent it," he added.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner agreed that F1 has to be "a little bit careful" when agreeing to team name changes because the sport needs to be able to consistently market its brands.

But on the other hand, "it doesn’t make any sense for a team to be called Renault when it isn’t Renault, therefore a name change in a situation like that makes sense", he said.

Similarly, Whitmarsh agrees that "for there to be two Lotus teams doesn’t seem very sensible".

[Anna]

Abu Dhabi 2011 - GP Preview - Mercedes GP


Team quotes

Friday 4 November 2011 - 12h18, by Olivier Ferret
The penultimate race of the 2011 Formula One World Championship takes place in Abu Dhabi and is the home race for Aabar, shareholder and partner of the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team. Round 18 will be hosted at the impressive 5.554 km Yas Marina Circuit and is the season’s only twilight event, with the race starting at 17.00hrs on Sunday 13 November.

The Yas Marina Circuit features six corners below 100 kph - only Monaco, Singapore and Valencia have more.
The circuit also features four straights where the cars exceed 285 kph - the same number as in Monza.
With an estimated 3740 gear changes, the race features some 20 per cent more than the season average.

Michael Schumacher: “The season’s ending is coming up with some quite spectacular races; after the debut in India last weekend, we are now heading to the equally impressive Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi next week. The twilight race here certainly delivers a very unique atmosphere and challenge, and I truly enjoyed driving in those conditions last year when I was doing so for the first time. I hope that we can carry on our good team performance next weekend, at the home race for Aabar, and I look forward to scoring more points.”

Nico Rosberg: “The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi is another great Hermann Tilke-designed track which I like very much. It’s a fantastic setting with the track winding around the harbour and the hotel, and there is always a great atmosphere there with so many fans. I have good memories from last year’s race and racing later in the day makes an interesting change to the usual race weekend format. I felt very comfortable in my car over the Indian Grand Prix weekend, and I’m planning to build on the result there in Abu Dhabi. I hope that we can get closer to the fastest teams for the last couple of races this season, and we are pushing very hard to achieve that.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal: “As well as being the penultimate race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the final ‘home’ race of the year for the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team. Our shareholder and partner Aabar Investments is based in Abu Dhabi, so it will be a busy and exciting race weekend for us, with special events taking place at the race track and in the city. The Yas Marina Circuit is without doubt one of the most visually impressive Formula One facilities to have been built in recent years. The race has very quickly established itself as a wonderful, sell-out weekend, loved by drivers, teams, fans and guests alike. We are looking forward to our visit, and of course the added challenge of the later start and ‘twilight’ race. On the back of a two-car points finish, and a very good team performance, at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, we will be working towards a similar result in Abu Dhabi. It would be a very great pleasure to achieve this at Aabar’s home race.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “After a very successful premiere in India, Formula One’s third visit to Abu Dhabi will highlight another of our sport’s proudest success stories of recent years. The facilities and welcome at the Yas Marina Circuit are second-to-none and embody the commitment to excellence that defines the country’s relationship with our sport. The circuit features relatively few high-speed corners, so mechanical grip and traction are at a premium, while the powertrain is also highly stressed: the percentage of the lap spent at wide open throttle, as well as the total number of gearshifts in the race, are both well above the season average. Our target in Abu Dhabi is to build upon our recent form, which has seen at least one of our drivers finish among the top six in four of the last six races. This is the maximum we can currently achieve, given that the six cars of the three top teams are generally producing better lap times than our current technical package. Like Germany, Great Britain and Malaysia, Abu Dhabi is one of our ‘home’ Grands Prix, where we will recognise the exemplary support and commitment of our partner and shareholder Aabar and mark an important milestone in our racing year.”

[Anna]

2011 end of term report – Mercedes GP


165 points, 4th in the constructors’ championship

Friday 23 December 2011 - 10h01, by Sandrine Bouchard
Mercedes GP was hoping to challenge the top three teams in 2011 but didn’t achieve its goal. It couldn’t even score a podium and didn’t really close the gap to Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari. However, it had a bit of a gap over the rest of the field.

Season review

Mercedes unveiled its MGP W02 on February 1st at Valencia. The team placed in it high expectations and targeted at least a win. Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher were the race drivers and fared well in winter testing. So Mercedes flew to Melbourne with the hope of fighting for the win.

Its hopes were quickly dashed as the cars proved not competitive enough. Both drivers were implicated in race accidents and retired. Michael Schumacher brought the team its first points in Malaysia. With just two points on the board, Mercedes was down in 8th place in the constructors’ standings. As a comparison, Red Bull had 78 points, McLaren 48 and Ferrari 36.

The MGP W02 soon appeared to be too harsh on its tyres. It was particularly obvious in the streets of Monaco. However, there were some glimpses of hope for the Silver Arrows. Nico Rosberg qualified in 3rd place at Istanbul and finished the race in 5th position. Schumacher, meanwhile, had a brilliant race in Canada and finished 4th.

Both Mercedes drivers consistently scored points and helped the team to settle in 4th place.

In the background, the management hired some high-profile engineers to reinforce its technical department: former technical directors Bob Bell, Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis. The latter two only joined the team recently so their input on next year’s car should be limited.

Conclusion

From the first Grand Prix of the year, it clearly appeared the MGP W02 wouldn’t allow the team to challenge the top three teams. Contrary to 2010, the German team couldn’t even score a podium. It also scored fewer points than in the previous year. On the positive side, the Silver Arrows were reliable – the team suffered only two technical retirements – and had excellent top speed. The pit crew was also extremely competitive and often performed the fastest tyre changes.

Expectations

Mercedes will rely on the same driver line-up next season and will be hoping for its new technical recruits to push the team forward. Aldo Costa will head the aerodynamic department while Geoff Willis will overview the mechanical side. Both will report to the new technical director Bob Bell. In 2012, the team will be known as Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.

Highs
Schumacher’s 4th place in Canada
Rosberg’s 3rd place on the grid at Istanbul
Recruitment of Bob Bell, Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis

Lows
No podium
Scored 49 points less than in 2010
No point in Australia and Monaco

Nextgen-Auto.com marks :
Olivier Ferret : 11/20
D.Thys : 14/20
Sandrine Bouchard : 12/20
Jean-Michel Setbon : 11/20
Average mark on the forum Nextgen-Auto.com : 12/20
Total : 60/100

[Anna]

Schumacher not ideal teammate for Rosberg - Hill


"Your career will depend on how you compare"

Friday 20 January 2012 - 09h47, by GMM
Nico Rosberg is not sharing his pit garage with the ideal teammate, according to 1996 world champion Damon Hill.

On the face of it, the 26-year-old German might be regarded as one of the fastest drivers in F1 history, having mainly outshone the great Michael Schumacher at Mercedes GP over the past two seasons.

But Hill, whose own career is arguably best remembered for his duels and run-ins with seven time world champion Schumacher, doesn’t necessary think so.

Referring to Rosberg, who is yet to win a grand prix, he said: "Your career will depend on how you compare.

"So in a sense Nico would do better to have some comparison with a more contemporary driver because people are not sure of the pace Michael now has."

Hill is referring to the fact that, despite blitzing the all-time record for titles and victories in his first career, Schumacher - now 43 - is yet to even stand on the podium since returning in 2010.

But the 51-year-old Briton is still impressed with the German.

"It’s unbelievable he’s still going, whilst I’ve been retired for 12 years," Hill told PA Sport.

"He’s an extraordinary performer who clearly loves his driving and doesn’t want to stop. I can understand that. But formula one cannot carry people along if they are not doing their bit.

"He’s going to have to fight with everything he’s got to keep going for another year, or beyond this one," added Hill.