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Chinese F1 Grand Prix 2012: Race Report - Nico Rosberg scores first career victory at Shanghai

By Adji | Published Sunday, 15 April 2012

Nico Rosberg took a commanding victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai today. Starting from pole position, he took the chequered flag with a 20s margin over the second placed car, achieving his first win in Formula One.

• Nico ran a two-stop option/prime/prime strategy to win by 20.626 seconds over Jenson Button´s McLaren-Mercedes
• Michael was forced to retire on lap 13 after his right front wheel was not properly attached at his first pit stop
• This was Nico´s 111th Formula One start, and comes 111 years after Mercedes´ first win at the 1901 Nice Speed Weeks
• It’s the first win for a works Silver Arrow since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix, on 11 September in Monza - 25,671 days ago!
• The victory is the tenth in Formula One for a works Silver Arrow, and brings the total number of Mercedes-Benz F1 victories to 90
• Mercedes-Benz powered cars filled the podium for the second time in three years at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg
“This is a very special moment for me. The whole weekend went perfectly. My first pole position, now my first win in Formula One - it really is fantastic. But it´s not only this; it´s the first win for the new Silver Arrow and for this great team. That is really special for me. Thanks to everybody in the team, here in China and in our factories in Brackley and Brixworth. It makes me very proud that we have improved the car so quickly. I will never forget this race, and the last 20 laps felt as long as if I was racing in the Le Mans 24 Hours! But then crossing the line was so intense. We will enjoy this success, but our feet are still on the ground. We are still not where we want to be, we are still working hard to understand the car and the tyres in all conditions, and we will keep pushing to improve our race pace even further. We will see how that works out in Bahrain.”

Michael Schumacher
“First of all, congratulations to the whole team, to Mercedes-Benz and of course to Nico who achieved a perfect victory from start to finish. He did a great job today and yesterday, and I am happy for him. As for my race, my right front tyre got loose following my first pit stop. As I did not want to cause any bigger damage to the car, I stopped on the grass. I felt there was something wrong immediately and especially in turn three, when I put pressure on the right side of the car. Up until then I had a controlled race I´d say, keeping the others behind me and the tyres together. Of course, this was an unfortunate ending to what could have been a nice race, and I feel sorry for the guys, who always work so hard and give their best. But we all know that´s part of the game.”

Ross Brawn
“This is a truly special and historic day. I am so delighted for Nico, he has deserved to take his first victory several times, and has now done so by driving a perfectly judged race from pole position. I am excited to see how he develops now he has that win under his belt. Commiserations to Michael, who was driving a controlled race in second position, but was forced to retire after his pit stop. However, he is the first man to say that we win and lose as a team, and his performances this year prove that he is equally capable of climbing to the top step of the podium. Heartfelt congratulations to all our team here at the track, in Brackley and in Brixworth; they have put tremendous effort into this project, and we are now starting to see the rewards for their dedication and expertise. Finally, I must thank all our colleagues at Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart and around the world - their support has been unstinting, and we are proud to deliver the first victory for a works Silver Arrow car in 57 years. I was just one year old when Juan Manuel Fangio won in Monza in 1955 - but this victory is something I will remember, and savour, for a very long time indeed!”

Norbert Haug
“What a sensational victory from Nico and our team! It was unbelievable how Nico drove and controlled the race from lap one to 56. A big thank you to everybody in Brackley, Brixworth, Stuttgart, Fellbach, Untertürkheim and Möhringen for all their relentless work and their belief in our capabilities and that we can make it. Nico´s performance was superb today, the team executed a great two-stop strategy, and Nico and his car managed the tyres very well. It was a shame for Michael, who dropped out after his first pit stop because of a problem with the right front wheel; he missed out on a possible very good podium result. It was particularly sweet to see Jenson and Lewis on the podium - Mercedes Power to the power of three!”

~ Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Posted in 2012, Chinese, f1, grand prix, mbamgf1, mercedes amg petronas, race, report, sunday | Leave a comment

Chinese F1 Grand Prix 2012: Race Report - Jenson Button finishes 2nd as Lewis Hamilton comes 3rd

By Adji

JENSON BUTTON
- MP4-27A-02
- Started: 5th
- Finished: 2nd
- Fastest lap: 1m40.422s (+0.462s, 3rd)
- Pitstops: Three: laps 11, 24 and 39 (Opt-Opt-Pri-Pri)
- 2012 Points: 43 (2nd)

“Congratulations to Nico [Rosberg] today – he drove a faultless race. But who knows what we could have achieved if we’d had a clear run at him in the final stint? Our pace was very good and the aim was to come out ahead of that following pack of cars – which we would have done if we hadn’t lost time in the pitstop – and chase him down and put him under pressure.

“The delay in the final stop was just one of those things though – all the other stops had been very strong this weekend, but that one in particular wasn’t. The delay pushed me back into the traffic, which was a little bit of a shock, but the pace and consistency are there in the car and I was able to get back into second position, after a good battle and a satisfying pass on Sebastian [Vettel].

“It’s disappointing not to have been able to challenge for the win, but it was a fun race with tons of overtaking and lots of battling. More important, it’s been a great day for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes because we’re now leading both world championships.

“It’s very important to be consistent, and it’s nice to be back on the podium, but there are just a couple of little things we need to improve upon to make life even better for ourselves.”

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-27A-03
- Started: 7th
- Finished: 3rd
- Fastest lap: 1m40.530s (+0.570s, 6th)
- Pitstops: Three: laps 10, 22 and 38 (Opt-Opt-Pri-Pri)
- 2012 Points: 45 (1st)

“I had a great race! And, although neither Jenson nor I was sadly able to win, I’m really happy that Nico took his first win today, but I’m also really pleased for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team: both Jenson and I were able to get back on the podium and score some more good points.

“It was a tough race, though: I’d love to have been able to challenge Nico, and I think maybe I’d have been able to if I’d started on the front row, but we still managed to move forwards from the start I had a lot of fun overtaking people too. I reckon I got everything out of the car that I possibly could.

“It’s also a major positive to know that we’ve got a very consistent car. We just have to make sure we keep moving forwards, that’s all. Mercedes AMG, Red Bull, Ferrari, Lotus and Sauber are all up there – that’s a serious championship and it’s going to make for great racing for the fans to watch.

“It’s been a while since I was at the top of the drivers’ world championship – but we’ve got to remain focused. I think if I just continue to work as I am then the wins will surely come, and I’ll keep pushing for some better results in the future.”

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Nico drove a truly excellent race today, so first of all I want to say ‘bravo’ to him for taking his maiden grand prix victory.

“Well done, too, to Mercedes AMG, who were able to manage their car’s tyre wear this afternoon better than we’d perhaps anticipated.

“As for Jenson and Lewis, well, they both drove brilliantly this afternoon too, coping with a three-stop strategy that demanded that they attack, and overtake, again and again and again throughout the race.

“That’s never easy, and inevitably they both lost a bit of time on track in their efforts to make their passing manoeuvres stick, but they both kept at it and I’m sure the television spectacle was fantastic as a result.

“It was a tough race, but our strategy resulted in both our drivers getting onto the podium. Accordingly, we extended our lead in the constructors’ world championship, whilst Lewis and Jenson now lie first and second in the drivers’ championship.

“Would Jenson have been able to beat Nico if his final pitstop had gone more smoothly? Well, obviously, he’d have lost less time in the pitlane, and undoubtedly he’d have re-emerged onto the track with a clearer road in front of him; but, in all fairness, today was Nico’s day, and we may not have been able to beat him even if Jenson’s final pitstop had been an impeccably slick one.

“So, yes, at his 111th attempt, Nico fully deserved to win today.

“We’ve had three Grands Prix so far this year, and they’ve been won by three different drivers from three different teams. The performance differential between the fastest cars is minimal. It looks like we’ve got a great season ahead of us, doesn’t it? Bring it on!”