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Monaco F1 Grand Prix 2012: Preview (VMM)

By | Published Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Round six of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship takes place around the streets of Monte Carlo. It’s the shortest, yet most demanding track on the calendar, and the drivers love the challenge of F1’s original street race.

The Monaco Grand Prix was on the inaugural F1 calendar back in 1950 and it’s been a regular fixture since ’55. The layout of the 3.3km circuit has remained largely unchanged, the biggest updates taking place in 2004, when a new pit complex was built.

The track has the slowest average speed of any circuit in F1, but the proximity of the barriers and the lack of run-off make it mentally absorbing for the drivers. Most of the corners are blind and the track surface is often slippery, particularly at the beginning of the race weekend.

Pirelli will bring the combination of its Supersoft and Soft tyre compounds to the race. The teams have yet to race the Supersoft rubber this year, so they will have plenty to learn when practice gets underway on Thursday.

Monaco has been a happy hunting ground for McLaren. The team has taken 15 wins in the Principality, more than any other team, and Jenson and Lewis have each won the race once, in 2009 and 2008 respectively. They’ll be hoping to spray more champagne this year.

Car 3: Jenson Button

“My win at Monaco in 2009 remains one of my favourite victories in Formula 1. Monte-Carlo is a place where every driver wants to win, but achieving it is so satisfying because you know you’ve conquered one of the toughest circuits in motorsport. Winning the Monaco Grand Prix will always be really special.

“I remember last year having a fantastic car beneath me and feeling really confident that I could challenge for the win. As it happened, circumstances beyond our control worked to pull that opportunity away from us, but I go back to Monte-Carlo with a little bit of unfinished business. I’d love to win for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, the team has a great history around Monaco and I’d love to add my name to McLaren’s Monaco winners’ list.

“This year, we’ll be running Pirelli’s Supersoft compound for the first time – which should be interesting. And while our car isn’t especially suited to the tighter confines of a track like Monaco, I’m optimistic of getting on top of the balance issues that have affected me for the past two races. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend.”

Car 4: Lewis Hamilton

“Monaco is a very special circuit. It’s up there with Silverstone as the place where I most want to do well at.

“Even though Monaco has the slowest average speed of all the circuits we visit in a season, it always feels incredibly quick. That’s because the acceleration is so rapid and the walls so close: there really is no room for error. Apart from the run-off at Ste Devote, and the tiny escape roads at Mirabeau and the harbour chicane, there’s no room to make a mistake. But when the stakes are at their highest, I just find it more exciting.

“Still, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that, despite pushing for the win, consistency and scoring decent points is currently the most sensible way to tackle this world championship. I’ve scored points at every race, and I’m only eight points off the lead of the championship. That’s a really encouraging statistic and it’s reassuring to see my approach is paying off.

“Nevertheless, I’m coming off the back of two relatively disappointing results and there would be no better place for the cards to fall in my favour than at Monaco.”

Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“I’m incredibly proud of the team’s record at Monte-Carlo. We’ve won the Monaco Grand Prix more than any other team, and it’s a race we all regard as incredibly special, and integral to the sporting image of Formula 1.

“This is a unique event in so many ways – it places unique demands on the driver, the car and the team. Accordingly, winning in Monaco is considered a more significant victory than a win at other circuits.

“Both our drivers will arrive in the paddock feeling particularly determined this year: Jenson, because he will be determined to set the record straight after losing a victory in 2011 that many felt he rightfully deserved; Lewis, simply because he has been driving brilliantlys all season and a victory at his favourite circuit would be just reward for all his speed and commitment.

“For the entire Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, too, we travel to the south of France feeling determined to string together a faultless weekend and to demonstrate our full potential. I have absolutely no doubts that the team is feeling very strong, and a win at Monaco would be the perfect fillip for their efforts.”

McLaren has an enviable record at Monaco, having won the race more than any other constructor. Here’s how the team defined 15 days in the history of the Monaco Grand Prix.

1. June 3 1984
Heavy rain delays the start by 45 minutes. Alain Prost leads from pole, but he’s overtaken by Nigel Mansell during the early stages. Mansell crashes out on lap 19, leaving Alain in the lead, which is where he stays until the race is stopped on lap 31 due to the appalling conditions.

2. May 19 1985
Alain qualifies fifth, but runs third early on in the race. He inherits the lead when, first, Ayrton Senna retires with a blown engine and then Michele Alboreto spins off at Ste Devote. Prost wins by 7.5s.

3. May 11 1986
A hat-trick of Monaco wins for Alain. He leads from pole position and is never headed en route to the 23rd victory of his career. Keke Rosberg comes home 25s adrift to give McLaren its first 1-2 in the Principality.

4. May 15 1988
McLaren utterly dominates the weekend. Ayrton Senna takes pole position by 1.4s from Alain, who’s 1.2s faster than Gerhard Berger in third. Ayrton then leads the race from the off, but Alain is overtaken by Berger and takes until lap 54 to pass the Ferrari driver. On lap 67 of 78, Ayrton crashes out of the lead, handing victory to Alain.

5. May 7 1989
After the disappointment of the previous year, Ayrton dominates from start-to-finish. He takes pole position by 1.1s and wins the race convincingly from Alain. The McLarens are the only cars on the lead lap.

6. May 27 1990
Another Monaco win for Ayrton. He starts from pole and never looks like being headed in the race. Prost retires from second place with an electrical problem, handing the position to Jean Alesi in the Tyrrell. Gerhard Berger finishes third in the second MP4-5B.

7. May 12 1991
Victory number four for Ayrton in Monaco. He wins from pole position, coming home 18s ahead of Nigel Mansell. His McLaren team-mate Gerhard Berger is unable to repeat his podium of the previous year when he crashes at the Swimming Pool.

8. May 31 1992
Ayrton qualifies ‘only’ third after the all-conquering Williams lock out the front row. He runs second to Nigel Mansell in the race, until the Englishman is forced to pit on lap 71 and rejoins the race 5s behind Senna. A monumental battle ensues, but Ayrton crosses the line 0.2s in front.

9. May 23 1993
Ayrton claims a record sixth victory in Monaco, beating Graham Hill’s tally of five wins. The weekend doesn’t run entirely smoothly: Ayrton crashes twice during practice and qualifies third. Pole-sitter Alain Prost then gets a 10s stop-go penalty for jumping the start and Michael Schumacher retires from the lead, handing Ayrton victory.

10. May 24 1998
Mika Hakkinen wins from pole position. The chances of a McLaren 1-2 end when David Coulthard, running second, retires on lap 17 with a blown engine. That leaves Mika with a 20s advantage over Giancarlo Fisichella, which he manages until the end of the race.

11. June 4 2000
A multi-car shunt on lap one forces a re-start, but that doesn’t deter David. He starts third, but wins his first Monaco Grand Prix by 15s when pole-sitter and early race leader Michael Schumacher retires with a mechanical issue.

12. May 26 2002
A second Monaco victory for David. He qualifies second, but beats pole-sitter Juan Pablo Montoya away from the line and is never headed. He has to withstand late pressure from Michael Schumacher, but drives a faultless race to come home one second ahead.

13. May 22 2005
This is Kimi Raikkonen’s weekend. He takes pole position by just 0.08s from Fernando Alonso, but streaks away during the early laps of the race. All his hard work is ruined by a Safety Car on lap 24, but he charges into an unstoppable lead once again and wins by 13s.

14. May 27 2007
There’s very little to separate Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. Fernando beats his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team-mate to pole position by just 0.1s and there’s only 4s separating them after 78 laps of racing. Felipe Massa is third, more than a minute behind.

15. May 25 2008
Lewis becomes the first Englishman to win the Monaco Grand Prix since Graham Hill in 1969. But it isn’t an easy win: there are tricky wet-dry conditions throughout and an early brush with the wall forces Lewis to make an unexpected pitstop for new rubber.

~ Official photo and details courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

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

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Monaco F1 Grand Prix 2012: Preview (MBAMGF1)

By

The Monaco Grand Prix, Round Six of the 2012 World Championship, is without doubt the most prestigious and unique race on the Formula One calendar. Taking place around the streets of the principality on Sunday 27 May, this year’s race will mark the 70th anniversary of the event.

• During a typical Monaco qualifying lap, the driver makes over 130 significant steering movements
• Including other functions like KERS, a driver makes around 200 car inputs per lap - not including brake and throttle pedals
• On average, the drivers change gear once every 54 metres around a lap - in Spa, it´s once every 146 metres

Michael Schumacher
“Monaco is just a circuit of its own very unique character. In a way, you could look at it with a big portion of irony with regards to the contradiction that, for so many years we have successfully campaigned for more track safety, and then we deliberately race in Monaco. But in my view this is justifiable once a year, especially as the circuit is really so much fun to drive. Every time you go there, you just look forward to finally getting out and driving the track. Of course, knowing that I will lose five positions on the grid does not add to this feeling but this just means that I will have to try even harder. I’m actually quite confident that we should look reasonably good in Monaco due to the hard work that everybody in the team is putting into the development of our car. So let´s make the best out of the weekend.”

Nico Rosberg
“I love the Monaco Grand Prix weekend and it’s a great feeling to be driving at home, knowing that all my friends and family are watching. I have always been quick around the streets here, and I believe a good result is possible for us next weekend. The nature of the track should suit our car but as we have seen at every race so far this season, tyre management will be crucial. With five different winning teams so far this year, at least ten drivers have the chance to win in Monaco so this could be one of the most interesting races there for years.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal
“The uniqueness of Monaco makes it one of those tracks where anything can happen, particularly in a season that has proved to be almost impossible to predict so far. Despite the logistical challenges of the weekend, Monaco is a race that everyone on the team and the drivers really enjoy, and the experience of winning in Monaco is something very special indeed. After Nico’s win in China, we have had two more difficult race weekends, but I am confident that we will start to see an improvement in Monaco as the developments that we have brought to the car recently take effect.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“With five different winners from five different teams in five races, it has been an exciting and unexpected first quarter of the 2012 season. Now Formula One visits the most atypical circuit of all, Monaco. It makes unusual, one-off demands of the cars: there are fast and narrow sections, but also eight corners taken at under 100 kph and over 4,500 gear changes during the race. It is also incredibly challenging and rewarding for the drivers. In Monaco, more than any other circuit, the driver can really make the difference, especially on a single qualifying lap. Both Nico and Michael have shown a great feeling for the circuit and the ability to master it in recent seasons.

“After all the talk of unpredictability of the teams’ performance levels this year, there are also clear facts: three of five races have been won from pole position, including Nico´s victory in China. What´s more, the five drivers who have completed every race lap are all in the top seven in the current championship standings. Strong qualifying speed has been rewarded at every race, and consistently finishing races appears to be even more important in 2012. In the last three races, Nico has scored a total of 41 points, the second highest total in the field after Sebastian Vettel with 43. Our focus in Monaco will be to extract the maximum from our further developed technical package. Giving the drivers a car they can trust and feel confident in is worth more here than at any other circuit on the calendar.”

~ Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~


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

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DTM Brands Hatch 2012: Preview

By | Published Wednesday, 16 May 2012

• Mercedes-Benz has won three out of the six DTM races at Brands Hatch
• David Coulthard (Scotland), Jamie Green (England), Gary Paffett (England) and Susie Wolff (Scotland) aiming to excel in their home race
• Mercedes-Benz leads driver, team and constructor standings in DTM 2012
• Brands Hatch has been staging DTM races since 2006; at just 1.93km in length, it is the shortest track on the race calendar – with the obvious exception of the show event in Munich’s Olympic Stadium; the drivers complete a total of 98 laps, equivalent to a total distance of 189.04 kilometres.

Drivers’ comments on the third race of the season at Brands Hatch:

Gary Paffett (31, England, THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- leads the 2012 DTM drivers’ championship after two races with one win and one second place
- started from the front row in the 2011 race at Brands Hatch

“It’s great to be returning to Brands Hatch for my home race and to be showcasing DTM racing for the British fans. In the early stage of my career, I used to compete at Brands Hatch three or four times a year, so I have very fond memories of the circuit and the races there. I’m especially looking forward to welcoming my Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team-mate Jenson Button who is making a guest appearance at Brands Hatch this weekend. He’ll be giving me a lift in the Mercedes ‘race taxi’. It will be quite a novel experience for me sitting in the passenger seat! The track is very demanding and represents a major challenge on the calendar. A single lap is very short, but we complete almost 100 of them, so it’s a tiring weekend. I aim to send the British fans home satisfied with a result that matches the first two races of the season.”

Jamie Green (29, England, Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):- second and fourth places in the first two races – plus two fastest laps
- currently second in the DTM drivers’ standings

“It’s easy to get the wrong impression about Brands Hatch; it may be short, but it’s also extremely tricky. In the race, we need to stay fully focused for all 98 laps – you can’t afford to slacken off for a second. Last year, I was very quick in the dry and I also posted the fastest time in Q3. I’d like a repeat of that this year and to continue the good run of results so far in 2012. Although Brands Hatch is my home race, I only drove there a couple of times before joining the Mercedes-Benz DTM line-up. That just increases my resolve to fight for the win on Sunday.”

Christian Vietoris (23, Germany, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé):- already has one Brands Hatch podium in the 2009 Formula 3 Euro Series
- currently ranks sixth after two races in the 2012 DTM season

“Brands Hatch is a strange sort of circuit that places great demands on both the driver and the car. There are relatively few corners, and a lap is very short. Consequently, the vehicle setup and handling out on the track have to be in perfect harmony to get the most out of the car. At Brands Hatch, the starting field will be more evenly matched than at any time before in the DTM – a tenth of a second in qualifying can make a huge difference in terms of grid position.”

Ralf Schumacher (36, Germany, Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- qualified fourth at Brands Hatch in 2010

“The first two race weekends of the 2012 season haven’t quite gone to plan for me, but at least I was able to score points in both races, and I feel that I’ve adapted well to our new Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. Brands Hatch looks deceptively simple, but it’s a real driver’s circuit. The corners are very tight, so your car needs to be really well balanced. This weekend, a lot will depend on getting a good grid position in qualifying. If I can do that, I should be able to grind out a decent result.”

David Coulthard (41, Scotland, DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):- won two out of three races in the 1991 British Formula 3 Championship at Brands Hatch
- is about to contest his third DTM race at the venue

“Between 1991 and 2010, I didn’t drive a single race at Brands Hatch, so it’s all the more gratifying to pay this annual visit with the DTM and to experience the excitement generated by the British racing fans. Brands Hatch is an unusual and difficult track that is very unforgiving if you make a mistake. Early on in my career, I won two Formula 3 races there, plus I finished third in the Formula Ford Festival. So I have a pretty good track record at Brands Hatch, and now I’m aiming to score a good result in the DTM as well.”

Susie Wolff (29, Scotland, TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):- has competed in all six races at Brands Hatch since the venue made its DTM debut in 2006
- finished on the podium twice at Brands Hatch in the 2004 British Formula Renault 2.0 Series

“After two back-to back races at the start of the season, I’m looking forward to the third race weekend of 2012 at Brands Hatch. The track is just eight hours from my native Scotland, but for me it still counts as a home race, which makes for an exciting weekend. There isn’t a big difference in lap times over such a short distance, and it’s not easy to overtake here. This means that qualifying plays a crucial role.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“At Brands Hatch, you can almost smell the motor racing heritage. This track is a classic. The short layout where the DTM is making its annual appearance may look straightforward, but therein lies the difficulty. The drivers are under constant pressure for all of the 98 laps. It’s just one corner after another, each of which is completely different from the one before. Even the two straights don’t allow time for a breather.

“The importance of qualifying in the DTM was once again illustrated in the last race at the Lausitzring: being faster than the opposition in the race is not enough to secure a win unless you also start at or near the front. That’s why, at Brands Hatch this coming Saturday, we will see the biggest qualifying showdown in the history of the DTM: I’m quite sure of that. Everyone wants pole position – but only one driver can have it.”

* Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH *

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

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Spanish F1 Grand Prix 2012: Preview (VMM)

By | Published Thursday, 10 May 2012

The Circuit de Catalunya was one of Barcelona’s many building projects during the build-up to the 1992 Olympic Games. It staged the start and finish of the time trial cycling event at the Games, and has been a permanent fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since ’91.

The track’s wide variety of corners make it a severe test of man and machine, which is why it’s a favourite test venue for the teams. Two of the three pre-season tests took place at the Circuit de Catalunya and, between them, Jenson and Lewis have already notched up 3,500km around the track this year.

An abrasive track surface, combined with high cornering speeds, makes the circuit very demanding on tyres. Pirelli are taking their hard and soft compounds to the race, so three pitstops look most likely, but strategies will vary as teams factor in the lack of overtaking opportunities around the lap.

McLaren is the second most successful constructor in the history of the Spanish Grand Prix, the most recent of its eight wins coming in 2005. Jenson has one victory in the race, in 2009, while Lewis Hamilton achieved a best result of second last year.

Race distance - 66 laps (190.825 miles/307.104km)
Start time -  14:00 (local)/12:00 (GMT)
Circuit length - 2.892 miles/4.655km
2011 winner - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) 66 laps in 1hr 39m03.301s (186.020km/h)
2011 pole - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing) 1m20.981s (206.937km/h)
Lap record - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F2008) 1m21.670s (205.121km/h)

McLaren at the Spanish Grand Prix- Wins: 8 (1975, 1976, 1988, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005)
- Poles: 8 (1976, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2005)
- Fastest Laps: 7 (1976, 1988, 1989, 1998, 2000, 2010, 2011)

Car 3: Jenson Button
- Age: 32 (January 19 1980)
- GPs: 212
- Wins: 13
- Poles: 7
- FLs: 7

“Barcelona can be a funny circuit: we all test there so regularly that every driver knows it like the back of his hand, yet it can still be an extremely tricky place to get absolutely right.

“But, because every team is so dialled in to the track, even having a well-sorted car isn’t necessarily the answer because it’s sometimes the smallest differences that determine the order.

“You need to have absolutely every box ticked if you’re going to win at Barcelona. It’s a place that punishes poor balance like almost nowhere else – if your car is understeering around here, then you’re going to really struggle.

“There are no particularly stand-out corners, but the blast up the hill through Turns Seven and Eight and the fast right-hander at Turn Nine have a great flow and feel great when you nail it – especially in qualifying.”

Car 4: Lewis Hamilton
- Age: 27 (January 7 1985)
- GPs: 94
- Wins: 17
- Poles: 21
- FLs: 11

“Our performance at Barcelona during winter testing looked promising – but the form of the season is still very hard to read, so it’s difficult to predict who’ll be at the front next weekend.

“Nonetheless, we had a great race there last year – I pushed Sebastian [Vettel] all the way to the finish. I think we have a comparatively stronger car this year, so I hope we can have another strong race.

“It’ll be interesting to see how straightforward overtaking will be this year. It’s always been a tough place for passing – as I found out last year – but I really hope DRS and KERS-Hybrid combined will make it a little easier.

“I think it’s going to be one of the toughest tracks of the year for overtaking, but I’ll be hoping for a strong performance in qualifying in order to make it as straightforward as possible in the race.”

Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“I think the drivers and the engineers enjoy the tricky technical challenge of Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. You really operate your set-up on fine limits around here: every team’s balance is so refined that even the slightest imperfections become highlighted. Get it right and you tend to have a serene afternoon, get it wrong and you’ll be hitting trouble, and traffic, throughout the race.

“As we’ve seen in the first four races, added to that mix will be the additional conundrum of managing the tyres – Barcelona should give all the teams a clearer understanding of how the tyres behave in what’s likely to be a ‘typical’ European race climate. But there will still be plenty to learn.

“I sometimes think of the Santander Spanish Grand Prix as a useful acid test as to the effectiveness of the year’s regulations: it’s a tough, technical circuit where passing is limited. If the racing is good here, then we’re normally set for an interesting year: for 2012, we’ve already seen that the combination of DRS and KERS-Hybrid can spice up proceedings, so I hope we’re in store for a fun and eventful race next weekend.”

How McLaren defined nine days in the history of the Spanish Grand Prix

1. April 27 1975
A controversial fourth and final Spanish GP to be held at Montjuich Park in Barcelona. Emerson Fittipaldi refuses to race due to safety concerns, while his McLaren team-mate Jochen Mass scores his first – and what would turn out to be only – F1 victory.

2. May 2 1976
James Hunt’s first win in his world title-winning season. However, this is another contentious race because the stewards at Jarama disqualify James’s M23 for being too wide. McLaren appeal the decision and he is reinstated when it’s proved that the extra width is due to tyre expansion.

3. October 2 1988
Alain Prost beats pole-sitter Ayrton Senna away from the line at Jerez and the Frenchman is at his imperious best all afternoon. He beats second-placed Nigel Mansell by 26s, while Ayrton suffers fuel readout problems and comes home fourth.

4. October 1 1989
An utterly dominant performance from Ayrton at Jerez. He leads from lights-to-flag, beating Gerhard Berger and his team-mate Alain Prost. As a result, the battle for the championship goes on to the penultimate race in Japan…

5. May 10 1998
McLaren’s first win at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. Mika Hakkinen is utterly dominant: he’s fastest in every practice session and starts from pole position. With his McLaren team-mate David Coulthard following him home, the result is McLaren’s third 1-2 in four races.

6. May 30 1999
Mika dominates the race from pole position to take his second win of the ’99 season. He’s followed home by David and then the two Ferraris of Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine.

7. May 7 2000
A third successive one-two for McLaren at the Circuit de Catalunya, and a third victory for Mika. Michael Schumacher runs him close this time, having started from pole, but the Ferrari driver drops back to fifth during the latter stages. David takes second once again.

8. April 29 2001
The one that got away. Mika leads into the final lap, but his Mercedes V10 gives up at Turn 3 on the 65th and final lap and he’s forced to pull off. He’s classified ninth, handing victory to arch-rival Schumacher.

9. May 8 2005
Kimi Raikkonen is in dominant form all weekend. He starts from pole position and is never headed, although a Safety Car after the start gives him plenty of think about. Juan Pablo Montoya finishes seventh in the second MP4-20 in his first race back from injury.

~ Official photo and details courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

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

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Spanish F1 Grand Prix 2012: Preview (MBAMGF1)

By | Published Friday, 4 May 2012

Formula One's European season starts next week with the Spanish Grand Prix taking place at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. A familiar testing venue, the 4.655 km circuit plays host to Round Five of the 2012 World Championship.

• The race has been won from pole in nine of the last 10 years; the exception was 2011, when Vettel won from P2
• At 730 metres, the run from the start-finish line to the apex of the first corner is the longest of the season
• Spain was one of just two races won on a four-stop strategy last season; the other was the Turkish Grand Prix

Michael Schumacher
“After completing our testing programme in Mugello, we are now heading to the start of the European season in Barcelona next week. The positive thing about the test was that we could really concentrate on the developments we were aiming to work on. This should give us a good basis for further developments, even if maybe not for the next race to come. Barcelona is a track we have driven extensively on, and this is why we know that its characteristics do not exactly play fully into our hands. But then, we will definitely go there and try our best and at the same time keep on working for the things to come.”

Nico Rosberg
“I am really looking forward to next weekend and racing in Europe again. It's quite unique to come to a track where we have done so many laps in winter testing, however the race weekend will be a completely different challenge. The test in Mugello this week was very positive for us, and I believe we will arrive in Barcelona with a much better understanding of the tyres and how we need to set our car up. Despite the familiarity of the track, there will still be a lot of work for us to do, and it should be a good challenge.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal
“After a hectic start to the season with four races and the test in Mugello, we are all looking forward to the European season getting underway and the familiarity that brings. The team had a good week in Italy for the test this week where we were able to work both on challenges that affected us during the initial races of the season, and evaluate a number of new developments planned for the forthcoming races. Spain plays host to the first European race, and although the Circuit de Catalunya is a very familiar venue for the team and our drivers, the weekend will bring its own challenges. I feel confident that we are continuing to make progress, and we will of course be working hard to continue that trend.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“The first four races of the 2012 season have offered great, thrilling sport for all fans of Formula One. Eight drivers from six teams on the podium in four races - one more driver than in the entire 2011 season - and four winners from four races for the first time in nearly 30 years; you couldn't ask for more in terms of on-track excitement and unpredictability. No team has yet produced winning form at more than one event and achieving this consistency will be key. Our MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team has registered a positive trend: after two difficult races at the start of the season, we were competitive and won in China then, in Bahrain, we were the third-fastest team on race day. We have been hard at work since then to further improve the competitiveness, consistency and reliability of our car. The Circuit de Catalunya will present a very different challenge next weekend to the ones in the first four races with track temperatures likely to be very different and with new developments on the cars. We will approach the race weekend in a focused manner in order to maximise our team performance with both drivers.”

~ Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

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

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DTM Lausitzring 2012: Preview

By | Published Wednesday, 2 May 2012

• Second race of the 2012 DTM season at the Lausitzring, just one week after the one-two for Gary Paffett and Jamie Green in the season opener at Hockenheim

• Mercedes-Benz drivers have claimed twelve pole positions out of fourteen and nine of twelve race wins at the Lausitzring

• Between 2006 and 2010, five different Mercedes-Benz drivers won at the Lausitzring: Bernd Schneider, Mika Häkkinen, Paul Di Resta, Gary Paffett and Bruno Spengler

Comments ahead of the second race of the season at the Lausitzring:

Gary Paffett (31, England, THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- won at the Lausitzring in 2005 and 2009
- arrives at the second race of the season leading the championship standings

“Our one-two result in the season opener at Hockenheim was a great start to the new era of the DTM. We have a long season ahead of us, and we’ll be taking each race as it comes. The Lausitzring makes different demands from those we have to contend with at Hockenheim: the track is technically very demanding, with only one fast corner but several chicanes. It was clear in Hockenheim that our new DTM C-Coupé is very fast. Now, we aim to keep pushing and to improve our performance in qualifying.”

Jamie Green (29, England, Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- started from pole position in 2005 and 2006 at the Lausitzring and set fastest lap in 2009
- claimed his 18th DTM podium finish at Hockenheim

“With nine wins from twelve races, Mercedes-Benz has a fantastic track record at the Lausitzring. It would be great if we could continue in the same vein this year with our new Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. As a circuit, it’s different to Hockenheim. For one thing, the layout runs in an anti-clockwise direction, and for another, there aren’t that many fast corners. I enjoy it a lot, though I haven’t won there yet. I’d be delighted to put that right this weekend.”

Christian Vietoris (23, Germany, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé):
- gained eleven positions in the season opener at Hockenheim
- finished fourth at Hockenheim, his best DTM result to date

“I have good memories of my first DTM race at the Lausitzring last year. It was only my fourth DTM race, but I qualified in the Top Ten for the third time and finished in the points for the first time the following day. After coming fourth in the season opener at Hockenheim, I’m optimistic about an equally good result at the Lausitzring. But whatever happens, the fans can look forward to another exciting race this weekend.”

Ralf Schumacher (36, Germany, Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- finished seventh in the season opener at Hockenheim
- is contesting his fifth DTM race at the Lausitzring

“The race at Hockenheim was a textbook start to the season for Mercedes-Benz – it’s hard to imagine a better outcome than the one-two win for Gary and Jamie, plus five C-Coupés in the Top Eight. The Lausitzring has completely different characteristics to Hockenheim. However, we did some of our winter testing at this circuit, so we should be well prepared for this second race of the season. The challenge on this track is to be fast both on the long straights and on the twists and turns of the infield.”

David Coulthard (41, Scotland, DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- secured his first DTM Top 8 grid position at the Lausitzring in 2010
- scored DTM points for the third time in the season opener at Hockenheim

“The Lausitzring has a complex layout that requires the driver and the car to be in perfect harmony. There is one fast corner and many more slow corners where you have to brake hard and late. This necessitates good traction for acceleration and finding the right balance for the front end at low speeds. At Turn 1, it is certainly possible to overtake as you brake heavily from 250km/h to 70km/h within a matter of seconds. After finishing eighth in the first race of the season, I would very much like to produce another decent result for my Berlin-based Mücke team in their home race.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“The first race in front of packed grandstands at Hockenheim is still fresh in our memories, and the teams have barely had time to catch their breath. But here we are four days later at the Lausitzring, getting ready for race number two.

“With the one-two victory for Jamie Green and Gary Paffett and with five C‑Coupés finishing in the Top Eight, our Mercedes crew have done a fantastic job. Every one of our team members and all of our drivers are focused on delivering a professional and competitive performance at the Lausitzring. Out of the twelve DTM races staged here, Mercedes-Benz has won nine, and I hope we continue to build on this record.

“The Hockenheim season opener was full of great racing in which we saw more thrilling overtaking than in the whole of the 2011 season put together. Paffett-Mortara, Paffett-Green and Vietoris-Rockenfeller were three great examples that left us all hungry for more. And it looks like the appetite of the DTM viewers should be more than satisfied at the Lausitzring.”

* Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH *

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

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DTM Hockenheim 2012: Preview

By | Published Wednesday, 25 April 2012

• Start of new era in the DTM – first race for DTM Mercedes AMG C‑Coupé

• The grand finale of the 2011 season – also at Hockenheim – was won by Jamie Green in the last outing for the AMG Mercedes C‑Class, the most successful car in DTM history with a total of 85 victories from 159 races

• Mercedes-Benz has won 31 out of 64 races at its home circuit of Hockenheim, including the last five races staged there, (i.e. opening and closing weekends of the season): Gary Paffett (x2), Jamie Green, Bruno Spengler and Paul di Resta

Comments on the DTM season opener at Hockenheim from:

Jamie Green (29, England, Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- won the closing race of the 2011 season at Hockenheim
- his record at Hockenheim is two victories (2007 and 2011), two pole positions (2005 and 2006) and five fastest race laps (2005, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2011)

“I’m really looking forward to the new DTM season. We’re in for an interesting and thrilling year with our new Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. The fans can look forward to seeing spectacular cars in action and to witnessing some close-fought encounters on the track. For myself, I’m obviously hoping that I can start the new DTM era in the same way that I finished the old one – namely with a win. The DTM field is so strong and well matched that it is vital to lay down a marker in the first race and to build on that basis by consistently finishing at or near the front.”

Ralf Schumacher (36, Germany, Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- started from third on the grid in the 2011 season opener at Hockenheim
- claimed his first DTM podium in the 2011 season opener

“I have very positive memories of the season opener last year when I finished on the podium for the first time in my DTM career. It would be great if I could repeat that result this season. However, the winter testing has left us none the wiser as to the balance of power in the new DTM era – we’ll only find that out at Hockenheim. All the same, we’re coming to Hockenheim well prepared for the new season. I’m expecting an exciting race and – hopefully – a good result for myself.”

Gary Paffett (31, England, THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- has won three times at Hockenheim (2004, 2009 and 2010)
- has finished on the podium at Hockenheim on six occasions

“New cars, new drivers, new teams – it promises to be an exciting and intriguing start to the season. During the tests, I’ve thoroughly familiarised myself with our new Mercedes AMG C-Coupé and got used to the different handling of the car. It’s hard to predict the result of the first race, but I’m happy with our level of preparation and hope that we can get the season off to a solid start. Since my DTM debut in 2003, I’ve competed in a lot of races at Hockenheim. The circuit consists of three sections: the first corner is very fast and decisive for your time in the first sector; the second section mainly has long straights and demands some hard braking; the last sector is essentially made up of medium-fast and high-speed corners. To set a good lap time at Hockenheim, you need a well balanced car.”

Christian Vietoris (23, Germany, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé):
- started from a Top 10 grid spot on his DTM debut in 2011 at Hockenheim
- is a member of the new Mercedes-Benz DTM Junior Team along with Roberto Merhi and Robert Wickens

“Here we go again – at last! I just can’t wait for the start of the season. Our preparations have been very good, and I learned a lot in my rookie season. I intend to build on this and convert the lessons from last year into respectable results. The conditions are perfect: I think I’ve slotted in well with Mercedes-Benz in the DTM and I feel at one with my Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé. I got to know the car well during testing and worked with the engineers on getting the setup right. The Hockenheim circuit is technically very demanding; it requires both good brakes and massive straight-line speed. It’s all about finding the right balance.”

David Coulthard (41, Scotland, DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- is starting his third DTM season at Hockenheim
- had a Top Ten finish in the 2011 season opener at Hockenheim

“Hard to believe it, but I’m just about to start my third DTM season. As always, I’m immensely looking forward to the season opener at Hockenheim, a contributory factor being the part played by the fans in our home race. They really get behind us and generate a fantastic atmosphere in the Motodrom and in the Mercedes-Benz grandstand. The second of these two vantage points gives them an excellent view of perhaps the best place for overtaking on the circuit – before and after the hairpin. I am aiming to improve on my first two seasons in the DTM, especially in qualifying and at the start of the race. If I can do that, I should be able to post decent results this year.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “In 2012, the DTM starts a new era - indeed, its third and most important era. The fact that Audi and Mercedes-Benz stayed the course for six years, putting on fascinating races in competition with each other, created the stable platform for a fresh start with new momentum. We are now welcoming BMW as a new competitor to the DTM. Thanks to Audi, Mercedes, the ITR and its board plus the DMSB and its officials, this unique, outstanding motorsport series has been preserved. Now, the world’s three best and best-known premium car manufacturers are competing against each other in the DTM, with a new and exciting generation of vehicles. Over a quarter of a century, Mercedes-Benz has been the most successful manufacturer in the DTM. In figures, a total of 165 victories from 342 races, ten driver titles, nine manufacturer titles and 13 in the team championship, encapsulate the achievements of our teams over the past 24 years. We will all work on the new chapter of this success story with focus and the highest motivation.”

What’s new for the 2012 season

- The new DTM cars are coupés (two door) rather than the saloons (four door) used previously

- The cars are longer (5,010 mm, previously 4,872 mm), wider (1,950 mm, previously 1,850 mm) and lower (1,210 mm compared to 1,255 mm)

- The minimum weight has been set at 1,100 kilos. This is combined weight of the car, driver and onboard camera (or substitute ballast if the car has not been allocated a camera).

- As in F1, drivers now change gear using paddles located on the steering wheel

- The innovative new safety concept is based on a standard construction carbon fibre monocoque with roll cage and crash structures

- There are about 50 other standard components to include parts such as brakes, fuel tank, rear wing, gearbox, clutch and starter motor

- The new Hankook tyres are taller and wider than their predecessors. They measure 30 cm at the front (previously 26 cm) and 32 cm at the rear (previously 28 cm)

- From this season, in-race refuelling is no longer allowed. Fuel tank capacity has been increased from 70 to 120 litres. The two mandatory pit stops are to remain.

- Points are to be awarded to the first ten drivers across the line using the Formula 1 system: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1

- In addition to the driver and team championships, there will also be one for the constructors. The ‘DTM Manufacturer Champion’ is calculated on the basis of the top ten finishers in each race. However, if any manufacturer has more than six cars amongst the points, the others won’t count.

- New arrangements for free practice on Fridays and Saturdays: the two sessions will be interrupted by a ten-minute break after the first 45 minutes.

- The maximum duration of a race is to be 70 minutes.

- For the race at Spielberg, the number of laps has been increased from 38 to 42.

- Introduction of a marshalling system: Signals will be given by flags as well as by means of coloured lights on the driver’s display unit.

* Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH *

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

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Bahrain F1 Grand Prix 2012: Preview (VMM)

By | Published Thursday, 19 April 2012

The Bahrain International Circuit is the Kingdom of Bahrain’s only racetrack. It was designed and built by Tilke GmbH in 2003 and it hosted the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix in April 2004. The race has been a regular fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since then, with the exception of 2011.

The 3.363-mile/5.412km track provides a complex technical challenge for the teams. The circuit has two clear overtaking places, into Turns One and Four, and acres of run-off. Its mix of long straights and predominantly low- and medium-speed corners force a compromise on car set-up, and this year’s race will also be the first time that Pirelli’s P Zero tyres and the DRS have been used at the venue.

Heat management is crucial, both for the cars and the drivers. Ambient temperatures regularly exceed 35 degrees and the cloudless desert skies push the track temperature towards 60 degrees – the highest of the year. Such extreme conditions affect tyre wear and result in the drivers losing up to three litres of fluid during the race.

Race distance - 57 laps (191.539 miles/308.238km)
Start time - 1500 (local)/1200 GMT
Circuit length - 3.363 miles/5.412km
2010 winner - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 49 laps in 1hr 39m20.396s (186.272km/h)
2010 pole - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) 1m54.101s (198.739km/h)
Lap record - Michael Schumacher (Ferrari F2004) 1m30.252s (216.074km/h)

McLaren at the Bahrain Grand Prix- Wins: -
- Poles: -
- Fastest laps: 2

Car 3: Jenson Button- Age: 32 (January 19 1980)
- GPs: 211
- Wins: 13
- Poles: 7
- FLs: 7

“I won this race in 2009 and feel we have a car that’s quite well suited to the track’s characteristics. The track is a good balance of tricky, technical, low-speed corners and faster, high-speed sweeps – particularly two sections behind the pits, which are very satisfying when you get them right. Our car should go well here.

“I think the original circuit layout, which doesn’t include the extended ‘endurance’ loop that we used for a single race in 2010, is better for Formula 1 – and it’s a positive that we’re returning to that configuration this year.

“It will make the approach into Turns Five, Six and Seven – the high-speed sweepers – more challenging as you’ll be entering at much higher speeds. Hopefully, we can get another strong result to bolster our chances in the championship.”

Car 4: Lewis Hamilton- Age: 27 (January 7 1985)
- GPs: 93
- Wins: 17
- Poles: 22
- FLs: 11

“Unlike Jenson, I’ve not won in Bahrain – although I’ve had some strong drives there in the past. The circuit is a typically modern F1 track, with plenty of run-off and a good variety of corners. You can be really late on the brakes for Turns One, Four and 14, which is a particularly technical final corner.

“Still, there are definitely passing opportunities. Turn One is a classic late-braking opportunity, and it also gives you the chance to set up the other driver, by forcing him to defend up the inside and then compromising his exit speed, which gives you the opportunity to have a look inside at Turn Two, or even Turn Four at the end of the straight.

“I think we go to Bahrain with a car that’s well-balanced in every area, and I’ll be looking for another strong result.”

Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“Our result in China showed that neither Jenson nor Lewis has lost any of his fighting spirit; and to get both of them on the podium – after each qualified in a less-than-representative position – was further proof that MP4-27 appears to be consistently competitive wherever we go.

“The 2012 event will mark the first time Formula 1 has raced in Sakhir using both KERS Hybrid and DRS, and I think the combination, in tandem with a well-positioned DRS deployment zone along the main straight, will lead to another exciting race.

“This weekend, we’ll be looking for more points-scoring opportunities for both drivers – we’re fully aware that this is a long championship and that it’s often just as important to score regularly, and to keep scoring, as it is to win races. It’s consistency that will define the path to both world championships, I believe.

“This race will represent the last of the four flyaways that constitute the opening phase of the 2012 world championship. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes goes into the race leading both the drivers’ and the constructors’ world championships, and we want to come away from Bahrain having consolidated our positions in both. We’re determined to mount a consistent and sustained challenge for both titles, and we’re currently in a good position to achieve that.”

How McLaren defined five days in the history of the Bahrain Grand Prix
1. April 3 2005
Kimi Raikkonen finishes third for McLaren, but it’s F1 returnee Pedro de la Rosa who attracts the most post-race plaudits. He’s drafted into the team at the 11th hour to replace the injured Juan Pablo Montoya and he drives a tenacious race to fifth, setting the fastest lap of the race.

2. March 12 2006
A mechanical problem in qualifying forces Kimi Raikkonen to start the race from last (22nd) place. Undeterred, he’s up to 13th by the end of lap one and he executes a perfect one-stop strategy to finish third. Juan Pablo Montoya ends a solid day for the team in fifth place.

3. April 8 2007
Another race, another podium for McLaren’s new superstar Lewis Hamilton. He starts and finishes the third race of his F1 career in second place, just behind pole sitter and race winner Felipe Massa. Fernando Alonso brings the team’s second MP4-22 home in fifth place.

4. April 26 2009
The MP4-24 has some early-season grip issues, but that doesn’t stop Lewis. The reigning world champion uses the team’s new KERS Hybrid system to good effect, coming home in fourth place.

5. March 14 2010
Third place behind the Ferraris is a promising start to the year for Lewis, but he might have finished even higher had he not been held up by Nico Rosberg for the first half of the race. Jenson Button, driving his first race for McLaren, comes home seventh.

~ Official photo and details courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

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

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Bahrain F1 Grand Prix 2012: Preview (MBAMGF1)

By | Published Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Just one week after Nico Rosberg took the first Silver Arrow victory of the modern era in Shanghai, and his own first Formula One win, Round Four of the 2012 World Championship will be held in Bahrain on Sunday 22 April.

• The Sakhir circuit features three corners taken below 100 kph and four straights where the cars exceed 285 kph
• The pit lane is among the longest of the year, with a total of 480 m spent under speed limit control
• 70% of the lap distance is spent at full throttle, an almost identical proportion to that seen in Melbourne
•  DRS can be used for 46% of a qualifying lap in Sakhir, compared to 53% of the lap last weekend in Shanghai

Michael Schumacher
“Having experienced a race such as China gives everybody in the team a big push, and we certainly will give our optimum to repeat our performance in the next races. However, the season so far shows that you can never be sure of anything, and having had three winners in three races demonstrates how close together the teams are this year. But then again, it is good to see that we are more and more able to fight at the front, and we will certainly try to transfer our great pace from China onto Bahrain for the next race to come this weekend.”

Nico Rosberg
“I have really good memories of the Bahrain Circuit. I won the Formula 3 Macau-Bahrain Cup, GP2 Championship and finished seventh on my F1 debut with the fastest lap of the race. I like the track a lot. It’s quite low downforce with lots of big stops and some faster corners too. The track layout definitely fits our car but it’s really a big challenge for us to manage our tyre work well again and find the right set-up as the temperatures will be much higher than in China.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal
“After the fantastic weekend that we experienced in Shanghai, it has been nice to take a few days to reflect on the achievement of the first win for a Mercedes works car since 1955, and of course, Nico’s first win in Formula One. The team have worked very hard to overcome the tyre issues that affected us at the first two races, and it is clear that achieving the optimum performance from the Pirelli tyres is absolutely key to our performance and ability to challenge at the front of the field. The temperatures and track conditions in Bahrain will be very different to Shanghai, however we will work hard to extract the maximum performance from the F1 W03 and have another strong weekend.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“Last Sunday was a milestone for our MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team. However, things move quickly in this business and our focus is now on preparing for the fourth race of the season in Bahrain. Our newly-formed Silver Arrows team made its debut at this circuit two years - and 41 races - ago. Since then, everybody in Brackley and Brixworth has worked tirelessly to make ours a winning team, and our performance in China provided a first taste of success. But we are keeping our feet on the ground, because this year more than ever before in the history of Formula One, small details can take you from hero to zero: just three tenths of a second separated P1 to P11 in qualifying last Saturday. We have not raced on this configuration of the Bahrain circuit since 2009, because the layout used in 2010 included an additional loop of slow corners. Track and ambient temperatures are of course traditionally high, while there are seven traction events from 150 kph or lower around the lap: these factors mean that looking after the rear tyres is particularly important. We have all seen how delicate it is to keep this generation of Pirelli tyres in their optimum performance window, and this challenge is making for some thrilling racing throughout the field. This weekend will be our chance to understand more about what progress we have made with our Mercedes AMG F1 W03 on this point in hotter conditions than we experienced in China. We are taking nothing for granted, and will continue to work in a focused manner on extracting everything we can from our current technical package.”

~ Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

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

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Chinese F1 Grand Prix 2012: Preview (VMM)

By | Published Friday, 13 April 2012

The scale of the Shanghai International Circuit is breathtaking. Built on marshland in 2003, the track sits on more than 40,000 stabilising concrete pillars and its infrastructure is bigger and bolder than at any other circuit on the Formula 1 calendar.

The track is a good technical challenge for the teams and drivers with some high-speed changes of direction and a 1km back straight offering a challenge to find the least compromised set-up. One of the most demanding corners on the lap is Turn One, a tightening right-hander entered at speeds in excess of 300km/h with an apex speed or 70km/h. It places the left-front tyre under prolonged stress, which has an impact on wear rates and race strategy.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has a strong record in the Chinese Grand Prix. The team has won the race three times and finished on the podium on seven further occasions.

Race distance - 56 Laps (189.568 miles/305.066km)
Start time - 15:00 (local)/07:00 (GMT)
Circuit length - 3.387 miles/5.451km
2011 winner - Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes): 56 laps in 1hr 36m58.226s (188.758km/h)
2011 pole - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing): 1m33.706s (209.416km/h)
Lap record - Michael Schumacher (Ferrari 2004): 1m32.238s (212.749km/h)

McLaren at the Chinese Grand Prix
- Wins: 3 (2008, 2010, 2011)
 - Poles: 2 (2007, 2008)
 - Fastest laps: 3 (2005, 2008, 2010)

Car 3: Jenson Button 
- Age: 32 (January 19 1980)
- GPs: 210
- Wins: 13
- Poles: 7
- FLs: 7

You called the Malaysian Grand Prix a “bad day in the office” – does that change your preparations for this weekend’s race in Shanghai?

“Not really, it makes you a little keener to get back in the cockpit as you’re always a bit more determined to be looking ahead rather than looking back. But, like I say, it doesn’t really make any difference. In fact, the three-week break has been extremely relaxing – I was able to get away, relax and keep training. It’s still the start of a very long season, so it’s good to keep fit and refreshed. I’ve usually gone well in Shanghai, it’s a circuit I really enjoy and I’m looking forward to the race weekend.”

You memorably won here in 2010 – what is it about the circuit that makes it special?

“Well, the facilities are amazing, but it’s a very good, modern circuit – the first two sectors are pretty technical, there are some interesting combinations of corners and you need a good, responsive car to go well. Then the track opens up, the straight is one of the longest in Formula 1 – it just keeps going – then you’re into the hairpin and the final turn, both of which offer good opportunities for overtaking. There’s no one particular corner that stands out, but that’s good, because it means they’ve done a good job with the whole track.

“And if it rains, then it’s going to be another extremely unpredictable race as we’re all still learning about the cars and tyres in damp conditions. Whatever happens, it should be interesting.”

What will be the key to a good race performance in 2012?

“There will be the usual set-up compromises: setting the car up to offer good downforce through some of the faster corners, but without sacrificing too much speed along the straights. We saw different teams address that balance in different ways over the first two races, so it will be interesting to see if things start to converge this weekend after a few weeks back in Europe.

“Tyre wear will also be very important – last year we saw a real disparity between the compounds - so getting the preparation right will be crucial.” 

Car 4: Lewis Hamilton
- Age: 27 (January 7 1985)
- GPs: 92
- Wins: 17
- Poles: 21
- FLs: 11

You opened your winning account in China last year, are you hoping for the same this season?

“I’m looking at the championship as a whole – although, of course, I’d love to win every race, it’s more important to be in a good points-scoring position at every race. I think the first two races have shown that, as a team, we’re definitely in positions to win.

“I think Malaysia was a good example of how to pick up points when you’re looking at the championship – and that was something I really took away as a positive from that race. But yeah, I’ll be heading to China looking to win – but it’s just as important to pick up some good points if, for whatever reason, a win isn’t on the cards.”

What do you like about the Shanghai International Circuit?

“I have some vivid memories of racing in China – some good, some not so good! I’ve won there twice – both were victories I’m really proud of: in 2008, it was a very important race, and I really needed a good result for the championship – we had a pretty much perfect weekend with pole position, fastest lap and the race win. Then in 2011, coming off the back of a difficult weekend in Malaysia, I had a great race, kept pushing every lap and managed to take the lead right at the end. It was a very important win because it showed that we could be a force in the championship that year.”

Your two third positions have consolidated your position in the championship – is that the key to a good season?

“I won’t deny that I’m disappointed to have had two pole positions and not to have been able to convert either of them into victories, but I prefer to think of it that luck just hasn’t been on my side, and that it will swing my way sooner or later.

“I also think last year taught me the value of consistency: it’s no use chasing a great result if you can't back it up with another strong finish the following week. So maybe I’m just playing myself in gently: after all, in 2007, I didn’t win a race until the sixth round, and I was in the hunt for the title all through the year. I still don’t think the pecking order has settled down yet, so it’s important to get some good results in the bag while we can. It will be very interesting to see how the order has shaken itself out over the last three weeks – it’s going to be an interesting weekend.”

Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“The Chinese Grand Prix is a race in which we’ve traditionally gone very well – we’ve won three of the past four races here, all of which have come through faultless performances from Jenson and Lewis – and we head to Shanghai this year keen to add to that tally.

“While there are mixed feelings to have only been able to convert two all-front-row starting positions into one race win, everybody here at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes feels extremely encouraged by our pace in the first two grands prix of the season.

“Make no mistake, however: we’re acutely aware that our rivals won’t have stood still during the past three weeks. We’ve certainly been extremely busy, too, and we don’t take anything for granted: if the overall competitive order was a little hard to read in the first two races, I have no doubt that it will start to become clearer next weekend, and I strongly believe that, once again, it will be closely fought at the front.”

How McLaren defined six days in the history of the Chinese Grand Prix

1. September 26 2004
The inaugural Chinese Grand Prix ends with the top three separated by just 1.4s. Kimi Raikkonen comes home third for McLaren, after sitting on the gearbox of Jenson Button from the second round of pitstops.

2. October 16 2005
Kimi finishes second to newly crowned world champion Fernando Alonso. He sets the fastest lap of the race, but loses a strategic advantage when the Safety Car is deployed after Juan Pablo Montoya dislodges a piece of metal grating at Turn 10.

3. October 7 2007
Lewis Hamilton does everything right early on. He leads the race from pole position, but as he pits on lap 31 he runs wide at the pitlane entry and beaches his car in the gravel. Raikkonen wins for Ferrari, ahead of Fernando in the second MP4-22.

4. October 19 2008
Lewis converts pole position into the team’s first victory in China. His fastest lap of the race emphasises his dominance and, as a result of this win, all he needs is fifth place in Interlagos to clinch the world championship.

5. April 18 2010
A classic Jenson Button victory. Light rain falls at the start of the race and Jenson stays on slicks while his rivals pit for intermediates. When the rain stops and the track dries out, Jenson moves into the lead and is never headed. Lewis finishes second to give Vodafone McLaren Mercedes a one-two finish.

6. 17 April 2011
A three-stop strategy and a fresh set of tyres at the end of the race allows Lewis to rapidly close on Sebastian Vettel, who he audaciously passes for the lead with four laps left. Jenson comes home fourth to maintain his 100 percent finishing record in China.

~ Official photo and details courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

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

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Chinese F1 Grand Prix 2012: Preview + Feature (MBAMGF1)

By | Published Thursday, 5 April 2012

Round three of the 2012 Formula One World Championship, the UBS Chinese Grand Prix, takes place at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday 15 April. The 5.451 km Herman Tilke designed circuit made its debut on the calendar in 2004 and is shaped to represent the Chinese ‘shang’ character.

• Since 2004, the eight races have been won by seven different drivers; only Hamilton has won twice (in 2008 & 2011)
• The 1170 m back straight is among the season´s longest, with the cars at wide open throttle for 15.5 seconds
• At peak revs on that straight, the engine´s pistons will be accelerating at 81,000 m/s2 , equivalent to over 8,250 G

Michael Schumacher
“When I think about the Chinese Grand Prix, the fans are the first thing that comes to mind. For many years now, I’ve had a big and loyal fan base there, and it’s still very touching to see the lengths they go to in supporting me. A big thank you to all of them! As for the race itself, I’ve never had much luck in Shanghai, apart from my win in 2006; however that could change this year. In the first two races of 2012, we didn’t manage to maintain our qualifying pace in race conditions. We’ve been working intensively on this, so that we can offer our fans a strong performance in China.”

Nico Rosberg
“I have good memories of the Chinese Grand Prix as I was on the podium there in 2010 and led the race last year. I like the Shanghai International Circuit very much with its many unique, long corners. For me, China is really the start of the season as the first two races have not gone to plan. The track is quite different to the first two, as it demands more from the front tyres than the rears - in other words, what is termed a front-limited circuit. We know that we have a quick car, but we are looking to improve our long run pace in China next weekend and to have a better race performance.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal
“The Chinese Grand Prix takes place at the very impressive Shanghai International Circuit and has really established itself on the Formula One calendar in recent years. China is an important and growing market for our sport, and indeed for Mercedes-Benz, and we look forward to our annual visit next week. On track, we hope that the weekend will prove more successful than the first two races of the season where our race results did not match expectations after a positive start to both weekends. A lot of hard work and analysis has taken place back at the factory since our return, and I hope to see these efforts pay dividends next Sunday in Shanghai with a performance which reflects the capabilities of the F1 W03.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“The first two races of the 2012 Formula One season have been ones of unfulfilled promise for our team. Michael’s second row qualifying positions were less than half a second from pole in Australia and Malaysia, however at both events we did not convert our qualifying speed into a consistent race performance on Sunday when it counts. Since the last race in Malaysia, the team has conducted analysis of our tyre usage during the first two rounds, and how we can improve. The Chinese Grand Prix will provide an answer on our progress, although weather conditions and circuit characteristics will be different to either Melbourne or Malaysia. The 1170 metre back straight accounts for over 20% of the lap distance, the cars exceed 285 kph on four different occasions, and nine of the circuit’s corners are considered to be low or medium speed, with five taken at less than 100 kph. Our team has been hard at work since Malaysia, and we hope to be able to translate our learning process into consistent and competitive lap times on race day in China.”

Race Preview Feature: Cracking the Conundrum
Two races into the 2012 season, and firm conclusions are very hard to come by when assessing the true competitiveness of the teams. The results from the first two races indicate that this could be one of the most open seasons for years, with seven different teams finishing in the top ten in Melbourne - and nine in the mixed conditions of Sepang. Even in qualifying, the margins are incredibly close: the top ten qualifiers from Q2 at the first two races were separated by an average of eight-tenths of a second, compared to 1.5 seconds in the first two races of last year. In such a tightly matched field, small details make a huge difference.

For MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, the time between the races in Malaysia and China has been spent trying to unravel a conundrum: why hasn’t strong qualifying speed been translated into a similar level of competitiveness on Sundays?

“In both races, our problems have been related to getting the tyres into the correct working window,” explains Team Principal Ross Brawn. “However, at each race it was at different ends of the scale: in Melbourne, we overheated the tyres - it was under control on Friday, then we developed the set-up in a direction which did not prove helpful in the warmer conditions. In Malaysia, having done a lot of work in practice to make sure we didn’t suffer from the same problem, the cooler conditions on Sunday dropped us out of the window again.”

Temperature readings give a clearer picture of the shift: while on Friday and Saturday, track temperatures were in the mid-40s in Sepang (peaking at 45°C on Friday), they hovered around 30°C in the race. “In the dry at the end of the race, we got the car working more effectively and our pace was more respectable. But I still don’t feel we really got the tyres working well, gripping hard and operating at optimum temperature.”

The consequence of the drop in temperatures was to flip the primary challenge of the race on its head: instead of needing to protect the tyres from overheating, it was critical to generate tyre temperature in the cooler conditions. More than one team experienced a loss of relative competitiveness compared to Saturday. “The result in Malaysia was a great one for Formula One - but certainly not what would have been predicted before the start,” continues Brawn. “Like other teams at the front of the grid, we spent two days getting tyre temperatures down - and then, in the race, found that we needed to work the tyre harder. The cooler conditions reversed what was needed from the cars.”

However, circumstance alone does not explain the team’s difficulties at the opening races of the season. “We have too narrow a window in which we are operating the car - and we have to broaden that, and build more tolerance into how we are using the tyres,” explains Brawn. “When we encounter challenges like this, we look at all areas of the car and we challenge ourselves collectively to find the solutions we need. But our qualifying speed tells us that the fundamentals of performance are there: you can’t do the lap times if you don’t have enough downforce, horsepower or a good chassis.”

So far, the potential of the F1 W03 has only been glimpsed on Saturday. At both races, the best of the team’s cars has qualified less than half a second from pole position - in 2011, the closest the team got to pole was 0.525s in Turkey. The step forward in basic performance is clear to see and there is no reason to believe that it cannot be translated to race conditions.

“Our objective is to build the best car we can for the race - and our qualifying performances are a consequence of that,” continues Brawn. “Nothing has been consciously done to focus on making the car quick in qualifying, and not so good in the race, because under the current rules - with DRS and the number of pit stops - there are no real rewards for doing so. Using the tyres properly is vital for success, and it depends on a number of factors, including set-up, the downforce the car is generating and the drivers’ approach. Within the set-up variations we can choose, we have the opportunity to find the right solution. But it’s a learning process, and we missed the mark at the first two races.”

What then of prospects for Shanghai? Practice data from Sepang indicated that, in dry conditions, race performance should have been more consistent than in Melbourne. China will provide an opportunity to confirm this. “Our analysis since Malaysia has given us an even better understanding, and we have plans and actions in place to improve our tyre management,” concludes Brawn. “We clearly have a reasonably quick car - we have shown that in qualifying - and now we have to convert our speed into race performance.”

~ Official photos and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

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