Showing posts with label race preview feature. Show all posts

A Monaco story: When Nico met Mika

By | Published Wednesday, 23 May 2012

It’s a scene that happens hundreds of thousands of times a day around the world: two people meet in a lift, greet each other and begin to chat about work and life. The twist in this particular story, though, is that the elevator is in Monte-Carlo; the two men are resident in the same apartment building, separated by little more than a few floors; and both have written their own chapters in the very exclusive grand prix racing history of Mercedes-Benz.

Mika Häkkinen was the first Mercedes-Benz world champion of the modern era, and a two-time title winner in 1998 and 1999 with McLaren Mercedes; Nico Rosberg is the first man to win a Grand Prix at the wheel of a Silver Arrow since the great Juan Manuel Fangio, in the third season of the return of the Silver Arrows. On the eve of the race around their home streets, the two men met to discuss their experiences as part of one of the most spectacular events in world sport.
The histories of Mika Häkkinen and Nico Rosberg have been intertwined for more than twenty years, when Nico was just a young boy and Mika worked with Keke Rosberg, who led his management team.

“I don’t remember when we first met - maybe Mika does!” laughs Nico when the question comes.
“Well, I started working with Keke at the end of 1987,” recalls Mika. “I think the first time we met must have been down here in Monaco in the early ‘90s. I was visiting Keke, and you were playing in your room! It’s possible I was his first sponsor in karting - do you remember that?”

“Yeah, sure,” laughs Nico. “It was 1997, I was 11 years old and competing in the French go-karting championship. I had a poster in my room with all my sponsors on there, and one of them was you!”
“My son is eleven now,” says Mika, picking up the thread. “I’m sure I did a contract with Keke that one day, when Nico will win races and be world champion, he has to start supporting my son Hugo!”

If the early stages of Nico’s career were supported by Mika - who today himself is a partner with Didier Coton in Aces Management and has, among others, young Finn Valtteri Bottas under his wing - the parallels between the two have only grown stronger as time has passed. Both Mika and Nico had to wait until their seventh Formula One season before climbing the top step of the podium - Mika after 96 races, at the 1997 European Grand Prix in Jerez; Nico in his 111th start, at this year’s Chinese Grand Prix. And both in their third seasons driving Mercedes-Benz-powered cars.

“Your first victory in Formula One always feels like it is a long time coming,” explains Mika. “And especially in my case - but when it arrives, the feeling is just amazing. But problems are part of life, and winning or losing, they don’t disappear. You need to keep understanding the cause of disappointments and where you and the team can improve. There is no point having your face upside down for one week - it’s better to pick up the phone, travel, see people, talk, organise yourself. Then you know that at the next event, you will be stronger - and if not the car, then yourself; you can always be better. Because the day when you have a car to win, you have to be ready. If not, it’s too late. I knew that one day I was going to win, it just took a long time.”

“I had exactly the same feeling - Ross, all the guys, kept telling me that the win would come, I just needed to stay patient and take my opportunity,” agrees Nico. “Of course, you get frustrated if it doesn’t go perfectly, but time takes that away and you keep going, follow the development, communicate constantly with the team.”

“Nico did a perfect weekend in China and deserves full credit for that win,” emphasises Mika. “It was not depending on circumstances or luck, but purely on his hard work. As a Mercedes-Benz ambassador, it was great not only to watch his achievements, but to enjoy seeing Mercedes-Benz back on the top step of the podium.”

Inevitably, the conversation soon turns to the unique challenge of racing around the Monegasque streets, which have been home to both of them for more than 20 years. For Nico, the tunnel was once the route to school, in the passenger seat next to his Mum or on the school bus. And that ‘local’ feel is one that Mika says remains throughout the weekend.

“I had some great victories in my career, but Monaco was something special,” remembers Mika. “I have lived here for 20 years and the thing you realise is that the people who work on the race track are also the people who live and work in Monaco - the police, the pompiers. In everyday life, these are the guys you see in the street and they say ‘hi’ as you walk past. To win in Monaco is like winning in your home streets, and you recognise faces all through the weekend.”

“It’s home for me too, of course,” picks up Nico. “I’ve grown up here, all my friends are here and my family, I know everybody and it’s very special to race here. Mentally, it’s quite a demanding weekend. You have a lot going on, a lot of PR events and appointments. Plus on track, too, it’s a bit more intense - but not so much. You need to be super concentrated at every circuit.”

“That’s true. But what changed for me was that, when I got a car that I would win races with, Monaco became more important for some reason. When you are hunting pole position in Monaco, your mind changes; you put yourself in a higher power, even though you think you are doing it already. When you are fighting for P11 or P12, you always think you are doing your maximum. But when I started fighting for pole, it just happened that I was working even harder to reach my goal - but not purposely. And of course, we changed the car, too: the steering lock, and the seating position to sit higher in the car, because the aero was not so important and we wanted to see the Armco properly.”

“That’s interesting, because we definitely make changes, too,” says Nico. “But I don’t think it’s common practice, even today.”

With that, the two men are off to inspect the circuit at the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster. Over the years, Mercedes-Benz has been synonymous with success in Monaco - from the three consecutive victories in 1935, 36 and 37 for Fagioli, Caracciola and von Brauchitsch respectively; to the seven Formula One victories for Mercedes-Benz power, including three of the last five. And the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team will be working hard to add a new milestone to the company’s heritage this weekend.










~ Official photos and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

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

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Spanish F1 Grand Prix 2012: Race Preview Feature - Overtaking in 2012

By | Published Wednesday, 9 May 2012

For many years, a Grand Prix in Barcelona was synonymous with almost no overtaking - there were an average of just two overtaking moves per race between 2008 and 2010. That all changed last year: not only did ‘normal’ (i.e. non-DRS assisted) overtakes increase by a factor of ten - with a total of 22 - but DRS enabled a further 29 overtakes, for a race total of 51; in other words, 25 times more than in the previous three years.

- Average of 54 normal and DRS overtakes per race in 2012 – compared to 2011 season average of 43
- More normal overtaking in 2012: 68% compared to 2011 season average of 55%
- More normal overtaking than DRS overtaking at every race so far in 2012

With much discussion about the most unpredictable start to a Formula One season for nearly 30 years, with four winners from as many races, and eight different drivers from six teams on the podium so far this season, has the composition of the racing changed materially compared to 2011?

How much overtaking have we seen in the first four races of the 2012 season?
The raw total for the number of passes the first four races of 2012 is remarkably similar to that from 2011 - 327 compared to 326 in 2011. This figure includes passes made because of damage, and those on cars from the three slowest teams, but does not include position changes on lap one.

How does the data compare when you drill down into more detail?
In 2011, there were a total of 220 normal and DRS overtakes in the first four races (NB: this figure does not include passes on the slowest three teams by faster cars); in 2012, there have been 215. However, in 2011, these were split 50:50 between normal and DRS overtakes in the first four races. In 2012, this split has been 68:32 in favour of normal overtaking. This compares to a season average from 2011 of 55:45 between normal and DRS overtaking, suggesting that the amount of normal overtaking has seen a significant proportional increase relative to last year.

Is DRS becoming less influential than it was last year?
In the first four races of 2011, there were two (China, Turkey) in which the number of DRS overtakes exceeded the total normal overtakes. Overall, there were eight of 19 races in 2011 at which DRS overtaking exceeded normal. So far in 2012, this has not occurred - in other words, there has been more normal overtaking than DRS overtaking at every race this year. However, it does not necessarily follow that DRS is becoming less influential; for example, even if a following driver does not pass in the DRS zone, the lap time advantage the DRS provides can help with conserving tyres, or allow the strategic deployment of KERS elsewhere on the circuit to pass outside the DRS zone.

Has the overall amount of overtaking increased in 2012?
It is hard to say at this early stage. In 2011, the average number of normal and DRS overtakes per race was 43. So far, there have been on average 54 moves per race in 2012 – a clear increase on 2011. However, by way of direct comparison, the first four races of 2011 saw an average of 55 moves.

Can any direct comparisons be made from circuit to circuit?
The most meaningful comparisons so far can be drawn from the races in Australia and China, which were run on the same circuits and in similar conditions both years. The 2011 season opener (the first race at which DRS was ever used) featured a total of 17 normal and DRS passes; in 2012, there was exactly twice as much passing - 34 overtakes in total. What’s more, although the 2012 race featured two DRS passing zones, this did not see a large relative increase in DRS assisted overtaking: DRS accounted for 30% of passing in 2011 and 35% of passing in 2012.

In China last year, there were 67 normal and DRS overtakes - with normal overtakes accounting for 30 of them (45%). This year saw 69 passes, but 41 of them were normal overtakes (59%). The DRS zone remained identical to last year, but the race saw a significantly larger proportion of normal overtaking.

What should be expected in Barcelona?
Last year’s race saw a total of 51 normal and DRS overtakes - above the season average of 43 moves. However, DRS overtakes accounted for 57% of these. It will be interesting to see if this is repeated, or whether the 2012 trend for a greater proportion of normal overtakes is maintained.

~ 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 + 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 ~

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

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Malaysian F1 Grand Prix 2012: Race Preview Feature - The Safety Car… and a special anniversary

By | Published Wednesday, 21 March 2012

The Malaysian Grand Prix holds the unique distinction of being the only Grand Prix circuit at which the Safety Car has not been officially deployed in the past ten years - in spite of often unpredictable weather conditions. With Mercedes-AMG once again supplying both the Official F1™ Safety Car and Official F1™ Medical Car for 2012 - the 17th season in which it has done so - it’s the perfect opportunity to look at how often this race-changing factor comes into play…


How much was the Safety Car used in 2011?
Last season saw the Safety Car deployed for 4.9% of the season - a total of 12 deployments, over seven races, for 61 laps or 284.3 kilometres. This compares to 21 deployments in 12 races in 2010, for a total of 7.8% of the season over 452.3 kilometres. This reduction was in spite of a significant increase in on-track overtaking through the combination of the Pirelli tyres and DRS rear wing system. However, while there was an overall reduction in Safety Car deployments, the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix featured five Safety Car phases over 32 laps, or 139.6 kilometres: this represented 45.7% of the race distance, a record in Formula One.

Which races feature the highest and lowest probabilities of Safety Car deployment?
The races with the highest historical probability of Safety Car deployment are in Singapore and Korea: every race held at these venues has seen at least one deployment (four races in Singapore, two in Korea). Canada (14 deployments in last nine races) and Monaco (13 deployments in last ten races) also feature prominently. As for the lowest likelihood, aside from the Indian circuit which has only hosted a single race, this is in Malaysia (no official deployments in the past ten years), Bahrain (one deployment in seven races) and Hungary (two deployments in last ten races).

Wasn’t the Safety Car deployed during the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix?
The Safety Car was indeed deployed on lap 32 of the race, before the event was red flagged on lap 33. However, the official race results only run to lap 31, so the Safety Car deployment is not considered for statistical purposes.

Which cars are used for the Official F1™ Safety Car and Official F1™ Medical Car?
The Official F1™ Safety Car is the SLS AMG, with a 6.3-litre V8 engine developing a peak output of 420 kW (571 hp) at 6800 rpm and maximum torque of 650 Nm at 4750 rpm. The engine, power train, suspension and braking system of the Safety Car are the same as those found in the standard production SLS AMG. The Official F1™ Medical Car is the C 63 AMG Estate, which produces 358 kW (487 hp) - an extra 30 hp compared to the standard model thanks to forged pistons, connecting rods and lightweight crankshaft from the SLS AMG. These components are three kilograms lighter than standard. The first Mercedes-AMG Safety and Medical Cars were the C 36 AMG, which was first used in 1996, although an AMG E-Class Coupe was occasionally used as the Medical Car as early as 1984.

111 years of sporting success

March 25 1901 was a Monday - a strange day for a motor race, to modern eyes. But in spite of inclement weather in the South of France, the second day of the 1901 Nice Speed Weeks saw the race for “speed cars” held over a route from Nice to Salon, and back; a total of 392.5 km on open roads. This was the first major outing of the year for the new Daimler competition vehicles, newly christened ‘Mercedes’ after one of the daughters of importer Emil Jellinek.

The new cars had attempted to race in Pau the previous month, but had failed shortly after the start. However, the Nice-Salon-Nice race proved more successful: driver Wilhelm Werner (mechanic to the Baron Henri de Rothschild) led by 12 minutes at the halfway point, and eventually won - after a bruising 6 hours, 45 minutes and 48 seconds of racing - by the healthy margin of 26 minutes and 10 seconds (by way of comparison, this would represent a lead of nearly 6 minutes in a 1.5 hour modern Grand Prix!), at an average of 58.1 kph.

Sunday marks the 111th anniversary of the first competition success for a Mercedes vehicle; in the intervening years, Mercedes - which became Mercedes-Benz in 1926 - has set new benchmarks in every series in which it has raced. Last Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix marked the 89th Formula One victory for Mercedes-Benz power, and the 36th win for the current generation of V8 engine, continuing a heritage that is longer than any other in the sport.
Official photos and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS

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

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Australian F1 Grand Prix 2012: Race Preview Feature - Regulation Changes for 2012

By | Published Sunday, 11 March 2012

It wouldn’t be a new Formula One season without a few new regulations to get our heads around. For 2012, they are relatively few in number, but have had a dramatic impact on the look of the current generation of Formula One cars - and also have the potential to alter the sporting outcome of races. Here are the most important new sections of the 2012 Sporting and Technical Regulations.


Sporting Regulations

• Maximum race time: Art. 5.3, no race may now last longer than a maximum of four hours. Last year’s Canadian Grand Prix lasted a total of 4hrs 4min 39.537s, although only 57min 10s were actually spent at racing speed!

• Driving etiquette: Arts. 20.2 & 20.3, drivers may no longer leave the track without “justifiable reason”, while the acceptable limits of defensive driving have now been formally written into the rules. Drivers may not make “more than one change of direction to defend a position” and, when moving back onto the racing line, must leave racing room - “at least one car width” - between their car and the edge of the track.

• Crash testing: Art. 22.2, all mandatory crash tests must be completed prior to a team conducting any track testing. This was previously only mandatory for race events.

• In-season testing: Art. 22.4 (i), provision has now been made for one three-day in-season test, to be held in Mugello from 1 to 3 May. MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS topped the tables for average daily mileage in pre-season testing, completing an average of 472 km per official test day with the F1 W03. The car completed a total of 4,250 km over nine official test days, plus a further 200 km during filming days, with just two on-track stoppages.

• Team curfew exemptions: Art. 30.19, team catering, marketing and media personnel are now formally exempted from the curfew observed by other team members.

• New Safety Car rules: Art. 40.12, if it is considered safe to do so, cars that have been lapped by the leader will be allowed to unlap themselves under the Safety Car. This will have the effect of putting the field in position order at every restart and leaving all cars free to race, rather than the leaders having to pass backmarkers, thus improving the racing - in 2011 in Singapore, after the Safety Car period, the presence of backmarkers allowed Sebastian Vettel to build a nine-second lead over second-placed Jenson Button in a single lap! The Safety Car was deployed a total of 12 times over seven races in 2011, compared to 21 times over 12 races in 2010.

Technical Regulations

• Lower nose height: Art. 3.7.9, “No bodywork situated more than 1950mm forward of the rear face of the cockpit entry template may be more than 550mm above the reference plane.” This apparently anodyne sentence is at the root of the distinctive stepped-nose appearance of the majority of 2012 Formula One cars, as the maximum permitted chassis height remains at 625mm above the reference plane.

• Reduced tolerances: Art 3.12.6, permitted manufacturing tolerances for aerodynamic components have been reduced by some 40% to 3mm (from 5mm previously).

• Throttle and exhaust controls: Arts. 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, the regulations covering these areas now amount to a total of 954 words (!) and regulate the use of engine throttles, engine torque demands and the positioning of exhaust outlets. This section of the rules is over ten times longer than it was 12 months ago: in 2011, the same regulations were totalled just 89 words, a reflection of the complexity of the ‘blown diffuser’ systems the new regulations aim to outlaw.

• Additional load test: Art. 18.9.2, an additional vertical load test on the lateral impact structures on the chassis brings to 18 the total number of load and impact tests a chassis must pass in order to receive FIA homologation.

* Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS *

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

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Brazilian F1 Grand Prix 2011: Race Preview Feature - Season Overtaking Analysis (MGP)

By | Published Wednesday, 23 November 2011

Overtaking – how much, not enough, or too much of the ‘wrong’ sort – has been a frequent topic throughout the 2011 season, since the advent of DRS (the Drag Reduction System) and Pirelli tyres. What is beyond all doubt is that the overall levels of overtaking have climbed to record levels – there have been nearly 1500 passes so far in 18 races. However, no standard definition of an overtaking manoeuvre exists. The figures used below are calculated for strategic purposes, which are reflected in the categorisation, and compiled from a combination of video, timing data and GPS technology. Overtakes are classed as follows: Normal/DRS/Slow Cars (referring to HRT, Lotus and Virgin, as the strategic value of these overtakes is different)/Team-Mates (one driver can choose to let another pass)/Damage/Lap One.


How many overtaking manoeuvres have been made in 18 races this season?
So far, there have been 1436 overtaking manoeuvres in all categories. Excluding overtakes categorised as ‘Lap One’ or because of damage, there have been 1180 manoeuvres. The combined total of ‘Normal’ and ‘DRS-assisted’ moves – the indicator of what most observers consider to be ‘clean’ overtaking – is 804 overtakes. This gives an average of 45 normal and DRS overtakes per race.

What is the breakdown of overtaking manoeuvres within these totals?
There have been 441 normal overtakes this season and 363 DRS overtakes; from the total of 804 clean overtakes, 55% were normal and 45% were DRS. 300 overtakes were on the three slowest teams by faster cars, with passes between team-mates accounting for 76 overtakes.

Which races have seen the most overtakes and which the least?
The highest number of clean overtakes were recorded in Turkey (85), Canada (79) and China (67). The races with the fewest were Monaco (16), Australia (17) and India (18). Nine races featured fewer than 50 clean overtakes; eight races featured more than 50. There have been an average of 45 clean overtakes per race – broken down to 25 normal overtakes and 20 with DRS.

What has been the ratio of DRS to normal passes through the season?
The highest ratio of DRS overtakes to normal, ie where the influence of DRS was greatest, were: Abu Dhabi (89%), Europe (81%), India (78%), Turkey (59%) and Spain (57%). The lowest ratio of DRS overtakes to normal were: Monaco (13%), Hungary (20%), Canada (22%), Japan (26%) and Great Britain (27%) – it should be noted that three of these five races featured wet or mixed conditions, and use of DRS was restricted for portions of the race in Canada and Great Britain. DRS overtakes have outnumbered normal moves in eight of 18 races.

Has the ratio of DRS passes changed during the season?
In the first nine races of the season, there were on average 21 DRS overtakes per race – on average, 45% of clean overtakes. The influence of DRS has remained stable in the second nine races of the year: there were on average 20 DRS overtakes per race, representing on average 46% of clean overtakes.

Which driver has been the top overtaker in 2011?
The following figures are corrected for retirements of cars ahead, but only positions gained are considered. Buemi has made a total of 112 overtakes in 2011 – closely followed by Michael (111), Kobayashi (95), Alguersuari (90) and Perez (89). This total can be broken down into gains between the start and the end of sector one (top starter), gains on the first lap and gains in the race not including lap one.

Who has been the top starter in 2011?
The top starter is Michael, who has gained a total of 34 positions; next up come Buemi (29), Kovalainen (28), Liuzzi (20) and Kobayashi (19). In contrast, the driver who has gained the fewest positions in sector one is Vettel, with just one place gained all season, reflecting the fact that he has only once failed to qualify on the front row in 18 races, including 14 pole positions.

Who has gained most positions on the first lap in 2011?
In total terms, Michael, Buemi and Kovalainen also lead this table, having gained 40, 30 and 26 positions respectively on lap one. Discounting gains made in sector one, the top-ranked driver is D’Ambrosio, who has gained 8 places between the end of sector one and lap one.

Finally, who has done the most overtaking in the races after lap one?
This classification is headed by Perez and Buemi, both with 82 overtakes. They are followed by Button (77), Webber (76), Alguersuari (74) and Michael (71).

* Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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UAE F1 Grand Prix 2011: Race Preview Feature - Season Pit Stop Analysis (MGP)

By | Published Thursday, 10 November 2011

The combination of DRS and Pirelli tyres has made 2011 a bumper year for Formula One, but not just in terms of on-track passing manoeuvres. The characteristics of the Pirelli tyres, designed to improve the racing, have also seen the total number of pit stops rise steeply - so far, there have been an average of 58 stops per race. Slick pit work has always been important in Formula One, but the frequency with which the pit crews have been in action this year has brought both speed and consistency to the fore.


How many pit stops have there been so far in the 2011 season?
There have been 1013 trips through the pits in the 17 races so far this season. Of these, 25 were accounted for by penalties - 21 drive-through and four stop-go’s. This leaves the total number of pit stops in the 2011 season at 988.

Which races saw the most number of pit stops, and which the fewest?
The races with the most pit stops were Hungary (85), Turkey (80) and Spain (77). The fewest stops were made in Italy (35), Monaco (41) and Australia (44).

What has been the incidence of drive-through and stop-go penalties?
A total of 25 penalties have been served during the races this season: 21 drive-through penalties and four stop-go penalties. The stewards have imposed a total of 49 penalties during the season, including eight reprimands and two exclusions. The offence which has occurred most often is that of ‘Causing a collision’, which has been penalised 12 times during the races.

How is pit stop speed measured?
Two separate factors can be evaluated when assessing pit stop speed: the ‘wheel-stop’ time, i.e. the time taken to change all four wheels from the point when the car reaches a standstill in the pits, and the total pit-lane time - i.e. the time between entering and leaving the speed-limited section of the pit lane. Teams measure wheel-stop times using in-house methods – and a stop below three seconds in race conditions is considered extremely competitive. The total pit-lane times are measured centrally, and therefore form the most reliable basis for comparison.

Who has recorded the fastest pit stops in 2011?
In 17 races, Red Bull has recorded the fastest individual stop on eight occasions. MERCEDES GP PETRONAS has done so seven times (including in three of the last four races), and McLaren and Ferrari once each. However, in order to build a complete picture of pit stop speed, the average pit stop time is more representative. The team calculates this using a method that discounts repair stops, which require different procedures and are not therefore ‘clean’ tyre changes. Additionally, stops carried out under the safety car are ignored if pit lane traffic significantly affected performance.

Who has completed the fastest stops on average this season?
Red Bull set the fastest average time of the weekend nine times (Malaysia, Turkey, Spain, Canada, Europe, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, India). MERCEDES GP PETRONAS did so five times (China, Germany, Singapore, Japan, Korea). McLaren has twice been fastest (Australia and Britain) and Force India once (Monaco). In seventeen races, the fastest single stop and the fastest average stops have been set by the same team nine times. Using the average stop-time calculations, an overall league table can be drawn up, reflecting the consistency in speed of each team.

After 17 races, it stands as follows:
NB: Rights-free pit stop footage, including interviews with the drivers and team personnel, can be downloaded from: http://content.mercedes-gp.com/category/michael-schumacher-and-nico-rosberg-pit-stop-formula-one

* Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Indian F1 Grand Prix 2011: Race Preview Feature - Simulating New Circuits (MGP)

By | Published Tuesday, 25 October 2011

The Formula One drivers will only turn a wheel for the first time at the Buddh International Circuit on Friday morning. But although those practice laps will mark the beginning of a new learning process, the teams and drivers are far from starting from zero when they actually take to the track. Preparations for the race have been underway for nearly a year - and by race day, around one million simulations of the race will already have been completed.


When did the team’s first preparations begin for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix?
The process of preparing for a new race begins with the logistical challenges rather than the technical ones. The team’s travel department conducted a recce of the local area in December 2010, and made hotel reservations shortly afterwards. The logistics crew generally make a visit around nine months ahead of the race, in order to plan the layout of the garage, access routes and storage areas. In terms of technical preparations, these begin with architects’ plans of the circuit. The elevation and camber provided on these are used to construct a basic track map for virtual simulation, around six weeks before the event. This map is gradually improved as more information becomes available from the FIA and the circuit. In recent years, circuits have only been completed very shortly before the first race weekend - and the same is true for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix - which means the team cannot make a digitised map of the track. Set-up simulations, which provide the baseline settings for the car at the start of the opening practice sessions, are carried out the week before the event.

What factors are taken into account when devising the baseline set-up?
Circuit characteristics can be distinguished from a basic two-dimensional map. Factors such as downforce levels, braking duty and g-force loadings are all a function of the circuit’s geometry, and basic simulations will provide a direction for those parameters. Initial simulation suggests that the cars will spend around 65% of the lap at full throttle, with the longest full throttle period of 14.5 seconds, between turns three and four. The cars will exceed 285 kph at three points around the lap, while the fastest corner is expected to be turn 12, which is expected to be taken at 255 kph. The maximum g-loading around the circuit is expected to be 4.0 G, at Turns 5, 9 and 11.

How is the driver-in-the-loop simulator used before the event?
The basic nature of the track map means that the simulator can only be used for basic familiarisation with the circuit, because the track map is not detailed enough to include information such as bumps and kerbs which influence set-up tuning. The team will generally complete around 100 laps (nearly two race distances) in the simulator, programmed with a variety of fuel loads and grip levels, to ensure as many possible scenarios as possible are covered. In addition to using the driver-in-the-loop simulator, the team conducts strategy simulations to analyse as many race outcomes as possible. By race day, we will have performed around one million iterations of the potential race, which are used to inform decisions about how to approach qualifying and the race itself.

What preparation do the drivers have to do for a new circuit?
Like with other circuits, they must be familiar with the KERS deployment schedule (when KERS is deployed to the greatest performance advantage around the circuit), the DRS zones and also the pit-entry and exit lines, for speed limiter activation and deactivation. In terms of learning the circuit, the drivers will conduct their usual track walk on Thursday to inspect it on foot, and potentially note specific signs and markings that they will need to be aware of when in the car. In terms of learning the circuit, this is an ongoing process through the weekend, as grip levels increase, and the team structures its practice programmes to give the drivers maximum time to familiarise themselves with the intricacies of the layout.

Which track does the new Buddh International Circuit most resemble?
The circuit has similarities to Turkey, with a long main straight and a very long, sweeping corner (Turns 10 and 11) that resembles the triple-apex Turn Eight in Turkey. However, while Turn Eight was taken with an average corner speed of 270 kph, in India the corners are expected to be taken at 170 kph (Turn 10) and 210 kph (Turn 11) respectively. The lap time and speed will be very much dependent on the grip level achieved by the Pirelli tyres on the new asphalt surface. A lap time of 1:25.000 would correspond to an average lap speed of 218 kph, while a lap time of 1:30.000 would equate to an average lap speed of 205 kph.

* Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Korean F1 Grand Prix 2011: Race Preview Feature - Track Evolution (MGP)

By | Published Tuesday, 11 October 2011


In 2010, the Korea International Circuit registered the greatest decrease in lap times between first practice and qualifying as the circuit rubbered-in: the pole time was 5.302 seconds faster than the quickest time in practice one, compared to an average dry weather improvement of around 2.5 seconds. That’s typical for a new circuit on which the cars are running for the first time, and also strongly characteristic of little-used street circuits. But what exactly happens during the processing of ‘rubbering-in’? Here’s an explanation…


In what condition does the circuit usually begin the race weekend?
Almost all circuits begin the weekend in a condition that is termed ‘green’ - even if rubber has been laid down on the racing line, any previous running will not have been with the same sticky tyres as used in Formula One.

What happens when a circuit rubbers in?
‘Rubbering-in’ describes the process by which tyre rubber is deposited on the racing line as a result of the 24 cars running during practice. This forms a layer of rubber on the track, which is then compressed on the racing line and increases grip levels. As the cars run around, they also clean the circuit: dust and grit on the track surface are either picked up by the tyres, or blown away by the aerodynamics on the underside of the cars.

How does temperature affect this process?
The tyre choice made by Pirelli for each event takes into account the historical air and track temperatures, to ensure that the selection is appropriate. A historically hotter track may therefore require a harder compound, because softer rubber might wear too fast. The effects of temperature on the process of rubbering-in are secondary to compound softness.

Has the process of rubbering-in changed significantly with the Pirelli tyres used in 2011?
There haven’t been any significant changes compared to previous years, as the compounds do not appear to be particularly softer or stickier than last season. However, the tyres do wear more, so while the circuits do not rubber in to any greater extent, the marbles produced by the tyres are more significant than last year.

What’s the difference between rubbering-in and the formation of marbles?
Marbles are small chunks of rubber thrown off the tyres, which collect off the racing line, and are a function of the tyres’ wear rate. They are therefore not flattened down, and give the same effect as driving on marbles if the driver runs off line. Equally, the dust and grit that is cleared from the racing line does not clear from other parts of the circuit, which means the penalty for running off line at a dusty circuit generally increases as the weekend goes on.

Does the circuit configuration make a difference to how a circuit rubbers in?
Yes: the more cornering involved over the lap, the more rubber is laid down. In Korea last year, the best sector time in the first sector improved by 3.2% between first practice and qualifying, and 45% of this sector is spent cornering. In comparison, the times in sector two improved by 6.2% (79% of sector spent cornering) and in sector three by 6.7% (77% spent cornering).

Which circuits rubber in most significantly?
Generally, street circuits - Monaco in particular, and Melbourne, Singapore and Valencia to a lesser extent. At circuits like these, times will generally come down by 5.5% (up to five seconds) from the beginning of practice to qualifying. The other factor to remember is overnight rain: a reasonable amount of precipitation will result in a return to almost completely green track conditions, with a loss of up to two seconds of lap time.

* Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *

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