Mercedes Benz

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Suzuka Circuit, Japan, Oct 03, 2009

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-24-02
P3 programme
- 1m32.789s (19 laps, 16th)

Qualifying
- Q1 1m30.917s (on Option, 2nd)
- Q2 1m30.627s (on Option, 2nd)
- Q3 1m32.395s (on Option, 3rd overall)

After struggling with a difficult and unresponsive car during this morning’s P3 session, the team made some lengthy adjustments to MP4-24 ahead of the qualifying session. The changes clearly worked, transforming the car and enabling Lewis to match the frontrunners during all three sessions. He lines up third on the grid for tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix.


“We didn’t expect to be as competitive as we were this afternoon,” Lewis said later. “Our car was tricky this morning and we had to make some significant changes between sessions. It was impossible to extract the best from the car, especially through the first sector. We didn’t have much time to develop a dry set-up so we went into qualifying hoping that the changes would work – and they did.

“I’ve said it before, but I really love this circuit, it’s so much fun and has such history and character; I feel honoured and overwhelmed to be driving where the great drivers of the past have raced.

“I would love to win here tomorrow, and I’ll do everything I can to do so: I’ll drive my heart out. Although the Red Bull will be very hard to beat, there’s a long run down to Turn One and our KERS is working better than ever. Sebastian has more to worry about than I do, too. He’ll be looking at the world championship, I’m just here to have a good time and score some points for my team to help us move further up the constructors’ championship table.”

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
- MP4-24-03
P3 programme
- 1m32.546s (22 laps, 8th)

Qualifying
- Q1 1m31.499s (on Option, 12th)
- Q2 1m31.223s (on Option, 9th)
- Q3 No time (9th overall)

Heikki reported fewer problems with his car than Lewis in the morning’s session and satisfactorily honed his car until he felt he had extracted a good deal of performance from the chassis ahead of qualifying.

He eased through the first two sessions (in 12th and ninth), but, as he began his first flying lap, he lost the car through the high-speed Turn Eight and ended up against the tyre barrier. By virtue of Sebastien Buemi’s earlier shunt (at the end of Q2), Heikki will start the race from ninth tomorrow.

“I went a bit too fast into Turn Eight, over the kerb, and the car broke out and I couldn't get it back on the track. So it was game over.

“Today’s three accidents prove that everybody is pushing the limit as much as possible as the running time in the dry was very limited. The car felt good, the balance was okay and we should be in good shape for tomorrow.

“I now hope that the damage on my car won’t be so bad that my mechanics have to spend the night repairing it.”

COMMENTS

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“After very limited dry running prior to today’s qualifying session, Lewis did a great job to qualify third. As a result, starting from the clean side of the track, assisted by KERS Hybrid, he should be able to make good progress off the startline tomorrow. We weren’t happy with his car this morning, but he and his engineers worked patiently yet determinedly in the gap between today’s sessions, and the results were clear to see.

“Heikki ran wide at Turn Eight when pushing hard in Q3, and lost the car and the lap as a result, but these things happen when you’re really on it – and, to be fair to Heikki, he’s made very few such mistakes this year. Besides, with a carefully crafted strategy, backed up by some forceful driving on his part, he should be able to make up some places during the course of tomorrow’s race.

“So, in summary, having bagged a dozen world championship points in Singapore last weekend, our intention is to score heavily again here in Japan.”

NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“What a qualifying session – three times red flags, and finally P3 for Lewis who, again, did an excellent job on this challenging track that he has never driven on before.

“Lewis’s lap time for third place on the grid after three pole positions in the last four grands prix is less than two and a half tenths down on Sebastian Vettel’s pole time whom I sincerely wish to congratulate for his first place of today.

“However, it is quite a long way into the first corner here at Suzuka and I am sure Lewis is planning to give the two guys ahead of him a run for their money tomorrow once the race has started.

“Heikki suffered from an off in Q3 after a very solid performance during his first Suzuka weekend, being quickest yesterday and today and being also fully competitive until his unplanned excursion.

“After three very hectic and challenging qualifying sessions, the most important news is that Timo Glock is safe after his accident. Everyone in our team wishes Timo well, and I am sure the whole paddock – and especially his German fans back home – have the same feelings.”





Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Oct 02, 2009 – The Stuttgart-based automobile manufacturer Daimler AG has won four first places in the Europe-wide survey to decide the 2009 Internet Auto Awards. The Mercedes-Benz B-Class was voted Europe's most popular van, for which it received the "Carolina" Trophy. The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG took first place in the online vote for the most popular new product at this year's Frankfurt International Motor Show. The editors of AutoScout24 declared "e-mobility Berlin" with the smart electric drive to be the best environmental initiative – the first large-scale project for urban electro-mobility. The best innovation was the SPLITVIEW technology that now enables the driver and front passenger to see different displays on one and the same screen at the same time.


For the eighth time AutoScout24, Germany's best-known online automobile market-place, conducted an online survey to establish Europe's most popular cars and the best automobile-related ideas. In the "Vans and Compact Vans" category, the majority of the more than 250,000 users gave first place to the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. This year 331 models in nine vehicle categories competed for Europe's largest public awards in the automobile sector.

In voting the Mercedes-Benz B-Class the most popular van, the participants above all acknowledged the fact that it combines the advantages of different vehicle concepts: this four-door model has the dynamic design of a sports saloon, the exterior dimensions of a compact car, the spaciousness of an estate car and the variability of a minivan.

The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was the undisputed No. 1 attraction at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. This is shown by an online public survey conducted in connection with the show by AutoScout24. By a wide margin, the new Gullwing model was voted the most popular among 27 new product presentations. This means that immediately after its world premiere, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has received its first sought-after award in the form
of the Carolina Trophy.

The editors of AutoScout24 voted the project "e-mobility Berlin" with the smart electric drive the best environmental initiative. In cooperation with RWE and with the support of the federal German government and the city of Berlin, Daimler AG is currently creating the conditions for locally emission-free driving under battery-electric power in the German capital. Equipped with the innovative, highly efficient lithium-ion battery, more than 100 electric cars with environmentally friendly drive units will be on the roads as part of this project. The cars Daimler is using are the smart fortwo electric drive and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class with electric drive. Deliveries of the first vehicles will commence at the end of this year.

In the special category "Best Innovation", for which an award was also presented by the editors of AutoScout24, Mercedes-Benz also took first place with the new SPLITVIEW technology. This system available in the S-Class enables the driver and front passenger to see two different displays on the same screen at the same time. While the driver is e.g. following the navigation instructions, the front passenger can be watching a film on the same screen.



Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Mercedes-Benz's flagship coupe, the CL-Klasse, is due for a mid-lifecycle facelift that will also bring this model a new designation:S-Klasse Coupe. Spy photographers managed to capture on tape a prototype, that was probably undergoing the final part of its testing programme.


Subtle changes are expected for the exterior, as in the case of the S-Klasse FL:slightly redesigned headlights featuring a more pronounced upper lid, the addition of LED DRL, an E-Klasse Coupe-inspired radiator grille with 2 louvres, refreshed front air intakes and bumper, new mirrors, new exhausts and LED technology for the tail lights. The interior will receive the revised steering wheel from the S-Klasse FL, new, high-quality materials and colour combinations, as well as the latest infotainment and safety packages that were premiered this year, on the new E- & S-Klasse.

No major alterations in the powerplants offer are programmed, only minor updates to the already existing units that will provide them with more fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emmissions.

Mercedes-Benz will probably introduce the new S-Klasse Coupe in the following weeks, or, if not, we'll just have to wait either until December(Los Angeles Auto Show) or January 2010(NAIAS Detroit).




Source of the photos:Autobild

Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Suzuka Circuit, Japan, Oct 02, 2009

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
- MP4-24-03
P1 programme
- 24 laps
- 1m40.356s (1st)
P2 programme
- 0 laps -

The morning’s damp but drying track made it difficult to conduct much meaningful work as the circuit conditions were continually moving away from the use of wet-weather tyres.


Heikki started his programme on Extreme tyres, completing a single installation lap and a three-lap run (1m49.134s best laptime) before the drying track required a switch to Intermediate tyres for the remainder of the session.

Heikki completed three more runs (four laps/1m43.127s, six laps/1m41.757s and one lap/1m40.356s), always mindful of looking after the delicate Intermediates in the drying conditions. His final run at the very end of the session secured him fastest time of the morning.

Neither Heikki nor his engineers considered it worthwhile to venture out during the afternoon’s monsoon conditions.

Heikki said: “This morning the track was in a better condition than it was in the afternoon so we decided not to go out in second practice. We think tomorrow and Sunday will be dry so we didn't want to risk any damage to the car in these tricky conditions.

“We also felt that we wouldn’t benefit at all from doing any additional running. In the morning, it was not so bad – it was drying out quite well so we could also use the Intermediate tyre, which worked well. I like this track, it has some very good corners and the grip level is very high. Obviously, the Japanese make very good Tarmac as this was also the case in Fuji!”

LEWIS HAMILTON
- MP4-24-04
P1 programme
- 15 laps
- 1m41.443s (6th)
P2 programme
- 5 laps
- 1m47.983s (4th)

“This track is awesome!” were Lewis’s first words to his mechanics as he was wheeled back into the garage after his first run around Suzuka this morning.

Starting on Extremes and completing a single run (1m46.974s best), Lewis found the conditions not wet enough to continue and switched to the Intermediate tyre. He conducted an exploratory run (three laps/1m42.642s) before sitting out much of the session in the hope of driving on a dry line. However, the dampness remained and Lewis ran a final three-lap stint (1m41.443s) to finish the morning session in sixth position.

In the afternoon, Lewis left his running until as late as possible, completing just three flying laps in the very wet conditions. His best time of 1m47.983s was fourth fastest.

“This is the best track I’ve ever driven,” Lewis said afterwards. “It’s something very special for me and I had a great time today, even though it was wet. We didn’t do much running – we weren’t supposed to be running this afternoon, but I couldn’t help it: I just had to go out and have a little bit of fun!

“I’ve heard it’s going to be dry for the race, I’m just looking forward to getting out there in the dry and seeing how fast you can push around here.”

COMMENTS

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“Firstly, it feels fantastic to be back at Suzuka for the first time since 2006. It’s such a mighty racetrack and has clearly caught the imaginations of both our drivers. The organisers have done a fantastic job with the facility’s refurbishment, creating a world-class venue without losing any of the unique character that this place has.

“And although the poor weather made it difficult to appraise our speed relative to our rivals, we’re encouraged by our performance today: Lewis was immediately on the pace during every single one of his runs and Heikki finished P1, comfortably quicker than his nearest rivals.

“Nonetheless, with dry weather forecast for Sunday’s race, and mixed conditions still expected tomorrow, we still have a lot of work to complete to fully prepare us for what could be both an unpredictable qualifying session and a tricky and eventful race.”

NORBERT HAUG
Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“A typical Suzuka day, really. Tomorrow’s weather should be better, and on Sunday it should be fine according to the forecast. Having said that, the conditions traditionally change very quickly at this circuit.

“Heikki posted the fastest time of the morning session which nobody could improve in the very wet afternoon practice – but this of course does not mean a lot in judging the competitive order of the field after the few laps that have been done by everybody today.

“It is remarkable what the racetrack owners have invested here to improve working conditions for the teams at this great circuit, and the new pit building is absolutely state of the art.”



Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

November 1969 - Daimler-Benz Research founded

The world's first automobile was a three-wheeler

Enjoy reading!


Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Preview November 2009

PREVIEW OF ANNIVERSARIES 2009

8 November 1909 – 100 years ago:
Victor Héméry set two world records on the Brooklands racetrack in England with the Benz 200 hp. This record-breaking car, which later became known as the Lightning Benz, was the first car to break the 200 km/h barrier.

November 1969 – 40 years ago:
Daimler-Benz AG set up its Central Research division, which was directed for many years by Hans Scherenberg.

26 November 1984 – 25 years ago:
The all-new “Mercedes mid-range” generation, the 124 series, featuring 200 D to 300 E models, was presented in Seville, Spain. This was the successor to the highly successful 123 series.


Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

The second generation of the popular 4door coupe from Stuttgart will make its official debut in late 2010 as a 2011 model. The test prototypes have been running on streets since December 2008;the latest spy pics show the future CLS strolling on the Ring.


The next generation Mercedes-Benz CLS-Klasse is expected to showcase a premium evolution in terms of design compared to the current model. It is obvious that Mercedes designers have worked in order to refine the defining lines of the CLS:the boomerang-shaped headlights, the low profile, the frameless side windows, the classy, jewel-like tail lights. The most prominent part of the front fascia will be the radiator grille, which seems to have grown in dimensions. It will boast the generously-sized Mercedes star in the center, placed between 2 silver louvres.

In the interior, the 4door coupe will feature 4, extremely comfortable seats fitted with the already well-known pleasure functions(massage,ventilation,heating). Although it somehow copies the E-Klasse interior, the future CLS won't be that spacious, given the lowered roof and the absence of the fifth seat. The dashboard will use the W 212 as the basis and will reinterpret the theme found on the current CLS, with sexy & curvaceous lines.

The 2011 Mercedes CLS will share the technical platform with the new E-Klasse, but it won't use "under 6 cylinders" powerplants under the bonnet. The petrol units expected are the following:

- CLS 350 – 3.5 litres DI V6, with a total output of 292 BHP, that shall be increased to 306 BHP for 2012

- CLS 500 – 5.5 litres V8, with a total output of 388 BHP, that shall be replaced in 2012 by a completely new, direct-injection, twin-turbo V8 engine, delivering 435 BHP

- CLS 55 AMG – brand new, 5.5 litres twin-turbo direct-injection V8, with a maximum output of 570 BHP(from the summer of 2011)

whereas the diesel range will be restricted to only one version:

- CLS 320 CDI - 3.0 litres direct-injection diesel V6, capable of 224 BHP, that will be replaced by the new CLS 350 CDI with 313 BHP(from 2011)

A hybrid powertrain for the 2011 CLS, probably to be borrowed from the new S 400 HYBRID, is also possible. All the technologycal premieres that are currently found on the E- & S-Klasse will also be featured in the 4door coupe.

Mercedes-Benz will probably introduce its new CLS-Klasse at the Mondial de l'Automobile, in the fall of 2010.





Source of the photos:Car Magazine

Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.