Mercedes-Benz Celebrates 2014 F1 Season

A triumphant end to the 2014 Formula 1 season for Mercedes-Benz

A triumphant end to the 2014 Formula 1 season for Mercedes-Benz as MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS driver Lewis Hamilton wins the concluding race of the campaign at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi to take the Formula 1 world championship title for the second time in his career. His team-mate Nico Rosberg ends the season as runner-up. Between them, Hamilton and Rosberg accumulated 16 wins, 18 pole positions, 12 fastest laps and 31 podium finishes. With eleven one-two wins in a single season, the team surpassed the previous record set by McLaren in 1988. The 16th victory of the season in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix means that MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS no longer share the record with any other team for the highest number of wins in one season.

Mercedes-Benz celebrates one-two victory in the Formula 1 drivers’ world championship

Mercedes-Benz celebrates one-two victory in the Formula 1 drivers’ world championship

“Congratulations to the new Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton,” said Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “He has truly earned that title with a fantastic performance this year. At the same time, I would also like to congratulate his team-mate Nico Rosberg and all of our staff in Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart on this fascinating and highly successful season. Formula 1 is a team sport, and they have all achieved a magnificent result from their joint efforts this year. The fact is that world champions drive Mercedes-Benz. Motorsport has a long tradition at Mercedes-Benz. The very first Mercedes in 1901 was a racing car. Ever since the invention of the first automobile by Karl Benz, our company has been a force for innovation in the automotive industry. Right from the start, Mercedes-Benz regarded racing as a proving ground for some of our most important developments. The new Formula 1 regulations on hybrid power units has taken the sport in the same direction that the automotive industry was already heading. Formula 1 is carrying out pioneering work in areas that will also be of great importance in the car industry of the future.”

Mercedes-Benz already clinched the F1 constructors’ championship in the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi. MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS became the first team to win the trophy in the new Formula 1 hybrid era. The knowledge gained from using this advanced technology has already proved of immense benefit in car manufacturing. A prime example is the latest series of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, namely the S500 PLUG-IN HYBRID.

Mercedes-Benz celebrates one-two victory in the Formula 1 drivers’ world championship

Mercedes-Benz celebrates one-two victory in the Formula 1 drivers’ world championship

“What a great season! Congratulations to the new Formula 1 drivers’ champion Lewis Hamilton and to the constructors’ champions MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS,” said Professor Dr Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Group Research and Mercedes Benz Cars Development. “The success of our Silver Arrows works team in developing the Mercedes-Benz W05 F1 Hybrid is not only restricted to the racetrack, however. Formula 1 serves as the fastest research laboratory in the world. Nowhere else are new technologies so systematically and rapidly developed as in the highest echelon of motorsport. This is where racing and series production derive mutual benefit. In designing the world championship-winning F1 W05 Hybrid, the engineers in Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart made full use of existing synergies to ensure that the Silver Arrow would take the title in the first year of the new regulations. Conversely, Formula 1 itself comes up with new solutions that have general applicability. In this way, we have shown the world what is possible. The technology transfer between Formula 1 and series production is highly beneficial. In the past, technologies such as petrol direct injection have found their way into series production via the Silver Arrows of the 1950s. Today, the knowledge gained from Formula 1 can help with the similarly complex challenge of designing pioneering road vehicles such as the S 500 HYBRID PLUG IN. The objective is the same in both areas, namely the conversion of efficiency into superior performance.”

Winning both the drivers’ and the constructors’ world championships represents two special milestones for Mercedes-Benz in what was already a very special year. In 2014, the brand with the three-pointed star celebrates 120 years in motorsport and the 80th anniversary of the legendary Silver Arrows. In the 1954 and 1955 seasons, Juan Manuel Fangio in a Mercedes-Benz W 196 R won the drivers’ championship in the premier class of motor racing.

Mercedes-Benz celebrates one-two victory in the Formula 1 drivers’ world championship

Mercedes-Benz celebrates one-two victory in the Formula 1 drivers’ world championship

A giant TV screen was erected in the Mercedes-Benz Museum so that hundreds of Mercedes-Benz employees could watch the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and cheer on the two Silver Arrows. The new Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and team-mate Nico Rosberg will be attending Stars & Cars on 29th November 2014, a special event in and around the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart to mark the end of the sporting year. In addition to the Formula 1 champions and Mercedes-Benz DTM squad, the guest list for Stars & Cars will also include many other current and former celebrities from the motor racing world. Admission for the general public is free of charge.

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Practice

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS kicked off the final weekend of the 2014 Formula One season

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS kicked off the final weekend of the 2014 Formula One season at the top of the time sheets during practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Lewis and Nico separated by the narrowest of margins on a scorching opening day’s running at the Yas Marina Circuit.

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Practice

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Practice

  • Lewis topped the times during both the morning and afternoon session, with Nico P2 in each
  • 0.133 seconds separated the pair in the first session, with just 0.083 between them in the second session
  • Both drivers ran the soft compound Pirelli tyres only in the morning session, the soft and supersoft in the afternoon
  • Both cars ran trouble-free throughout each session

Lewis Hamilton

It’s been a good Friday. We’ve run the same programme as we run every race weekend but this time we had the whole of both sessions to work with the tyres, look at long runs, analyse setup and the countless other things you need to assess in practice which was great. We made good steps forward with the setup but, as always, there is still more time to be found. We’ll keep chipping away at it and look to improve in every area possible but the car feels great – the best I’ve ever driven here without doubt. The team have done an amazing job. Coming into the weekend I was already excited and couldn’t wait to get out on track. When you know you have a package as competitive as ours it’s like being a kid at Christmas. I don’t feel any particular pressure this weekend. I’ll just drive the way I always drive and what will be, will be. So far it’s all moving in the right direction so I just have to keep working away at it.

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Practice

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Practice

Nico Rosberg

It’s been a good day today but I really haven’t got my best lap together yet, so there is still a lot of work to do over the rest of the weekend. In general the car felt great out there today. I just need to fine-tune it so that the set-up is exactly to my liking, then go for it and get the job done. This track really is amazing. It’s always a highlight when darkness falls and the lights come up – just spectacular! It will be a great show here, so I hope the fans at the circuit and everyone watching at home enjoy it.

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Practice

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Practice

Toto Wolff

That was a positive Friday and we are pleased to have started off this title-deciding weekend with both cars running smoothly throughout. We completed our programme with plenty of laps on the board and our long runs shaping up as expected. Without doubt the tension and pressure are on – which is normal when the Championship comes down to the final Grand Prix of the season – but actually it doesn’t feel any greater than at any other race. There is a good spirit in the garage and we are all looking forward to seeing what the rest of the weekend holds.

 

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Practice

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Practice

Paddy Lowe

The final and most important Friday of this incredible season and, thankfully, all went to plan! We managed to complete our homework in the first and second sessions on the different tyres with no issues to report and both drivers were happy with the performance of the car. Our pace looks strong and we’ve got good data from the tyres that will help us plan for Sunday. We will be working hard overnight to optimise both qualifying and race setup with the objective of locking out the front-row and giving a clear competition between Lewis and Nico on Sunday. There are a few other cars that are quicker than they seem, so we are not taking anything for granted.

Rosberg and Hamilton Battle for Victory in Brazil

Nico Rosberg took victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix after a race-long battle with team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who completed a record-breaking one-two finish for the Silver Arrows at Interlagos

Nico Rosberg took victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix after a race-long battle with team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who completed a record-breaking one-two finish for the Silver Arrows at Interlagos.

  • Nico took his fifth victory of the season, Lewis his 15th podium finish from eighteen races
  • A 15th win of 2014 for the Silver Arrows equals the highest number of victories scored in a single season set by McLaren in 1988
  • The 11th one-two finish of 2014 for the team is a new all-time record, surpassing the previous best set in that same year
  • The team now has 651 Constructors’ Championship points – the most ever scored in a single season – surpassing the total set by Red Bull in 2011 with one race remaining
  • Lewis and Nico head into the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi with just 17 points separating them in the Drivers’ Championship
  • Both drivers started on the soft compound Pirelli tyre, stopping three times for mediums throughout the race

Nico Rosberg

That was a fantastic weekend and I felt very comfortable over the whole three days. I had to learn from Austin, which was a big disappointment, and I think I achieved that. I was able to control the pace a bit better and didn’t let Lewis come too close. He drove really well and was always right there pushing me. When he spun I had a bit of time to relax and was able to save some life in the tyres for the end of the stint. That worked out perfectly and it was a great day with another one-two for the team. I was also happy for Felipe to be on the podium with us at his home race. The Brazilian people have been so great to us throughout this the whole weekend so it was also a good day for them. Now we have a great finale to look forward to in Abu Dhabi. I’m still believing 100 per cent that I can make it but, of course, I will need some help from Felipe or Valtteri or Lewis himself.

Lewis Hamilton

Naturally, you’ll always be disappointed when you make a mistake and I did that today. But honestly, I felt great out there. The car was strong, my pace was good, I didn’t give up, kept pushing and made up the time so that’s what’s most important to me. Generally, when I’m told to push it means the team is bringing me in that lap so that’s what I did. In the end, they left me out for another lap which caught me by surprise. By the time I came round to do the second lap my rear tyres were gone from where I’d been pushing so hard. Even so, it was my mistake locking up the rears and ultimately that cost me the win. Nico drove a great race – defending well and not making any mistakes. But it’s clear I had the pace. It’s not a big deal, though. That’s motor racing. Obviously, I lost some points which is disappointing. But it’s a great team result with a record-breaking one-two finish and I really enjoyed the race. The car is just fantastic – the best I’ve ever driven – so a big thank you to the team for all their hard work. I’ll be pushing just as hard in Abu Dhabi and hopefully we’ll get to have another great race like we saw today.

Toto Wolff

I’m so proud of the team and what we have achieved today. What you see at the track on a race weekend is just the tip of the iceberg and there are so many hard working, intelligent, good people who contributed to the success of the car and of this season. If I could, I would want to mention the names of everybody. Although you see a couple of public faces, the results are only possible because the team is strong and sticks together. Numbers like 11 one-two finishes, 15 wins and 30 podiums in a season make me incredibly proud of my colleagues and humble at what we have achieved together. Today’s race was a pure battle between Nico and Lewis, with no quarter asked or given. The deciding moment probably came when Lewis spun on lap 28. That gave Nico some breathing room and, although Lewis seemed to have the better speed today, Nico was able to absorb the pressure from then all the way to the flag. It was a fantastic performance from both of them and sets up the prospect of a thrilling finale in Abu Dhabi. No matter which way that race goes, either driver would be a very worthy World Champion at the end of a fantastic season.

Paddy Lowe

We have been saying all week that Brazilian Grands Prix are usually full of drama and this one was no exception. Although the weather didn’t play a disruptive role, we saw a brilliant all-out battle between our two drivers that exemplified the incredible level of competition we have seen between them all season. Prior to the race, it was clear that tyre endurance would play a key role, after the teams had unanimously decided to bring a softer selection to this event than Pirelli had initially recommended. When conditions proved so hot and track temperatures so high, we thought that making a three-stop strategy would actually be quite tight, so we were pleased to find the tyres actually behaved better than our predictions had suggested. It is an incredible achievement to score our 11th one-two finish of the season and to write a line in the history books of the sport. 1988 was my first season in Formula One and that year saw records set that I thought would never be broken. It is hard now to get my head round the fact that we have set a new benchmark. That is a real tribute to the achievements of the team. Congratulations to everybody in Stuttgart, Brixworth and Brackley on reaching this milestone.

World Championship Celebrations at Brackley and Brixworth

The past two days have seen celebrations at Brackley and Brixworth as the team commemorated the first ever FIA Formula 1 World Constructors Championship title for Mercedes-Benz

The past two days have seen celebrations at Brackley and Brixworth as the team commemorated the first ever FIA Formula 1 World Constructors Championship title for Mercedes-Benz in a landmark year for the marque. 60 years have passed since the three-pointed star took victory in its first ever Formula One Grand Prix in Reims, and 80 years since the Silver Arrows were born at the 1934 Eifelrennen. In the year that Mercedes-Benz has celebrated 120 years of motorsport achievement, the 2014 campaign stands as a fitting tribute to the impeccable standards of success established in years gone by.
With 13 wins, 35 podium finishes, 16 pole positions and 14 fastest laps from 16 races, the Mercedes-Benz PU106A Hybrid Power Unit has taken 64% of all available World Championship points thus far in 2014, leading 88% of racing laps in the process. Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz F1 W05 Hybrid has taken 34% of points available, leading 85% of racing laps.

Across the two days, drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg and senior management have visited both factories – addressing the masses, congratulating team members as a group and individually, and joining in with the celebrations:

Niki Lauda, Non-Executive Chairman, MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team

“I’m very happy to stand in front of everybody here today. Many years ago, I was fighting as a racing driver to achieve a World Championship. You win one race, you lose another, you keep going until one day you are World Champion. On the evening I became World Champion I thought I hadn’t done a bad job, as I had driven the car to the title. Standing here today, however, is a totally different experience. Every one of our people can now call themselves a World Champion – and that is because they have all worked together as a winning team. We have three more races and we must keep on pushing to make sure our drivers have an equal chance to win their title. Then, we must push even harder to keep winning year after year – and it will only get tougher. But I believe we have the people to do that. It’s a great achievement.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“What a moment. When I was driving to the factory after Russia I remembered when I first joined the team, how inspired I was by everybody I met. Not a day has passed since that I don’t walk through the factories and feel the same inspiration. We have such an intelligent, hard-working group of people. Winning the very first Constructors’ Championship for Mercedes-Benz is a moment of immense pride for all of us and this the moment to recognise everybody involved in that team effort – starting with Ross Brawn, who was an inspiring figure at the team and laid the foundations for our current success. I thank each and every one of these great people for their involvement in what we have achieved and raise a toast to their efforts – the best of the best.”
Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical)
“Getting a one-two finish in Russia was the perfect way to wrap up what I hope will be the first of many Constructors’ Championships for Mercedes-Benz. It’s fantastic to be a part of this great team and I think we have all the ingredients to continue this success. My congratulations go to everyone at Brackley and Brixworth for the tremendous effort they have put in to achieving this.”

Nico Rosberg

“So this is it – we’re actually standing here now as World Champions! This has been a long time coming. Since I joined at the start of this project back in 2010 I expected this day to come as I’ve had such strong belief in this group of people from right back on day one. To be a part of that and to have finally achieved this Championship in such dominant fashion is a great feeling. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone for all their hard work. I hope they can really enjoy this moment, that there will be many more great moments to come and that this is just the beginning of a long era of success for the Silver Arrows.”

Lewis Hamilton

“I’m actually speechless at this moment. What an incredible feeling it is to be stood in front of all these incredible people. You almost have to take a step back and just think about what we’ve achieved together. I know it’s been a long road and many of the team have had to work through tough times to lay the foundations for what we’re seeing today am I’m incredibly grateful for all of their hard work. These past two years have been the best of my life – and that’s all down to everybody standing here today. The effort and the synergy here is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I’m excited for the future.”

It Is The Year of Mercedes-Benz in Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton won the first ever Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix today at the Sochi Autodrom, with teammate Nico Rosberg finishing second

Lewis Hamilton won the first ever Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix today at the Sochi Autodrom, with teammate Nico Rosberg finishing second after a strong recovery drive from a first lap pit-stop.

  • The 1-2 victory is the team’s ninth in 2014 and sealed the F1 Constructors’ Championship for Mercedes-Benz
  • This is the first time in 120 years of motorsport that Mercedes-Benz has won the World Championship as a constructor
  • Lewis’ win means he equals the record number of wins for a British driver, set by Nigel Mansell (31)
  • All of today’s top 5 finishers were powered by Mercedes-Benz, a fitting result to seal the company’s first Constructors’ title

Lewis Hamilton

It was a good day and an amazing weekend. Firstly I’m so proud to have contributed to the work of this great team, to get the first Constructors’ Championship for Mercedes-Benz is a huge achievement. Massive congratulations to the guys back in the UK and Germany, it’s history for us. Today I had to manage the tyres a lot through the race; managing the fuel wasn’t too bad. The car felt great and I didn’t have to push too hard. At the end, when Nico was behind, I needed to match his times, which I did. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the weekend here in Russia, it’s a great place. It’s been one of my favourite venues so far this year, so it’s very cool to have won the first race here. ‎The fans have been amazing; I didn’t know so many people followed it here but they were all there in the grandstands and looked excited! The organisers have also done a great job – the layout, the surface and the whole event; I take my hat off to them.

Nico Rosberg

We are World Champions! I feel so happy for the team and the whole Mercedes-Benz family, today we made history. Thanks to everybody for their efforts, also thanks to the husbands and wives to send us your partners to make this happen. I remember well the hard times we had in this team. So now it’s great to be so dominant in our sport. But I’m also divided. Today was a really tough race for me. I just messed up in the first corner. I simply braked too late, which was unnecessary. So I flat spotted my front tyres and it was impossible to continue due to the vibrations. I had to pit, and on the prime tyre I had great pace. In the middle of the race I thought the degradation would start to increase. But very soon it was stable and I was able to push a lot. Then I managed to overtake Bottas. Also still at the end I was able to push, but the team asked me to control the pace as everyone was worried about dropping at the very end of the race. P2 was damage limitation. I really look forward to the last 3 races of the year with this outstanding championship car.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars

It is a time of great pride and satisfaction to mark the first ever FIA Formula 1 World Constructors Championship to be won by a Silver Arrow. This victory is the product of many years of hard work combined with great commitment and exceptional engineering skill. And it has additional meaning for a manufacturer like Mercedes-Benz to succeed in a year of technological change. The new rules for the 2014 season gave us the opportunity to demonstrate the technical expertise of Mercedes-Benz on a world stage. Our engineers were able to develop not just the most powerful and most efficient Hybrid Power Unit but also the most intelligent solutions for our W05 Hybrid race car. With 13 wins from 16 races so far, our performance this year has been true to the promise of the Mercedes-Benz brand: The Best Or Nothing. My congratulations go to our Formula 1 team at Brackley and Brixworth on their achievement, to our drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, and to each and every one of my colleagues who has contributed to this success and supported our Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows.

I would also like to mark this moment by saying that our thoughts are with Jules Bianchi and his loved ones after his tragic accident at the Japanese Grand Prix. The plight of this bright, talented young sportsman overshadows any thought of sporting celebration today. Thanks to the excellent work of the FIA and the teams, Formula 1 today sets a benchmark standard for safety and I know that no stone will be left unturned by the President of the FIA, Jean Todt, and his experts, to ensure that the right lessons are learned from this tragic incident.

Toto Wolff

This is a great moment for our team but, first of all, we must not forget what happened last week. While we celebrate a hard-earned achievement today, we will not forget what happened to Jules in Suzuka and we will not forget the battle he is fighting at the moment. We are split in two today, celebrating a moment that we have worked so hard for, but this will never take away the sadness at the events of last weekend. Looking at this achievement, it’s incredible: I have to pinch myself that we are now part of Mercedes-Benz history. Today, our team won the first ever Formula 1 Constructors’ title for Mercedes-Benz and I feel proud and honoured to be part of this group. The foundations of this success were built by Ross and he played such an important role in the team to prepare this success. We have been able to continue that work, making the right decisions, putting the right resources in place and putting the team on an upward slope; today’s achievement is the result of that. Well done to every single member of the team in the UK and Germany for this world championship. Of course, the focus will now shift to the battle for the drivers’ title and this will stay as intense as ever for the final three races. We have a healthy lead over Ricciardo in third place but nothing will change in our approach: we want Lewis and Nico to race each other hard and respectfully, as they have done so far this year. They have both made a massive contribution to our success and huge credit goes to both of them for the Constructors’ title today.

Paddy Lowe

It is a fantastic achievement for the entire team to secure the first Formula 1 World Constructors Championship for Mercedes-Benz. This has been a combined effort of the teams in Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart and is the result of many years of dedicated hard work. At this point, I would especially like to recognise the pivotal role played by Ross Brawn in this success and congratulate him, too, on his part in this championship victory. As for this afternoon’s race, the biggest surprise was that we were able to run 52 laps on a single set of prime tyres with Nico’s car. After Lewis had made his pit-stop on lap 27 and we were able to analyse the tyre wear from his set of option tyres, it did not seem feasible that Nico could make it to the end without stopping again. However, his pace kept on improving and in the end we decided to take the gamble in order to try and secure second place. It worked out and, in my view, it was one of Nico’s best ever drives to recover from his mistake at Turn 1. Lewis drove a flawless race and didn’t put a foot wrong all afternoon; his was a commanding and controlled win. It is important to underline the huge contributions Nico and Lewis have made to achieving this Constructors’ Championship; their competitiveness and dedication keep driving the team forward. Finally, it was a pleasure to welcome an impressive new venue to our sport this weekend and to meet a new community of passionate racing fans here in Russia; congratulations to the organisers who delivered an excellent event.

2014 Japanese Grand Prix a Sobering Reminder to the Sport

Our thoughts and prayers and those of the entire AMG Petronas team are with Jules Bianchi, his family and the Marussia F1 Team at this time

Before discussing Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, it is important to note that our thoughts and prayers and those of the entire AMG Petronas team are with Jules Bianchi, his family and the Marussia F1 Team at this time.

2014 Japanese Grand Prix

2014 Japanese Grand Prix

After a premature red flag end after Bianchi’s accident, Lewis Hamilton won the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix with Nico Rosberg second, scoring the team’s eighth 1-2 finish of the year.

  • The race began behind the Safety Car in wet conditions, then was suspended at the end of lap two.
  • The race resumed at 15:25, once again behind the Safety Car, which then pitted at the end of lap 9.
  • From this point, the race ran uninterrupted on a wet track in mixed weather conditions.
  • Both drivers made two pit-stops (HAM: L14, L35; ROS: L13, L33) and ran wet/intermediate/intermediate tyres.
  • The race was brought to a premature end by a red flag on lap 44 after an accident for Jules Bianchi at Turn 7.
2014 Japanese Grand Prix

2014 Japanese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton

Our first thoughts go to Jules – it overshadows everything else when one of our colleagues is injured and we are praying for him. Next to this, the race result doesn’t seem significant at all. Nico and I had a tough battle‎, we were pushing really hard. I had a big moment at Turn One when I was too late getting off the DRS as I was just pushing so hard but fortunately I was able to get back on track. The conditions were difficult throughout but I had more pace than Nico today and could follow him quite comfortably in the early stages. This is not an easy circuit for following another car or for overtaking, but he made a mistake out of the last corner and I was able to pass. The whole approach then needed to change to look after the tyres and make sure I stayed in the lead until the end of the race. But like I said, that’s not what matters today; our thoughts are with Jules.

Nico Rosberg

My thoughts are with our colleague Jules and his family and team-mates, and we are hoping for some positive news. Today was a really tough race with the wet conditions. I struggled a lot with the balance of my car on the intermediate tyres, so I had to push hard to keep Lewis behind me. I had a lot of oversteering which is why the rear end of my car was very nervous. That was really strange and I didn’t have the necessary confidence in the corners; we need to look into that in the next few days. It meant that Lewis was quicker today and deserved the win. It was damage limitation with losing only seven points to him. For the team it was a good result with another1-2.

Toto Wolff

At this stage, the only important thing is that Jules Bianchi is okay and recovers; the sport is not as important as that now.

Paddy Lowe

Our thoughts are now with Jules Bianchi as we wait for more news of his condition. We had predicted a difficult race from the moment we saw the forecast for this weekend but the weather didn’t prove as bad as we had perhaps expected. It was a tricky start behind the Safety Car but then much of the race unfolded in intermediate tyre conditions. We pulled out a lead at the beginning which meant we were able to shadow our competitors with the pit stops and let the drivers battle it out on track. They had a hard dice and Lewis managed an impressive overtake at Turn One. In conditions like we saw today, a one-two finish is a good achievement for the team. I would also like to thank the fans, who were fantastic in their support this weekend – as always in Japan – and who make it such a pleasure to race here. But most importantly of all, we are all hoping to hear some positive news about Jules soon.

Impressive Victory for Mercedes AMG Petronas in Singapore

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS driver Lewis Hamilton took an impressive victory in the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix this evening, while Nico Rosberg was forced to retire in a tense race at the spectacular Marina Bay Street Circuit

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS driver Lewis Hamilton took an impressive victory in the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix this evening, while Nico Rosberg was forced to retire in a tense race at the spectacular Marina Bay Street Circuit.

2014 Singapore Grand Prix

2014 Singapore Grand Prix

  • Lewis completed a clean sweep of pole position, fastest lap and victory for the fifth time in his Formula One career
  • This marks Lewis’ 29th career Formula One win – his eighth for MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS
  • Nico was forced to retire on lap 13 after a steering column wiring loom failure
  • The malfunction was first detected on the laps to the grid and eventually left him stuck in neutral at his first pit stop
  • Lewis now leads the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship by three points from his team-mate
  • MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS continue to lead the Constructors’ Championship – now by a margin of 174 points

Lewis Hamilton

It was great to come here after winning in Monza and start the final leg of the season with such a competitive car. It would have been a really hardcore race if Nico had been at the front, as we clearly had the pace. It was all running pretty comfortably until the Safety Car came out, which gave me some problems. I was driving hard to build the gap but then the tyres started dropping off and I wasn’t sure what to do – keep pushing or back off to look after them. So we pitted straight away and I came out behind Seb. But I knew they were on a two-stop strategy and that his tyres were old. I went for it down the back straight – the gap was pretty small and maybe I could have chosen another point on the circuit. But I luckily squeezed through and made it stick. Of course, it’s not an ideal result with Nico retiring, so that shows we still have work to do to get on top of reliability. But it’s been a great job from the team at everyone at the factories to make this mega car. Now we need to keep pushing hard for Japan in two weeks’ time.

Nico Rosberg

The problems with my steering wheel began in the garage even before the race and it was a difficult moment when I couldn’t pull away from the grid – the car didn’t get out of neutral. When I left the pit-lane, I was only able to change gear – there was no radio, no DRS and reduced Hybrid power. We were hoping that the systems might come back to life, like the radio did, and that we could change the situation. But after we changed the wheel another time, we had to retire the car. It was a tough day for me and unfortunately another reliability problem for the team. It was at least something good for the team that Lewis was able to take the win. Now we need to analyse what happened and to optimise everything further because reliability is our issue this year.

Toto Wolff

What an incredible race from Lewis. After the Safety Car came in, it needed qualifying laps every time round to build the gap – and he did that faultlessly. These are the days when drivers like Lewis show what makes the difference between star drivers and the superstar drivers. Congratulations to him. On the other side, it was a bitter afternoon for Nico. It looks like a loom in the steering column failed and that was the root of his problems. When he came back to the garage, I told him we were sorry to have let him down – and he handled the whole situation in a very professional way. We have a missile of a car this year but these reliability issues keep tripping us up. The parts will be sent back to base tonight for forensic analysis by our reliability group. We have an excellent team dedicated to quality and we will track down this failure and make sure it does not happen again. Looking at the Championship, the pressure is now on for both drivers with such a small gap and five races to go. It will give us a few more grey hairs – but it’s great for the fans of Formula One.

Paddy Lowe

That was a bittersweet afternoon for the team – a fantastic win for Lewis tempered by disappointment at the technical problem with Nico’s car. Although we have not yet fully understood the causes, Nico suffered an electronic problem within his steering column. This manifested itself on his laps to the grid and we changed the steering wheel on the grid in the hope this might resolve the issue. But it became clear as soon as he started the race that only his gear change paddles were working. This meant he had no control over the clutch, or the many different functions he manages from the steering wheel. Among other things, he had significantly reduced energy deployment, which meant he couldn’t pass even the slower cars he encountered. At the pit stop, the car became stuck in neutral and we decided to retire because we judged that the mechanism required to restart would have been too dangerous. I can only offer my commiserations and apologies to Nico. On the other side of the garage, Lewis delivered a fantastic performance. The pace was strong and our tyre endurance better than that of our competitors. We were backed into a corner by the Safety Car at the mid-point of the race, when others decided to go to the end on the prime tyre. But we stuck to our guns, made the right strategy call to stay out and Lewis did the rest. We had hoped to pull the full pit-stop gap over Vettel before Lewis made his final stop but the tyres didn’t quite last long enough. That left Lewis with a little work to do when he emerged from the pits, but he enjoyed a significant performance advantage on fresh tyres and made a good pass into Turn 7. It was a very controlled drive and a hard-earned win.

Rosberg Takes Out Hamilton at Spa-Francorchamps

During the second lap at Spa-Francorchamps, Rosberg collided with Hamilton while trying to pass his teammate who had the line

In case you manage to avoid any sports news since Sunday, you likely haven’t heard about the F1 feud that has erupted between Nico Rosberg and Mercedes AMG Petronas teammate Lewis Hamilton after the Belgian Grand Prix.  If that’s the case, here is a quick recap – During the second lap at Spa-Francorchamps, Rosberg collided with Hamilton while trying to pass his teammate who had the line.  Rosberg’s right front wing endplate nailed the left rear corner of Hamilton’s car and caused a tire puncture.  Hamilton managed his way back to the pits but the damage was done and Hamilton eventualy retired.

But with two number one drivers both vying to win the world championship, accidents like this are going to happen and it’s part of why we, the fans, watch the sport in the first place.  Given all that has gone down between Rosberg and Hamilton this year and what is at stake, one would expect nothing less from two of the best drivers in F1.  So now that the gloves are off, whether you’re team Rosberg or Team Hamilton, the upcoming race in Italy should prove to be exceptionally entertaining.

Press Release:

Nico Rosberg took second place in today’s Belgian Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton retired in the latter stages of a dramatic race at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

Lewis pitted on the second lap after suffering a puncture. He then stopped again for fresh tyres on laps 17 and 31 before retiring the car on lap 33

Nico ran a three-stop strategy, including a nose change on lap eight. He pitted twice further on laps 19 and 34

The team has finished on the podium in every race of the 2014 season so far, with a total of 19 top three finishes to date

Nico Rosberg

That was a tough race. We had the pace to win today but the incident cost us a top result, so I’m really disappointed because for the team it was a bad day. As drivers, we are here to entertain and to show the fans a good time, so our duels are always on the limit. I regret that Lewis and myself touched, but I see it as a racing incident – just as the stewards did. I was quicker down the straight and went to the outside as the inside line was blocked. I gave it a go and, after we touched, I realized that my front wing was damaged and thought that was it. In the next second I saw that Lewis also had a problem, which was very unfortunate for him and for the team. We sat down quickly after the race but there will be some more meetings to be held in to avoid races like today.

Lewis Hamilton

I’m gutted with the result – not just for my own Championship hopes but for the team, as we really should have had a one-two today. It’s been a tough year for everyone and the whole team has been working so hard – every time we’ve been knocked down they’ve never given up. I didn’t fully understand what had happened until I saw the replay just now, but I gave him plenty of space, took the corner like I usually do and suddenly felt a big hit from behind. There was nothing I could do about it and that was effectively my race over. I wanted to retire the car early – not because I was giving up, but because I couldn’t catch the people in front of me and even with a safety car I don’t think I would have been able to pass them. The car was quite badly damaged and my thoughts were to preserve the engine after the last one was destroyed in Hungary. What happens next is not my call – that’s one for the bosses to make. But I’m now almost 30 points behind in the Championship so that’s the main thing on my mind. It’s a big gap and it will be hard to recover from here. That’s tough to swallow – but ultimately it’s just been one of those days.

Toto Wolff

Today we saw our worst case scenario when the drivers made contact on lap two – and that ultimately cost us a one-two finish today, because we saw that our car had that kind of performance in it. It has been our clear policy to let the drivers race this year but rule number one is: don’t hit each other. To see that kind of contact, so early in the race, is an unacceptable level of risk to be taking out on track. It cannot – and will not – happen again. After the collision, Nico drove the first stint with a significantly damaged front wing, changed it, then had to make an additional stop after flat-spotting his left front tyre to the point where it was dangerous. He then charged back through the field and was impressively close to taking the win in spite of a dramatic race. As for Lewis, he was fighting with one hand tied behind his back after the puncture, which damaged the floor and cost him a significant amount of performance. We left him out there in case the Safety Car came out, bunched up the field and allow us to gain some places, but it became clear that he had lost too much performance and was continuing to do so, so we retired the car before the finish. Overall, not a good day for the team – and it is clear that we need to strengthen our focus on securing the Constructors’ Championship by delivering the potential of both cars in the next races. Now we need to regroup and come back stronger in Monza.

Paddy Lowe

We got off to a strong start, with Lewis taking the lead and Nico eventually recovering second place from Sebastian. One lap later, however, the incident between the two at turn five effectively ruined our afternoon. It’s a great shame, as the car had looked strong all weekend and we were in an excellent position to potentially score a one-two finish. We opted to continue the race with Lewis in case of a safety car scenario, which may have given him an opportunity to recover the lost ground. But in the end this never came and, with his floor heavily damaged by tyre debris on the second lap, the condition of the car deteriorated further as the race continued. For Nico it was a case of damage limitation. Our calculations confirmed that we would have to change his nose to have any chance of a podium – but of course that cost time. As it was, although he was closing in rapidly at the end, a lockup and resultant flat spot on the second set of tyres ultimately cost him that opportunity. Overall, massive disappointment after all the hard work put in by the team to come away with a result not matching our potential this weekend.

Hamilton Lands on the Podium at the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton secured the team's eleventh podium of the season, driving a brilliant race after starting from the pit-lane and finishing third just ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg

Lewis Hamilton secured the team’s eleventh podium of the season, driving a brilliant race after starting from the pit-lane and finishing third just ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg in fourth position.

  • After a downpour of rain in the final hour before the race, all teams were forced to start on the intermediate tires
  • Lewis ran a two-stop strategy, pitting on laps 8 and 39, running inters/option/prime
  • Nico ran to a three-stop strategy, pitting on laps 9, 32 and 56, running inters/option/option/option
  • The team has now finished on the podium in every race in 2014 so far and today secured 27 more points in the constructors’ championship
  • The team now heads into the summer break with a 174 point lead in the championship with 8 races remaining.

Lewis Hamilton

It is a great result today; I was just pushing as hard as possible to get as high as I could. It was obviously damage limitation after what happened yesterday. I can’t express the pain I feel when we have issues such as in the last couple of races; it’s hard to swallow and difficult to come back the next day and get the right balance between not attacking too much, but pushing to the limit. The two safety car periods helped quite a lot, but naturally I looked fast and had the pace this weekend, so there was an opportunity for more points. I was in the same race as Nico and if I let him past and he had the opportunity to pull away, then he would have come back and overtaken me. I didn’t understand why the team asked me to do that as he didn’t get close enough to overtake and I didn’t want to lift off and lose ground to Fernando. I would like to say a big congratulations to Daniel and Fernando. It was close at the end and it was getting very hard to keep Nico behind as he was catching at close to 3 seconds a lap. Coming back through shows how great this car and team is, and this result is much more satisfying than an easy win. Going into the break, I’m still in the fight for the championship, which is very satisfying.

Nico Rosberg

That was a disappointing afternoon. A few things didn’t work out for me and it was a very up and down race. In the beginning it was all under control. Unfortunately the safety car cost me the lead, because I just missed the pit entry and then I couldn’t pit. I also had some braking issues after the safety car went in and a difficult period of time with handling this, which cost me some positions. Then I was able to push a lot. I had a great last stint and at the end there was one chance to overtake Lewis in the last lap, but it didn’t work out. So that is massively disappointing. We need to sit down and analyse internally what went wrong today. I’m still leading the championship, which is a positive thing, and I’ll be ready to attack again after the summer break.

Toto Wolff

The conditions today made the race very difficult. The safety car periods worked out better for some and worse for others. If you look at the leading three cars before the safety car period, they ended up in fourth, seventh and eighth – and that was what really cost Nico, when he was held by the Safety Car and couldn’t get back to the pits. The result for us was also down to some brilliant driving from Lewis and Nico. To finish third and fourth on a circuit that’s very difficult to overtake on is probably the best we could have done today, given the challenges that were thrown our way. Again we had reliability issues on Lewis’ car and we had some very difficult decisions to make in the race. Obviously, we need to sit down, discuss and analyse the moment when Lewis was asked to let Nico pass – but, like always, we will do this calmly and work our way through any confusion or misunderstanding. There were so many things influencing the decisions we made and we must still determine whether we were right or not. We are not satisfied with third and fourth today, so we will look at everything and try to improve for the next race.

Paddy Lowe

It was a difficult afternoon; but it was never going to be easy with one car starting from the pit-lane. On the other side of the garage we were well lined up with a good car and good pace. We opened up a healthy lead from the start in tricky conditions until the race was overturned by a safety car. For reasons we don’t yet understand, the safety car split the pack and Nico got stuck behind it because he had been unable to pit before it was called out. We put Nico on a three-stop strategy and Lewis on a two-stop. This caused an interaction which we explained as best we could to each driver. In the event, neither strategy was capable of recovering the win given the impact of the safety car periods. We had a few issues with brake management on both cars and a fuel pressure issue on Lewis’ car that we will look into more closely. The problems didn’t have a significant effect on performance and at the end of the day, third and fourth was probably the best we could do in the circumstances. As we start ‘half-term’ it’s a good point to say well done to both drivers and the team for all that has been achieved this year, and we wish everybody, including the fans, happy holidays.

2014 German Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg dominated the German Grand Prix for a win on his home track with teammate Lewis Hamilton finishing in third position

Nico Rosberg dominated the German Grand Prix for a win on his home track with teammate Lewis Hamilton finishing in third position, gaining 17 places from the grid.

  • Nico took his fourth win of 2014 today and the team’s ninth in ten races, taking a lights to flag victory in commanding fashion
  • Lewis drove a fantastic race to finish on the podium, gaining seventeen places from his grid position and making a total of 15 on-track overtakes
  • Nico ran a two-stop strategy, pitting on laps 15 and 41, running option/prime/prime.
  • Lewis converted to a three-stop strategy after sustaining front wing damage, pitting on laps 26, 42 and 50, using prime/prime/option/option
  • The team now have more points in the first half of the year (366) than last year’s final total (360)
  • Mercedes-Benz power scored its 298th, 299th and 300th F1 podium finishes today; every Mercedes-powered car that finished did so in the points.

Nico Rosberg

Wow, what a great day after so many great events for me this week! I came here hoping for a win and it worked out perfectly. My Silver Arrow was so dominant, thanks to the team for this fantastic car. Before the race I was worried that without the FRIC system the gap in the race would be smaller. But we were again the quickest out there. I did a two stop strategy, which was difficult to manage at the end of the stints as the tyres were almost gone. I’m so happy for Mercedes; it was the first win for many many years in Germany. Thanks for the support here at Hockenheim, the fans were amazing to me. Also at the start I saw a Mexican wave, which was great. Now I look forward to Hungary.

Lewis Hamilton

First of all, congratulations to Nico on winning his home race; it’s a special feeling and I am very proud that we could put both cars on the podium for Mercedes-Benz in Germany and represent for all the Mercedes employees and fans here this weekend. From a personal point of view, I can’t be too ecstatic about the race because it has been a tough weekend for me and I’ve ultimately lost more points to Nico in the championship battle. But I’m grateful that I could limit the damage with a podium finish. When you are sitting on the grid basically in last place, with no other cars in your mirrors, it’s very hard to imagine that you could be standing up there two hours later. I’m so grateful to the team for this car, I really take my hat off to them for building a machine that can put in that kind of performance. To be honest, it was a pretty straightforward race for me, although I had some trouble following what was going on and where I was running at times. I had a nice battle with Kimi early on, when I was lucky not to damage the front wing, then the incident with Jenson was just unfortunate. He has been such a gentleman this year and not given me too much trouble getting past but it was just a misunderstanding today. I wasn’t close enough to try and pass but I was on the inside line in the corner. It looked like he had gone wide, then he cut back across the corner and perhaps he didn’t see me there. I lost quite a bit of downforce with the damage and it made it very hard to look after the front left tyre. I had a lot of understeer and the tyre was degrading fast, which is the reason why we converted from a two-stop strategy to three. Then the team called me in early on the first set of option tyres because we expected a Safety Car to come out – and I was surprised that there wasn’t one, to be honest I caught Valtteri pretty fast in the final laps but he just had too much straightline speed to get past. I’m doing absolutely everything I can to get back on level terms with Nico in the title battle: I can’t focus more or work harder than I am doing right now. This championship is proving a big challenge for me but that’s how I love it – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Toto Wolff

It feels like a 1-2 today because considering where Lewis was coming from in P20, it was a magical drive. He had a misunderstanding with Jenson that could have cost us the race. Personally I know he is a very competitive guy and he will never be satisfied with third but it felt like a very good performance from our side, with so much going on out on track and the need to convert his pit strategy. For Nico, he was controlling the race from the beginning to the end. He knew that the task was to pull a gap and then bring the car home and that’s exactly what he did. It was a brilliant performance from him. It was an amazing race and a credit to Germany; it’s clear to see the sport is very much alive and well. Finally, I wish to make two special mentions for this victory: first of all, I offer this win to all of our colleagues at Mercedes-Benz who have given us so much support and dedication to reach this level of performance. We are proud to wear the three-pointed star and to represent the best car company in the world. But our thoughts on every race weekend are also with Michael Schumacher, who did so much for our sport in Germany and won so many times here in Hockenheim. He is fighting as only Michael can and we send all our wishes of strength and support to him and his family.

Paddy Lowe

It was an afternoon we knew was going to be challenging from the outset. Not only to get Lewis from the back to the front but, as always, to get two cars home with a lot of systems to manage and a long race with the threat of rain. Nico drove a faultless race with two stops as we had planned. Lewis’ race was a bit more eventful with fantastic overtaking and some great driving. He lost a lot of downforce from the damage to the front wing, so we decided to convert to a three stop strategy in order to give us an opportunity to adjust it and reclaim the aero balance we were missing. We took a gamble on the Safety Car that didn’t pay off but did affect our strategy slightly. In the end we were thwarted by the speed of the Williams down the straight, our lap time was faster but we couldn’t overtake in the end. Congratulations to Williams on P2 and it was great to see three Mercedes-Benz powered cars on the podium here in Germany.

Another Win For Rosberg – 2014 Austrian Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton took a hard-fought one-two victory this afternoon at the Austrian Grand Prix to make it six one-two finishes in the opening eight races of the season

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton took a hard-fought one-two victory this afternoon at the Austrian Grand Prix to make it six one-two finishes in the opening eight races of the season – a feat only achieved once before in Formula One history.

  • Nico claimed his third win of the season and eighth consecutive podium after starting third on the grid.
  • Lewis finished second after gaining seven places, securing the team’s sixth one-two finish in the 2014 season
  • Both drivers ran two-stop strategies, running a tyre choice of option/prime/prime
  • Seven of the top ten were powered by Mercedes-Benz and this was win 106 for Mercedes-Benz power in Formula One

Nico Rosberg

That was an amazing weekend for us here. It was so great to be back again in Austria – for me, it felt almost like being at my home race in Germany! This is a great track, with amazing fans and at the end also with a great result for us. I have to thank the team for a great car and a perfect strategy. We chose the aggressive way to pit earlier and to overtake the Williams that way and that worked out quite well. We had to look after our brakes, which was a big job for the whole race. Also this worked out perfectly for me. Before the weekend, my target was to extend the lead in the championship, which I achieved. So I can be quite confident before the next home race for our team in Silverstone. A great job also from Williams, they were the second force today. Congratulations to them.
Lewis Hamilton

After what happened yesterday in qualifying, today was all about damage limitation for me, so I’m as happy as I can be with a P2 finish. I have had the pace in the car all weekend here but I wasn’t able to capitalise on that, so getting second place from a bad weekend is pretty good, I guess. I had a rocket start – it’s something we’ve be working hard on all year and it was one of the best I’ve ever had. You can’t ever plan what’s going to happen but I managed to put the car in all the right places and climb to P4 by the end of the first lap. We were managing the brakes a lot today, because I was in traffic for most of the race and it was the most important thing to bring the car home, so that was a real balancing act. But the strategy worked really well for me to get into second position, then I tried to start pushing Nico – but he didn’t make any mistakes and I didn’t have the chance to overtake. The guys did a fantastic job today to get us another one-two and the fans here in Austria have been insane. Next race is in Silverstone and all the positive energy from my home fans; it will be a special time and I’ll be going all out for the win.

Toto Wolff

‎A fantastic result for us here in Austria and we are just delighted to get a one-two finish today. The race was all about management: managing the brakes because this is such a tough circuit for them, and also looking after the Power Unit to make sure we didn’t have any repeat of the problems in Canada. Nico and Lewis did an incredible job – a controlled drive from Nico, where he let the race come to him and let our strategy play out, which worked really well; then a really typical dynamic drive from Lewis, who just did an amazing first lap to climb from 9th to 4th. After that, the guys pushed each other hard but we made sure to bring the cars home, too. It’s a great day for the team to take another one-two finish and congratulations, too, to our partners at Williams, who made it four Mercedes Benz engines in the top four this afternoon.

Paddy Lowe

We woke up this morning knowing that we had a big job to do today given our less than ideal qualifying positions. We had a lot of work to do with the strategy to get the cars to the front. Both drivers had great starts and a good first lap, particularly from Lewis which meant we were in P3 and P4 after lap one. Behind the scenes we were doing a lot to manage the condition of the car during the race, at the same time as running a strategy to overtake the Williams, who looked to have very strong pace today. To finish where we did is a credit to the whole team. Well done to Williams for getting P3 and P4 and congratulations to Mercedes-Benz for securing seven out of the top ten positions with no retirements at this particulary demanding circuit.

Rosberg Has Success At Canadian Grand Prix Despite Car Trouble

Mercedes AMG Petronas Driver Nico Rosberg finished the Canadian Grand Prix in second place on Sunday while teammate Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire

Mercedes AMG Petronas Driver Nico Rosberg finished the Canadian Grand Prix in second place on Sunday while teammate Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire after he experience braking problems.  Sunday’s second place finish was Nico’s seventh successive podium finish of the season, keeping him in first place in the points for the season followed by Hamilton and Canadian Grand Prix champion, Daniel Ricciardo or Red Bull.

The specific problem with Hamilton’s car was  high-voltage control electronics failure that caused a permanent loss of MGU-K drive on lap 36, eventually causing his brakes to overheat and forcing him to retire by lap 46, the same problem also happened to Nico’s car on lap 37 though Nico was able to recover.

Nico Rosberg

That was a big battle all the way through today! I had a tough start but I was able to defend in the first few corners and fight against Lewis. The race went smoothly for a while then both cars suddenly lost the MGU-K system and a lot of power which was really tough. Then I lost some time in the second pit stop which let Lewis jump me and I was struggling to cool the rear brakes down so it was all happening. Towards the end of the race, I tried to defend against Sergio which was fine but Daniel was too fast on the straights with much more power than I had available and he was able to get past. With so much going on, I had to ask my engineer where I finished at the end as I thought I was probably about fifth or sixth. I was so happy to hear that I was in P2! They are important points for me in the championship, so it was a tough but ultimately good day. Congratulations to Daniel for his first Formula One win.

Lewis Hamilton

I did the best that I could out there today and felt like I was having a strong race but unfortunately it just wasn’t our day. Montreal has been a good track for me so to come here and not finish is disappointing but there are plenty more races ahead of us this season so let’s hope for better fortune. There was nothing I could do about our issues really. We were managing the loss of power but as soon as I finally made the jump on Nico in the second pit stop, my brakes failed going into turn 10. It’s great for the team that Nico was able to hold on and get second place today but it’s tough for me. That’s two DNFs now this season and now I have to try and recover the points gap again. But these are learning experiences: we’ll learn as a team and get stronger. Congratulations to Daniel today. It’s awesome for him to get his first win and I know this will be a really special day for him.

Toto Wolff

First of all, I must say I feel very sorry for Lewis. His retirement was not his fault in any way and it is something the team has to take on the chin. Both drivers were doing a great job up to the point when the MGU-K failed. That also led to the brake failure that forced Lewis to retire after the second pit-stop. Nico did a sensational job to get the car home and it was a fantastic piece of damage limitation given how much power he was giving away to the other cars. Now we will stick together as a team, analyse and understand what happened, and come out of this situation even stronger. Congratulations to Daniel Ricciardo on his first Grand Prix win. He’s not just a quick guy but also a fresh new face as a Formula One winner, and that’s something very positive for our sport.

Paddy Lowe

We knew this would be a very tough race and so it proved. We were able to run at a good level of performance at the beginning of the race, notwithstanding a minor incident for Nico when he ran straight on at Turn 14 in the second stint. We then experienced a near-simultaneous failure of the MGU-K on both cars just after half distance, which was apparently caused by an issue in the high-voltage Control Electronics which manage the MGU-K. This meant both cars lost hybrid power from this point onwards and, without the additional braking force of the MGU-K, this also put a much higher load on the rear brakes. Lewis then suffered a complete rear brake failure after his second pit stop, which was a consequence of the MGU-K fault. Nico was not affected in the same way and managed incredibly to maintain position from lap 37 to lap 67, making up time in the first and second sectors in order to defend in sector three, when he was considerably down on power. This was achievable against the Force India but not the Red Bull after Ricciardo finally passed Perez. It is disappointing to see our run of race wins and 1-2 finishes come to an end. Nevertheless, we will regroup for the next race and will be determined to arrive in Austria in an even stronger position.

Nico Rosberg Wins 2014 Monaco Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg won the Monaco Grand Prix for the second year in a row on Saturday

Nico Rosberg won the  Monaco Grand Prix for the second year in a row on Saturday.  In addition to being a huge victory for Nico, teammate, Lewis Hamilton, also finished the race with a respectable 2nd place finish.  This was the fifth one-two finish for the team this season keeping them a the top of the team leader board.

Nico Rosberg

It was a tough race out there today but I am absolutely delighted to have won my second Monaco Grand Prix in succession. It’s an amazing feeling and I’m proud to have done it at home, in front of my family and friends who were all here this afternoon. The race started well and I was comfortable but then we had to manage my fuel consumption and Lewis was pushing really hard behind me. We were able to be in control of the fuel with a few laps of lift and coast. It was important for me to break Lewis’ momentum of winning the last four races this weekend. That worked out very well, but it was a really tough weekend. I’m so happy for the team that we had another one-two finish and look forward to the party tonight!

Lewis Hamilton

I felt very strong out there today and I really drove with all my heart, giving everything that I could to improve my position. This just hasn’t been my weekend but I can leave today feeling happy that we have achieved another one-two finish for the team. We have such a great car and everyone who has worked on it deserves the incredible results that we are getting at the moment. Back to this afternoon, this is such a difficult circuit to overtake. I was following Nico as close as I could and had great pace but I just couldn’t get past. Towards the end, I got some dirt in my eye through the visor which made it very tough for a few laps but thankfully it cleared up and I was able to hold off Daniel and keep second place. This hasn’t been the greatest of weekends but I’ll go into the next race with even more energy and determination. The team are working so hard and we’re determined to keep the momentum going.

Toto Wolff

A fantastic result for the team after a weekend where we had the pressure to deliver on the car’s potential here in Monaco. Six wins from six races, and five one-two finishes in a row, is a very special achievement at the start of this 2014 season. Congratulations to Nico for a faultless race and to Lewis for following him home in spite of some unexpected challenges this afternoon. We were driving a controlled race when the Safety Car forced us to pit earlier than had been planned for our only stop of the afternoon. After that, both drivers pushed hard and that had the consequence that they started to run out of rear tyres in the closing laps. When Lewis had the problem with his eye, that was when Daniel Ricciardo came close. It just goes to show that we must never give up pushing because our rivals are right behind us – and working hard to run us down. We have absolutely no margin for error because if we make one little slip, our rivals are right there. We will enjoy this moment – but the hard work continues tomorrow at the factory.

Paddy Lowe

To take our fifth consecutive one-two finish is an incredible achievement for our team. It doesn’t matter how good a car you’ve got: to achieve that kind of run, you need amazing drivers and a great team performing faultlessly. We have all of those elements and this afternoon again reinforced just how well both Nico and Lewis are driving right now. I also must say a special thank you to the team: to take a one-two at Monaco, you need a great chassis and a driveable engine, and this result shows our car is an all-round performer. In terms of the race itself, it wasn’t without its challenges: Nico had to manage his fuel consumption quite carefully and we were working with the settings of Lewis’ Power Unit to optimise the energy recovery and deployment in the first half of the race. In the final stages, we had some concerns with the tyres as we were running out of rubber, which in turn made it hard to maintain the tyre temperatures. We saw that when Lewis recovered from the problem with his eye, and couldn’t get the tyres back working properly, which allowed Ricciardo to close in. But he was able to bring the car home and secure this fantastic team result.

Mercedes Continues To WIN

Lewis Hamilton achieved his fourth victory of the season today with Nico Rosberg finishing just 0.636s behind in second place.

Lewis Hamilton achieved his fourth victory of the season today with Nico Rosberg finishing just 0.636s behind in second place.

  • MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS took the first one-two finish for a team at the Spanish Grand Prix since 2009
  • Today’s result marks a fourth consecutive one-two finish for the team; a feat last achieved by Mercedes-Benz in 1955
  • Lewis began the race on option tires, stopping for a second set of options on lap 18 and primes on lap 43
  • Nico also started on options, switching to primes on lap 21 and then back to options on lap 45
Mercedes AMG Petronas

Mercedes AMG Petronas

Lewis Hamilton

It’s fantastic to get my first win here after eight attempts and it’s really difficult to put that feeling into words right now. We have our bosses from Mercedes-Benz here today and it’s great for the team that we were able to give them a one-two finish. In all my career, I’ve never before had a car or a performance gap like this. Nico drove a fantastic race and I struggled to keep him behind, but I just managed it at the end. I had the same problems with the car this afternoon that I found yesterday in qualifying: I couldn’t attack the corners properly because of snap oversteer and that’s where Nico was catching me. I’m just so proud of this team: we are looking very strong and I’m enjoying every moment and every step of the way. There’s still a long way to go this season, though, so we are staying humble, getting our heads down and working hard. I still have a bit more time to find from the car because it’s very, very close with Nico, so I have to keep working on that. But it’s a great feeling to be leading the championship.

Nico Rosberg

The race was so close at the end today and with one more lap, I could have tried to overtake Lewis for the first time. My start was bad. It is a weakness that we have and we will try to improve. Once it was clear that I was in second place, we chose to go with the slower strategy using the prime tires in the middle stint to get a shot at Lewis at the end when I was on the options. It was very close but not quite close enough so naturally I’m disappointed but I can take a lot of positives from this weekend. We have an amazing car and my pace was really strong here so I just need to find an extra little edge to capitalise on. The next race is Monaco which is not only my home race but has some great memories from my victory there last year.

Toto Wolff

That was a fantastic afternoon of sport. We have two incredible drivers who are capable of fighting until the last corner of the last lap to achieve success. That was the case again today and they were incredibly closely matched in spite of running different strategies in the race. Their battle is so intense and so close that I am sure it will carry on all the way to the final race. We will savour this victory tonight and enjoy our success – but from tomorrow, our focus is on Monaco. We had a very strong result there last year and our target will be to improve on that this year.

Paddy Lowe

Both cars made a great start and got through Turn One cleanly without incident. From then on, it was all about some incredibly close racing between two drivers, with an hour and a half of constant work between them and their engineers to try and find any possible edge. It’s great to watch both sides of the garage working so well to get the best for their driver. Lewis and Nico both delivered great drives and to see a gap of 0.6s after 66 laps of flat out racing just about sums it up. I would like to thank all the team in Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart for the huge effort that went into creating such a competitive car at this pivotal and very difficult race of the season. We are now looking forward to Monaco which brings some very different challenges for us to tackle.

Mercedes is the Team to Beat This F1 Season

It seams the Mercedes AMG Petronas team is untouchable as they finish another race this season going one-two

Mercedes AMG Petronas Driver, Lewis Hamilton took victory by the narrowest of margins in Sunday’s 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix after an hard fought battle with teammate Nico Rosberg. This is the second consecutive one-two finish for the Silver Arrows team, they finished one-two at the 2014 Malaysian Grand Prix, as they extend its lead at the top of the Constructors’ Championship.  The Mercedes’ teammates were followed by Sergio Perez of Force India-Mercedes, Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull Racing-Renault and Nico Hulkenberg of Force India-Mercedes in fifth.

Mercedes AMG Petronas 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix

Mercedes AMG Petronas 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix

  • Lewis claimed his 24th Formula One career victory and his third for MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS today
  • Nico claimed his 14th Formula One career podium, his 12th for the team, on what marked his 150th Grand Prix start
  • A margin of just 1.085 secs separated the pair at the flag, with just 0.088 secs between their respective fastest laps
  • Lewis stopped for soft tyres on lap 19, switching to medium tyres under safety car conditions on lap 41
  • Nico stopped for medium tyres on lap 21, pitting again under the safety car on lap 41 for soft tyres
  • Mercedes-Benz powered cars occupied all three podium places and six of the top 10 positions
  Drivers   Car No.   Chassis No.   Race Result / Fastest Lap
Lewis Hamilton 44 F1 W05 / 01 P1        1:37.108
Nico Rosberg 6 F1 W05 / 03 P2        1:37.020
Weather Clear, dry, mild, held under floodlights
Temperatures Air: 23 – 25°C Air: 26 – 29°C
Mercedes AMG Petronas 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix

Mercedes AMG Petronas 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton

What an incredible day. That was a really tough race tonight and I am absolutely delighted to have come home with the win. It’s a long time since I had a race like that! My weekend started off well but I didn’t really have great pace for qualifying and the race. I knew that I needed a good start and to go into the first corner in the lead was crucial to my race this evening. From there, it was such a battle. Nico drove fantastically well and, in all honesty, he had the pace on me today but I managed to hold on. I knew when the safety car came out that Nico would be on the option tyres and that he would be quick. To try and stay ahead of him was so hard and when I came across the line I was just so relieved. When you’re racing your team-mate, the pressure is really intense and we both knew that we had to bring the cars home for the team and for the championship. All credit to the team for allowing us to race and I hope the fans loved the show that we were able to put on tonight. A big thank you to the team, especially to my engineers for all the information they were giving me during the race, and to everyone here and back at the factories for all their hard work. Another one-two is just fantastic for us. I’m also very proud to have joined Fangio with 24 Grand Prix wins today, he’s one of the great racers of all time so that’s a real honour.

Mercedes AMG Petronas 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix

Mercedes AMG Petronas 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg

It was a great battle out there this evening with Lewis and this kind of race is exactly why I am in Formula One; I love to race like today. Of course, it’s very disappointing to have finished second in the end but I gave it everything and it just didn’t quite come off for me. Lewis did a great job defending his position and, so often when I did manage to get past, I then couldn’t see him in the blind spot in my mirrors. Our strategy was good and to change it after the first stint was a decision that I made with the team. It was a slightly slower strategy but it gave me the best chance of catching Lewis at the end on the option tyres. The difference between the prime and the option was not as big as we expected however and that’s why I didn’t quite manage to get by. The positive must be that this was a great day for Formula One. The race was a fantastic show and hopefully it proves that the critics of our new technology are wrong. I can’t wait for China now and I want to end up on the top step there.

Toto Wolff

It has been a fantastic weekend for the team from start to finish. To have led every session with both cars is a real achievement and we can be very proud of the combined effort of our staff at Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart. The race was quite simply brilliant to watch, with battles throughout the field. Lewis and Nico drove with a great deal of maturity and respect for both each other and the team but still put on a great show. What we saw today was two drivers at the peak of their abilities fighting fair and square for victory. This is what we go racing for and it was a strong advert for the sport: in particular under these new regulations. With the result last week in Malaysia mirrored here tonight, we now find ourselves in a strong position in both Championships. We are under no illusions, however, that this is a given. We must take these moments and use them as inspiration in the on-going push to achieve our goals.

Paddy Lowe

Another exceptional and well-deserved result for the team today after what has been a flawless weekend from everyone involved. From the very first laps in practice the car looked competitive and we didn’t miss a beat throughout. From the pit wall, the race was fascinating to watch. While there were undoubtedly some tense moments, we knew that both drivers would be sensible enough to bring the cars home: although it was worth throwing in a little reminder just to be sure! All credit to the teams at Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart for what they have achieved already this season. A particular note must go to the team at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, with their Power Units taking all three podium places and six of the top 10 positions. It’s fantastic to show the world that not only can amazing technology be produced within this exciting new ‘Efficiency Formula’ but that racing is alive and well within our sport. We now have a two-day test here in Bahrain where we will be looking to build on our current performance and maintain this momentum into the next races. For now, though, we can enjoy what has been a highly successful few weeks for the team.

Sweet Success for Mercedes at 2014 Malaysian Grand Prix

Mercedes AMG Petronas driver, Lewis Hamilton took a lights-to-flag victory at the 2014 PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix

Mercedes AMG Petronas driver, Lewis Hamilton took a lights-to-flag victory at the 2014 PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix, while teammate Nico Rosberg finished right behind in second.  This is the first one-two finish for the Mercedes Silver Arrows since Juan Manuel Fangio and Piero Taruffi at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix.

  • Lewis claimed his 23rd Formula One career victory and his second for MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS today at Sepang
  • He took the chequered flag with an advantage of 17 seconds and set the fastest lap of the race on lap 52
  • Lewis stopped on laps 15 and 33 for medium tyres, switching to the hard compound at his final stop on lap 51
  • Finishing in second place, Nico achieved his 13th Formula One career podium and his 11th for the team
  • He followed the same tire strategy as Lewis, stopping on laps 14, 32 and 50
  • Lewis’ victory was the 15th for the Silver Arrows in Formula One and the 101st for Mercedes-Benz power

Lewis Hamilton

I’m incredibly happy today. This is my first win in Malaysia after eight attempts and to do it for our PETRONAS family in their home country makes it even more special. It’s all down to the team. They have done a fantastic job and I have to say a huge thank you to everyone here at the track and back at our factories who have been pushing non-stop to get the car where it is. The race was tougher than it perhaps looked today and the conditions here always make it a great challenge. But I was able to look after the car, the tyres and the fuel and still keep a bit of pace in hand which made my job that little bit easier. It’s great to see Mercedes leading the championship but we know that we have to make these early races pay. Anything can happen as we saw in Australia, so this is an important result for us. One-two finishes don’t happen very often and this is a real achievement for the team. Finally, I would like to offer this victory in tribute to all those affected by the tragedy of MH370. A special mention also goes to my step-mum Linda for her 50th birthday tomorrow!

Nico Rosberg

This is an incredible day for our team and for Mercedes-Benz. Everyone back at our factories in Brackley and Brixworth, and all employees of Mercedes-Benz, can feel very proud today. For the first time in the modern Silver Arrows era, we have achieved a one-two finish which is an incredible result. The team did a phenomenal job over the winter and my thanks once again for that. I also want to thank our partners PETRONAS. They have given our team so much support, along with the best products for our power unit, so we are proud to be associated with them and I hope they enjoy the celebrations today. I had a great start again, even though it was tight with Sebastian. It was very close at the wall and I just closed the eyes, went for the gap and did it. Later I was able to control the pace and to defend my position against Seb but Lewis was out of my reach, so congratulations to him for his win. I really look forward now to next weekend in Bahrain.

Toto Wolff

It doesn’t get any better than a one-two finish – congratulations to everybody in the team, at Mercedes-Benz and at PETRONAS who worked so hard to make this happen. It was a controlled race from the first lap and Lewis and Nico did a fantastic job in very demanding conditions. But we cannot afford to be complacent: we still have room for improvement with our overall package and the race showed us once again that the competition are right there behind us. We will savour the moment this evening but we all know that if you stand still in this business, you go backwards. So we will be pushing hard to improve further for the next race in Bahrain.

Paddy Lowe

We knew from our practice running that we had the pace in the car, so today was about managing the team and the car through 56 laps without encountering any problems or making any mistakes. Formula One is a very complex sport and, as we have seen ourselves in recent weeks, the littlest things can destroy a race. But we delivered a faultless day for both cars and both drivers; we are simply over the moon to have scored the first one-two finish for Mercedes-Benz since 1955 and to have earned our own small place in that fantastic tradition. That’s the right point at which to thank the whole team that contributed to this success, in Brackley, Brixworth, Stuttgart and Kuala Lumpur, the home city of our partners PETRONAS. It is hard to overstate the crucial role of PETRONAS fluid technology solutions in the development of the new 2014 Power Unit and we are especially proud to have delivered our first one-two finish at their home race here in Malaysia. The entire team has spent several years working on this Silver Arrow and today we successfully delivered the final piece of the puzzle.

Winning Start to the Season for Mercedes AMG Petronas

Nico Rosberg took home the first victory of the 2014 F1 Season at the Australian Grand Prixt

The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team had a very successful weekend with Nico Rosberg taking home a first place finish at the Australian Grand Prix.

Starting from position 3 on the gird, Nico claimed first place right off the line and led every lap thereafter, winning by 24 seconds. He made two pit stops on laps 12 and 38, running a tyre strategy of option/option/prime, and set the fastest lap on lap 19. Rosberg’s win marked thw 100th F1 vicotry for a Mercedes-Benz engine – Juan Manuel Fangio was behind the wheel for the first win in 1954.

Teammate Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire his car after two laps owing to a misfiring cylinder, which had cost engine power since the start.

  Drivers   Car No.   Chassis No.   Race Result / Fastest Lap
Nico Rosberg 6 F1 W05 / 03 P1        1:32.478
Lewis Hamilton 44 F1 W05 / 01 DNF     1:40.287
Weather Mild and dry
Temperatures Air: 17–20°C Track: 20–32°C

Nico Rosberg

That was an incredible day for us. To start the season with a win is unbelievable and I have to say a big thank you to everybody who was involved in building our car over the winter. I always dreamed of having such a strong Silver Arrow and now it seems we are there. In the race, everything went perfectly for me. My start was great and I was able to push from there until the end, with our fuel consumption well under control. However, despite our success today, we also know that there is still some work to do. We saw over the weekend that reliability is still a concern and it prevented us from having a strong two-car finish. We have two weeks to improve that. I am very much looking forward to Malaysia and I would love to race again tomorrow!

Lewis Hamilton

My start didn’t feel great today and I had a lot less power than usual when pulling away, so it was obvious immediately that something was wrong. It looks like we only had five cylinders firing and, while I wanted to keep going, we had to play safe and save the engine. It’s unfortunate but that’s racing and we will recover from this. We have a great car and engine, and the pace was really strong today as Nico clearly showed. Big congratulations to him and the team for achieving the win, it’s a fantastic result for us. Of course I’m disappointed with my own race and when I think about all the work that has gone on back at our factories, it’s tough to have a costly hiccup. However we have achieved an incredible amount to get here, to be at the front and to be so competitive; we will bounce back and learn from this. There is a very long way to go this season.

Toto Wolff

It was a day of light and shadow for us. Nico did a perfect job this afternoon: a great start and a really controlled drive all the way to the final lap. He delivered the car’s performance how he needed to, when he needed to, and took a very composed and deserved victory. On the other side, we were disappointed to lose Lewis so early after a misfiring cylinder forced him to retire. He had done everything right this weekend until that point and it was a situation beyond his control. We know that reliability will be crucial to this long season and we will be working hard to improve the situation for the race in Malaysia. Finally, this victory has a very special meaning for us, too. I would like to dedicate it to Michael, who has been in all our thoughts this weekend. He will keep fighting, as only he knows how, and we are sending all our strength to him today.

Paddy Lowe

Today’s race was all about delivering on the potential we had shown in testing and on the hard work that has been put into this project since its beginning. It was fantastic to get the win on behalf of the hundreds of people in Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart who have contributed to our performance over several years. A special mention must also go to Ross. I have come relatively late to this campaign and would like to thank him for the contribution he made in the years leading to this point, which we can now build upon. It was hugely disappointing for all of us that Lewis was not able to convert his pole position but this is a day to focus on our success rather than failures. We know that this season will be more of a marathon than a sprint and that reliability will play a decisive role. After taking a moment to savour this win, we will be hard at work to improve further for the next race in Malaysia.

2014 Formula 1 Pre-Season Kicks Off

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS kicked off its pre-season testing program at the Circuito de Jerez - See pictures and times

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS kicked off its pre-season testing program at the Circuito de Jerez Tuesday, with Lewis Hamilton taking the wheel of the F1 W05 for the first time. Lewis’ best time of 1:27.820 set the early pace at the Spanish circuit, before a front wing failure on the following lap curtailed his track time shortly before midday.

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, Jerez, Launch, F1 W05, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, Jerez, Launch, F1 W05, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton

  • The F1 W05 emerged for its first run at precisely 09:00 CET when the track was declared open
  • Lewis completed four single-lap install runs in the early stages, before gradually building into longer stints
  • A front wing failure on his 18th lap ended Lewis’ running for the day early
  • Nico will be in the car tomorrow for the second day of pre-season testing at Jerez.
Lewis Hamilton 2014 mercedes amg petronas

Lewis Hamilton 2014

Lewis Hamilton

For me it’s an incredibly positive start to be the first car out on track and completing a good number of laps. Other teams have been going out for single-lap runs, starting a few hours after we had first hit the track, so to have started running through our test programme was very encouraging. The car feels quite good, especially considering it’s so early in our programme, so overall it’s been a positive day. Of course, it’s unfortunate to end the day early when everyone has worked so hard and we had looked like easily completing the most mileage of anyone here today, but we’ll make that track time back and it’s better to have these things happen now than in Melbourne. I’m really proud of the team for what they’ve achieved in getting us here and we’ll keep pushing.

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, Jerez, Launch, F1 W05, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, Jerez, Launch, F1 W05, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton

Toto Wolff

Incidents like this happen and that’s why we are here, to find them before we go racing. We completed 18 laps and got through our system checks successfully. The car now needs to be repaired, which is a challenge in itself at the start of winter testing with regards to the number of spare parts available. However, it’s our job to cope with those challenges.

Paddy Lowe

To conclude our day’s running with a front wing failure was an unfortunate end to what had, to that point, been a very positive start to our winter. We were the first team to send a car out on track, on the dot at 0900 this morning, and were gradually extending the length of the runs when the incident occurred. Lewis’ initial feedback was positive once he was able to complete some timed laps, which is a promising indicator for the basic package. Concerning the failure itself, we are still analysing its cause, and this process, coupled with the repairs to the car, have brought an end to our running today. The teams at Brackley and Brixworth did a fantastic job to prepare the car for running this morning and tomorrow we hope to start adding to what is already a useful number of laps completed. There is a lot of data for us to analyse overnight and the learning curve this winter will be very steep.

Nico Rosberg 2014

Nico Rosberg 2014

TIMES

Pos
Driver
Car
Time
Laps
1.
Lewis Hamilton
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS
1:27.820
18
2.
Kimi Räikkonen
Ferrari
1:29.474
11
3.
Jean-Eric Vergne
Toro Rosso
1:36.530
11
4.
Esteban Gutiérrez
Sauber
1:42.257
7
5.
Sergio Pérez
Force India
No Time
1