The sound of Formula One cars returned to Montreal today after a two-year absence as the practice sessions for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix got underway at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on the Ile Notre-Dame.

Two busy sessions for Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher saw the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS pair complete 110 laps over the course of the day as they developed the set-up of their MGP W01 cars to the high speed and low downforce demands of the 4.361km circuit. With the best of the weekend’s weather expected today, the team also focused on tyre evaluations with the super soft and medium Bridgestone Potenza tyre compounds for this weekend.

Nico completed 57 laps and ended the day in third place with Michael completing 53 laps in ninth position.

NICO ROSBERG

“I’m generally pleased with the progress that we made today although conditions were difficult because it was very slippery out there on the track. We made some good set-up changes to help the car around this circuit and spent a lot of time working with the tyres to understand their performance. The soft option tyre was particularly difficult and we were struggling a little there, like many teams. But overall it was a good start and we have a lot of information to look at tonight before qualifying.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“My sessions today were a bit mixed. In the morning, we were making progress but towards the end we carried over some issues into the second session which we could not solve. The main focus this afternoon was to get the tyres together. The track is pretty green with not much rubber which means the tyres are getting a hard time and everybody was struggling with graining. If it rains, the track will remain green and it will probably be difficult to hold the tyres together again, even the harder compound. For tomorrow, it is difficult to predict what we will be able to achieve. My feeling is that we will perform according to our expectations which is around the third quickest of the teams.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We’re reasonably happy with where we are today in terms of performance and were able to achieve some good longer runs this afternoon in preparation for the race. The key consideration for the weekend looks to be the tyre strategies and managing the levels of graining, particularly on the options and to a lesser extent the prime, as was evident from the struggles faced by most of the teams this afternoon. With the predicted weather conditions for the weekend, this could all change, but for now we are in a decent position and looking forward to qualifying tomorrow.”

NORBERT HAUG

“We had quite a constructive first day today and are all working hard to improve our pace. If it stays dry, the key issue will be how to use the tyres, particularly the softer options, in the best possible way. We saw long runs from various teams today where lap times varied up to five seconds or more through the runs. Having said that, there will be more grip tomorrow and on Sunday, of course only if it stays dry, and the tyre situation could change. The forecast predicts rain for the weekend, so it will be interesting to see who can do the best job if that is the case. Our experience and performance in the rain has been reasonable at the wet qualifying and races that we have had so far this season.”

Next weekend’s Formula One race will be held in Canada at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal – after a one year absense, it is back on the schedule. The eighth round of the 2010 World Championship and the 41st Formula One race to be hosted in Canada takes place on Sunday, June 13.

NICO ROSBERG

“Montreal is a great race venue and I always like to get there a few days early to get used to the time difference and have the chance to relax. The city really comes alive for the Grand Prix weekend and the atmosphere is fantastic so I’m pleased that we’re heading back there again this season. The circuit is technically challenging and fun to drive with the very long straight combined with short and slow corners. Our Mercedes-Benz engine will certainly be a big help on the main straight. We will have some further upgrades for the race weekend and the fact that the circuit characteristics are quite different from Istanbul Park makes me go there with high hopes. I think we might just put in a great result.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Canada is definitely one of the places on the Formula One calendar which everyone is keen to visit, myself included of course. I have always had nice weekends in Montreal and enjoyed flying over to North America. I will combine this trip with some days off and I am sure that once I enter the paddock, I will very much be looking forward to starting the race weekend. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is all about top speed so we have worked very hard on this, especially as we know that we are not right at the top in that area. However I am convinced that we will be able to get the best out of our package.”

ROSS BRAWN

“Looking back at our last race in Turkey, the team and drivers performed well throughout the weekend to achieve our highest points score of the season however we are simply not yet quick enough. We know the solution, the continuation of our hard work and application, and we will keep pushing until we are back to competing right at the front of the field. Looking ahead, we are delighted to be returning to Canada next week and the race is always one of the most popular weekends on the calendar with the city of Montreal putting on a great show. This year will be no exception and we hope that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve produces its usual standard of exciting racing and the weekend is a success for our sport in the important North American market. The circuit is an interesting one from an engineering perspective and should be a track where our slow to medium speed performance, good braking stability and strong engine performance will be an asset.”

NORBERT HAUG

“First of all, it is great news that the Canadian Grand Prix is back on the Formula One calendar in 2010. This is a very unique event on the Ile Notre-Dame in Montreal where the Olympic Games took place in 1976. The track is very different to the purpose-built circuits and requires high-speed, very good braking and of course strong engine power. Our team has achieved 100 points in the seven races so far this season which is roughly one-third of the points available if you do an absolutely perfect job. We are certainly not where we want to be yet, namely in a position to challenge for victories on a regular basis, however we are dedicated and have a very good spirit to achieve our targets. It is difficult to predict where we could end up in Canada but we will certainly try as hard as we can.”

Team MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver’s Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg finished in fourth and fifth places at the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park on Sunday. Their final standings were an improvement of one position from their grid placings.

The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS teammates had a fairly quiet race with Michael Schumacher moving up to fourth briefly after a first lap battle with Jenson Button but he was unable to hold the position that he took in turn one. Schumacher made his only pit stop of the race on lap 14 with Nico Rosberg following one lap later where a quick in-lap and excellent work from the pit crew kept him ahead of the chasing Robert Kubica.

Rain threatened in the middle of the race but only a few light spots eventually fell around the circuit. The collision of the two Red Bulls on lap 40 promoted Michael to fourth place and Nico to fifth position where they remained until the chequered flag.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“My race started as I had hoped when I was able to catch Jenson right at the start. Unfortunately I did not have a lot of grip with the tyres as the formation lap was quite slow and the pressures had gone down which combined with the top speed of the McLarens meant that I could not hold Jenson behind me for long. I was even struggling to keep the car on the track during the first lap. From there onwards, I was in my starting position and when Sebastian retired, we were able to pick up a place. That was about it. It was a straightforward race for me without any more possibilities. I understand at the front there was quite a bit happening so for the fans, it was a good show. All in all, I think we had a positive race and we clearly made a step forward towards Red Bull and in front of Ferrari, so we can be quite happy about that.”

NICO ROSBERG

“I am reasonably happy with fifth place today although it was an uneventful race for me. I was slightly faster than Michael for much of the race but it was not possible to overtake and I had to be careful as Robert was pushing hard behind me. For me, the most exciting part of the race were the in and out laps for my pit stop which were pretty fast and together with the great work from the team, that enabled me to stay ahead of the cars just behind me on track. Although our general pace still has to be improved, I’m satisfied that we have taken what we could from this weekend.”

ROSS BRAWN

“A solid performance today in which we achieved the potential of the car with both drivers. We had a purposefully quiet early part of race as we were unable to challenge the leading group and therefore decided to save our tyres for the second half. Michael, Nico and the team did an extremely good job with the car that we had and once again our pit stops were very impressive. Compliments to them all today. We have made reasonable progress with our latest set of upgrades thanks for the hard work of everyone at the factory but clearly we have a lot of work still to do.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Fourth and fifth positions for Michael and Nico were the best results we could achieve today as our pace was only ok in the last third of the race. We are aware that we need further improvements and we definitely will get them. Congratulations to McLaren Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton for achieving the 71st victory for Mercedes-Benz since our first win with David Coulthard in a McLaren Mercedes in Melbourne 1997. Four Mercedes-powered cars came home in the top five today which is a remarkable result, especially for our hard-working engine guys, so well done to you all.”

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will share the third row of the grid for the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park on Sunday after qualifying their MGP W01 cars in fifth and sixth places today. With temperatures slightly cooler than for the practice sessions on Friday, the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS pair progressed easily through Q1 with just one run each on the harder prime tyres. An initial run on the prime and a second run on the option tyres saw Nico and Michael through Q2 in fourth and tenth positions.

Both drivers had two sets of new option tyres saved for Q3 and set their fastest times on the first of their two three-lap runs. Michael ran wide on the exit of turn eight on his second run and ended the session in the gravel.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“I am quite happy with my qualifying today and I really think that we have made a step forward. If you consider that this is a track which is aerodynamically demanding, you can clearly say the hard work of our guys paid off and I would really say thank you to them. What happened in turn eight was that it was my last go, the fast lap before was a good one, so obviously you try to push even more, especially as on this lap you can win time. I went out a bit wide and off it went. In my view, the side I am starting from tomorrow is an advantage as it is much cleaner. I have tried practice starts from both sides and felt my side was the better one. As for tomorrow’s race, I will certainly try to have a good start and try to achieve the best result possible.”

NICO ROSBERG

“It was a decent performance today and sixth place gives us a good opportunity for the race and we will aim to move up the field from there. I would have liked to have been a little further ahead of course. The car is feeling reasonable this weekend and although there is a very narrow set-up window, we have pretty much got there. It’s clear that we have made some progress with our aero upgrades and everyone at the factory has done a good job, so thanks for all their hard work. I am on the dirty side of the grid for the race tomorrow but it should have cleaned up now and it’s only a short run to the first corner. If I can have a good start and first lap, then we have the potential for a strong race.”

ROSS BRAWN

“A good qualifying performance from the team today after a lot of hard work here at the track and back at the factory on the latest developments for our car. Michael and Nico have been very evenly matched throughout the weekend and have worked well together to ensure that we have been able to get the new parts functioning and extract the maximum performance. Fifth and sixth positions on the grid gives us the potential to have a strong race tomorrow and we look forward to seeing what Nico and Michael can achieve. We’ve seen just how challenging the Istanbul Park track can be with turn eight catching out many drivers over the course of the day and Michael was no exception but thankfully there is no damage done.”

NORBERT HAUG

“That was a step in the right direction with Michael achieving P5, less than a tenth of a second behind P3, and Nico posting the sixth fastest time, less than two-tenths behind P3. Having said that, we are very aware that we are still almost six-tenths behind the superb pole time of Mark Webber and Red Bull Racing. However our speed compared to the front looks better than at the last ‘normal’ race track that we competed on in Barcelona. The step forward since then has only been possible through hard work, dedication and our aggressive development process. Thank you and well done to everybody in our team. We are not yet where we want to be but we are heading in the right direction.”

The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team had their first practice session for the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix today at the Istanbul Park circuit.  The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS drivers, Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, spent the two ninety-minute sessions focusing on the evaluation of the team´s new developments for their MGP W01 cars and working on the balance, set-up and tyres around the challenging 5.338km circuit.

Nico Rosberg completed 47 laps and finished the day in sixth position while teammate Michael Schumacher completed 46 laps and finished in seventh position.

NICO ROSBERG

“We made some good progress today and have been working hard with our updates for the car. It wasn’t a perfect day as we lost some time in the process of evaluating the new developments, particularly in the second session, so I was playing catch-up this afternoon. However we achieved a lot of interesting work and arrived at a decent balance by the end of the day so I am reasonably happy. We have a few question marks remaining and it will be a busy final practice session tomorrow. The early indications are that we have made a decent step forward and although we don’t know how much yet, it is a good job from the guys at the factory and at the track to get everything here and working.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“It’s really difficult to judge what the current picture is after today’s practice sessions, especially as we don’t know who was running on what fuel loads. We certainly have some improvements on the car which you can notice but it is very difficult to quantify the full effects coming from Monaco to here and thus not having a clear reference and comparison. Clearly the improvements are in the right direction but as always it is a matter of how quick we develop compared to our competitors. Turn eight is still a nice challenge here. It has small surprises in terms of bumps and it is fun to drive obviously. It is exciting and technical at the same time. Let’s wait and see what is going to happen tomorrow.”

ROSS BRAWN

“Today’s two practice sessions were particularly busy for the team as we had our first opportunity to evaluate our new developments on the track. Without track testing it is always a challenge to bring new parts directly onto the car but we were able to achieve some good work today. Both drivers are reasonably happy but as always, we will not be able to make a valid judgement on our progress until the end of the weekend.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Quite a busy start into the weekend for us. The team evaluated different aero options and in the end our long run pace in race conditions looked quite promising.”

A very lucky SKIDZ Motor Project student named George was fortunate to meet Ross Brawn on a visit with SKIDZ to MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team at Brackley.  Ross Brawn very generously offered him a week-long placement in the factory; this was arranged for the last week in April. George was extremely lucky to be placed in the Car Build Department where the two cars were returning from China after the Grand Prix event the week before.

The hours of work were 8.30am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday with an hour for lunch. Due to the nature of the business, George had to sign a Confidentiality Agreement and abide by all the Company’s Policies and Procedures, including Health & Safety.

On arrival George was given an overall and shown around the factory. He spent the week working with a team of 10 mechanics to dismantle the cars and clean them thoroughly. He helped to spray both and also worked on melting the moulding that protects the front of the cars when on the track. He helped clean all the screws which were rusty after racing in the wet conditions in China.

Clearly George has had a wonderful experience and was made to feel very welcome by the staff at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. He had an opportunity to meet Nico Rosberg and Ross and came away with signed caps. The team have asked if he would be happy to return if there is more work for him to do as they were impressed by his work ethic and ability. George also commented on the fantastic full English Breakfasts and wonderful lunches in the staff restaurant.

The week would not have been possible without the full co-operation of Ross Brawn and the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS staff who helped to make it all possible so our sincere thanks to everyone for the effort they put in to make this a very special experience for George. In addition a very big thank you to George’s Grandfather – Mr Jim Franklin, who very kindly ferried George on his daily expedition to and from Brackley – a trip of 56 miles each way.

Today we have heard from MERCEDES GP PETRONAS – “It was a pleasure to have George with us for a week and great way to start our relationship with SKIDZ.   As George has good mechanical ability he was able to fit into the F1 team environment straight away and contribute positively to the team.  Our mechanics enjoyed showing George the ropes and all of them became teachers and mentors for a week, which was interesting to watch.  Hopefully this experience will help George pursue his dream of becoming an F1 mechanic and everyone here at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team wish him all the best.”  Peter Hodgkinson – Build Operations Manager.

The Mercedes GP PETRONAS website recently broke down their driver’s Formula 1 steering wheel button by button.  The steering wheel is used for much more than just steering the F1 car around the circuit, it is the driver’s main interface with his car. The steering wheel is an extremely technical piece of equipment that allows the driver to view information about the car and allow him to tune the car to suit different track situations that may arise.

Buttons, Switches & Displays

Shift Lights: The row of lights across the top of the steering wheel which shows the optimum point to change gear.

Gear Number: Shows the driver which gear he is currently in.

Marshall Lights: This cluster of three lights on either side of the display comes on if there is a red flag (race or session stopped), blue flag (a faster driver is lapping you) or yellow flag (incident ahead). These lights are switched on or off by the FIA Race Control and were introduced to help the drivers who sometimes find it difficult to see the flags waved by the marshalls.

Displays: The two display windows on either side of the gear number shows the driver important data such as oil or water temperatures. They can also show his laptime and during qualifying, he can see whether he is quicker or slower to a reference lap (normally his fastest lap).

+1/-1: These control the fail-safe software programmed into the car. If the engineers see a problem developing with a system or sensor through the telemetry, the driver can switch off or disable the relevant sensor if it is not safety critical or if activate a back-up sensor. The driver uses these buttons to scroll to the relevant mode and then uses the ON/OFF button to enable the mode.

Drink: Activates the drink system to help the driver avoid becoming dehydrated, especially at the hotter circuits (like Abu Dhabi!)

+10/Start Lights: This button has two functions. The +10 part is linked with the fail-safe modes of the +1/-1 button and allows the driver to ‘fast forward’ to the relevant number by 10 steps. The start light function is used during practice sessions when you will often see drivers carrying out practice starts at the end of the pitlane. He presses this button and the shift lights at the top of the steering wheel simulate the way the lights work at the beginning of the race. The engineers can then analyse reaction times.

O/Take: Can be used when a driver is fighting for position during a race and allows the software to momentarily raise the rev limiter (although not beyond the controlled 18,000rpm maximum!).

Pit Confirm: The driver presses this button to acknowledge that he has heard the engineer’s call or pit board signal to pit on his current lap. This is useful at circuits where the radio coverage is not so good.

Talk: Allows the driver to talk to his engineers over the radio.

BBAL: A shortcut button to show the current brake balance on the display.

REV: The driver can’t select reverse using the normal gear paddles so he has to press this button (at the same time as pulling in a clutch paddle) to put the car into reverse gear.

Rotary Switches: These switches can control a number of functions which the driver and engineers will define. Each position of each switch subtly changes a particular characteristic of the car, for example a mixture mode, the hydraulic differential or the torque map of the engine. These switches also come into play if a safety car comes out in the race or if it starts to rain to allow the driver to tune the car to his liking.

FFA: This allows the driver to adjust the position of the front wing angle. Using this switch (which stands for Front Flap Adjust) moves the front wing allowing him to adjust the aerodynamic balance.

Mark: If the driver feels something strange with the car or a point of interest, he can press this button and the engineers can pinpoint the data to analyse the issue.

ON/OFF: Used with the +1/-1 buttons to switch on or off a fail-safe mode.

Neutral: Similarly to the reverse button, the software stops the driver accidentally selecting neutral from the gear paddles. He has to press this button to go to neutral.

Pit Limiter: Enables or disables the pit lane speed limiter. At most races, the speed limit is 60km/h for practice sessions and 100km/h during qualifying and the race. Pressing this button too late (or not pressing it all!) can result in the driver receiving a fine in a practice session or a time penalty during the race.

BPF: Stands for Bite Point Find and is used by the engineers to analyse the characteristics of the clutch. This is then fed back to the driver to optimise his procedures during the race start process. Now that traction control and launch control is not allowed in Formula One, the start of the race has to be completely controlled by the driver so it is crucial for him to know how the clutch is going to react.

Source: MERCEDES GP PETRONAS website

Mercedes GP PETRONAS team plan on appealing the decision to give Michael Schumacher a 20 second penalty for the overtaking incident at the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. It was unclear late in the race whether the safety car was still being used, thus causing much controversy at the end of the race with Schumacher being penalized.

Formula One rules state that if the race ends under a safety car, the vehicle will enter the pit lane at the end of the last lap and no overtaking is allowed. Mercedes GP PETRONAS felt that the instructions they were given suggested the race would not be finishing under the safety car and as a result Michael Schumacher overtook a rival coming into Anthony Noghes putting him across the finish line in sixth spot.

Race stewards however, felt that the seven-time World Champion breached safety rules, adding on the time penalty resulted in 12 place finish, landing him outside of the points.

Team Principal Ross Brawn said: “We believed that the track had gone green and the race was not finishing under a safety car when article 40.13 clearly would have applied. The marshals showed green flags and lights after safety car line one. On previous occasions when it has been necessary to complete a race under a safety car, full course yellows are maintained.”

As things stand now, Schumacher sits ninth in the drivers’ championship standings on 22 points.

Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished the Monaco Grand Prix in seventh and twelfth places respectively today following an action-packed race around the Monte Carlo streets.

With Nico starting from sixth and Michael from seventh place on the grid, both drivers lost a position to Rubens Barrichello at the start which compromised their pace in the early part of the race. Michael made his pit stop on lap 19 with excellent work by the team’s pit crew enabling him to jump ahead of Rubens who pitted at the same time. Nico stayed out, taking advantage of a gap in the traffic to put in some flying laps, and made his stop on lap 28 to rejoin just behind his team-mate.

Michael crossed the finish line in sixth place after overtaking Fernando Alonso on the final lap of the race when the team believed that the track had gone green and racing had resumed after the fourth and final safety car period. Michael subsequently received a 20 second time penalty from the stewards after the race which the team is now appealing.

NICO ROSBERG:

“My expectations for this weekend were very high and therefore I am disappointed that we could only achieve seventh place. We had the speed for a front row position in qualifying and that should have given us the opportunity for a podium finish. In the race, I was able to manage my tyres well and put in quick laps once the cars ahead of me pitted and the track was clear. That was important for me to show that we were competitive here. I would like to say a big thank you to my team for their hard work this weekend and for preparing the best car of the season so far. It was crucial to get points and we will keep positive and look ahead to the next races.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER:

“My race today would have been pretty normal without the decision of the stewards afterwards. The start was interesting and it actually went according to plan. I managed to have a good pull-away but then I was a bit stuck and was caught by Rubens. So I had to wait for the opportunity to overtake and the team played it brilliantly. The crew was fantastic and thus the pit stop got me in front of him. The result in the very end, which put me back to twelfth place for now, was obviously disappointing for me and I can fully understand that we are appealing the decision. Our understanding was that the ‘safety car in, track clear’ message meant we were back to racing conditions, so I went for it and overtook Fernando.”

ROSS BRAWN:

“For parts of the race today, we were able to demonstrate the potential of the car here which was very frustrating considering what happened in qualifying. Losing a place to Rubens at the start with both drivers made it very difficult for us and we couldn’t run at our full pace which is the usual problem around Monaco where overtaking is so difficult. Thereafter Michael and Nico drove very well this afternoon. Nico was particularly impressive with a clear track and was the fastest car out there at that time. However the windows didn’t quite open for us today. It shows the subtlety of Monaco, you can have a fast car but if it’s not in the right place, then you can’t do anything with it. I would like to compliment our team on the fastest pit stop of the race which was crucial to get Michael out ahead of Rubens.

“With regard to the penalty given to Michael, we believed that the track had gone green and the race was not finishing under a safety car when article 40.13 clearly would have applied. The reason for the safety car had been removed, the FIA had announced ‘Safety Car in this lap’ early on lap 78 and the track had been declared clear by race control. This was further endorsed when the marshals showed green flags and lights after safety car line one. On previous occasions when it has been necessary to complete a race under a safety car, full course yellows are maintained, as in Melbourne 2009. On the last lap, we therefore advised our drivers that they should race to the line and Michael made his move on Fernando for sixth place. We have appealed the decision of the stewards.”

NORBERT HAUG:

“To start with the positives, we showed good speed here in Monaco, our best of the season so far, and hopefully we can take this forward into the next races. It was therefore bad that we had traffic problems during Q3 yesterday in addition to some self-inflicted issues. Today we suffered when Michael and Nico got stuck behind a slower car. Once Nico and Michael were in clean air, they showed good pace. Now we will concentrate on the next race in Turkey and hopefully we can develop a performance in Istanbul in two weeks time that will be as competitive as we could have been here in Monaco.”

After Saturday’s qualifying round on the streets of Monte Carlo, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher will start the Monaco Grand Prix in sixth and seventh positions.

Fighting with 23 cars for position on the 2 mile street curcuit, Michael and Nico were in need of only one run on the prime tires in Q1 to qualify for the second session. Nico switched to the option tires and set the quickets time in Q2 on his first run while Michael completed two run ending the session in seventh position.

During Q3, Michael and Nico went out for one run on the option tires but failed to get a good lap under their belt. Nico qualified in sixth position and Michael, down .046 seconds from Nico, qualified in seventh position.

NICO ROSBERG

“My pace has been really good here throughout the weekend and in the first two qualifying sessions today, so it was a disappointing result to only qualify in sixth position. I was hopeful of competing for the front row after our performance in Q2 but the final session just didn’t work out for us today. I had a lot of traffic to overcome and made a mistake on what should have been my fastest lap. Unfortunately the tyres were not at their best then for the final quick lap. It’s difficult to make up positions in the race here as overtaking is almost impossible. However you never know what can happen and we will work hard to try and finish in a better position tomorrow.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Qualifying confirmed that the gaps between the teams are smaller here but not small enough to really get some profit out of it, which is what we would have wished obviously. We all had some concerns about qualifying because of the number of cars but I have to say that from my point of view, everybody did a great job. I had a clean situation most of the time, except for once unintentionally with Nico. I think we got out of the car what we could today and the positive news is that I am on the inside which is a good starting position and our starts have gone well recently. So we can at least hope to make up one or two positions for the race.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We had the chance for a better position today so we are disappointed with our performance in the final qualifying session. We didn’t quite get the track and the tyres together at the right time for both drivers and we didn’t keep them well enough informed of their relative track positions in Q3. The performance in Q2, particularly from Nico, is more indicative of what we should have been fighting for and it is obviously frustrating that we didn’t realise that potential. However the car is going well here in Monaco and it is a long race tomorrow so we are still in a reasonable position to have a good outcome to the weekend.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Not the qualifying results that we wanted to achieve here in Monaco. Nico posted the fastest time in Q2 with just a single outing which proved that our speed is there. Traffic in Q2 for both Nico and Michael, and a slight mistake in Nico’s only fast lap he could do under these circumstances, made it impossible to get better places on the grid than sixth and seventh. We certainly had the speed to end up in row one or two but could not use it as planned. This was today and tomorrow can possibly be a different story. Lots of things can happen during the race on this traditional street circuit and we certainly will not give up too early.”

The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher spent the morning tuning the set-up of their MGP W01 cars to the unique demands of the low-speed and high-downforce circuit. Michael completed 21 laps and finished the session in sixth place however a lengthy change required on Nico’s car cost him some track time and he completed 15 laps and ended the morning in 11th position.

The skies darkened with light rain towards the end of the afternoon session but not enough to require a change from slick tyres. Nico and Michael completed a busy programme with the two Bridgestone tyre compounds for the weekend. Their quickest laps, set whilst the track was completely dry, put Nico in second place and Michael in fifth position.

NICO ROSBERG

“Monaco is a very special and challenging circuit and we had a positive start to our weekend here today. We made good progress this afternoon after losing some time in the morning with a pushrod problem that we had to fix. The lap times looked quite promising in the second session and I felt very comfortable in the car. We were able to improve the set-up continuously and get the tyres working better as the session went on. So everything looks promising after the first day and I’m looking forward to getting on with qualifying on Saturday.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Today’s practice was a lot of fun. You clearly have to say that Monaco is a very special place to drive and I really enjoyed it. I got back into the rhythm of the track, especially on the long runs, and I think we can be quite confident for tomorrow as the car is definitely quite reasonable to handle. The other teams who have a certain top speed advantage on other tracks at the moment do not have this advantage here, so the whole field comes a bit closer together which will make it a very interesting qualifying in my view. I am looking forward to it.”

ROSS BRAWN

“As always at Monaco, the track conditions evolved rapidly today and it was important to make full use of the available practice time. We lost some running with Nico this morning but he did well to come back and find reasonable solutions for the set-up. We followed our usual practice programme of set-up, fuel load and tyre comparisons today. Our low fuel pace seems reasonable but we have more work to do on high fuel before Sunday. Overall a reasonable start to the weekend and we are enjoying the unique challenge and working environment that Monaco provides.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Quite a promising start to the weekend for us today and certainly a different picture from what we saw last Sunday in Barcelona. Nico and Michael’s lap times on both types of tyres with lesser fuel as well as during race simulation runs looked not bad at all. There is definitely more work to do before Saturday but so far so good.”

In preparation for the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, the Mercedes GP PETRONAS team took some time to tour the beautiful city of Monte Carlo.  They also sat down for the cameras to speak briefly about the race, noting the uniqueness of the Monaco Grand Prix in that it’s a highly technical course and one in which aerodynamics play far less of a role than on other courses.  If you’re a race fan, you can check out the video along with photos of the Mercedes GP PETRONAS team both on and off the track in Monte Carlo (including the new Mercedes GP PETRONAS Motor Home) immediately below.

At the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo this weekend, Mercedes GP PETRONAS will unveil a new modular home on wheels.  Priced at € 2 million, the structure is comprised of 16 individual modules that are assembled on site, with its purpose being to offer the team, guests and media representatives a comfortable atmosphere to enjoy the F1 festivities.  To transport the structure across Europe, 16 trucks will be enlisted, while team director Norbert Haug notes that only a crane rental is necessary at each stop to stack the various modules.  The total time it takes to do so is approximately half a day.

As for the price (in case you were keeping tracking of Mercedes GP PETRONAS’ budget), Haug specified that no money had been wasted in the construction of the new Mercedes GP PETRONAS structure.  Compared to other teams, such as Red Bull Racing, Haug pointed out the new structure is actually quite cost effective, noting that Red Bull’s Energy Station had cost an estimated € 15 million to construct.

To see the new Mercedes GP PETRONAS home away from home in action, you can check out the first published photos in the gallery below.

The Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo is one of the highlights of the Formula One calendar and the sixth round of the 2010 World Championship. The much anticipated race takes place around the famous street circuit on Sunday May 16, 2010. The Monte Carlo streets have been a highly victorius circuit for Mercedes-Benz engines which have powered seven of the last 12 winning cars, including the victors of the last three races.

NICO ROSBERG

“The Monaco Grand Prix is my home race and it’s always an enjoyable weekend. Formula One brings a real atmosphere to my home town and it’s very special to have all of my family and friends there to support me over the weekend. Living so close to the track is helpful too! After a rewarding first four races, Barcelona was disappointing, so we will hope to see an improvement for Monaco and we will work hard to understand our issues from last weekend. Monaco is a completely different circuit with its own unique challenges and characteristics so it will be interesting to see how the car goes there. I had a good race last year, qualifying and finishing in sixth place, so it would be nice to go a few places better this time.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“I have always liked to drive in Monaco and that’s why I am really looking forward to competing there this weekend. The Monaco Grand Prix certainly adds something very special to the Formula One calendar and driving through the streets of Monte Carlo is undoubtedly unique. We go there and hope that the characteristics of the street circuit suit our car better than in Spain last weekend. On the other hand, we should be careful to expect too much this time as we have seen in Barcelona that there is still a lot of work ahead of us. So, other than having achieved my best result so far this season, I have taken with me a lot of motivation to work even harder with our engineers to improve the car further.”

ROSS BRAWN

“The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most challenging race weekends of the year but everyone revels in the special atmosphere and as engineers, we love the unique demands and the extra pressure that the street circuit generates. In addition to a car which is strong mechanically, you need good power and drivability, provided by our Mercedes-Benz engine, for the low-speed corners.

Monaco requires a particular set-up and therefore whilst we will run our new aero package but we will revert to our previous specification suspension system to allow for the steering lock required around this unique circuit. The drivers play their role at Monaco perhaps more so than at any other track. Precision, consistency, speed and control are essential and with Michael and Nico, we are fortunate to have two drivers who excel here. Together with Mercedes-Benz, we achieved the dream result of a one-two finish last year, and whilst we are not at the pace of the frontrunners at the moment, at Monaco you just never know what can happen.”

NORBERT HAUG

“The Grand Prix of Monaco is the most spectacular, most popular and most glamorous event on the race calendar. If teams and drivers could choose one race that they desperately want to win, then their choice would be Monaco. Mercedes-Benz has mostly found the unique street circuit in the Principality to be a place for great results. Starting with our first victory in 1998, we have won seven of the last 12 Grands Prix together with our partners, the last three being a hat-trick in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

With our new team, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS, we currently do not belong in the absolute favourites for race victories. However the Monaco Grand Prix is known for its own rules and we will work fully concentrated on achieving a good result. With Michael and Nico, we have two drivers who both like this circuit and in my view, both belong among the fastest drivers on this special and demanding circuit.”

The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg had its highs and lows at the Spanish Grand Prix Sunday.  Michael Schumacher finished just shy of the podium with a fourth place finish, his best placement this season.  Nico Rosberg’s race however, plagued by incidents, will not go down as a highlight for him this season. Nico’s race was compromised at the very beginning of the race and again at his first stop leaving him battling the pack for a 13th place finish.

Michael retained his starting position into the first corner whilst Nico was pushed wide onto the grass and dropped to eleventh place by the end of lap one. Both drivers pitted on lap 14 to switch from option to prime tyres but a problem with the right front wheel led to a lengthy stop for Nico who rejoined in 17th place.

Michael jumped up to fifth position after the first round of pit stops and had an entertaining battle with Jenson Button to retain that place before taking advantage of Lewis Hamilton’s retirement to cross the line in fourth position. Nico pitted again on lap 35 for a further set of options and continued his fight through the field to finish in 13th place.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“It was quite an entertaining race right from the start even if we knew from the beginning that there would not be a chance for us to compete for a podium place if everything goes as normal. Still it was exciting for me to manage to keep the position that I gained but then, I am obviously not too happy as today we could only defend. All we could do was to hope for reliability problems of others in order to make up positions and that’s not really what you want to do. It was an interesting fight with Jenson but all I could do is try to not give him a possibility to overtake. In the end the gap to the front is just too big to be really happy after this race. For Monaco, we hope that the characteristics of the track will suit our car better.”

NICO ROSBERG
“The race didn’t go my way today and, of course, it is frustrating to have finished outside of the points for the first time this season. We have a good upgrade on the car here which should be improving our performance but it just hasn’t worked out for me here. In qualifying, I did the best that I could but starting from eighth position isn’t where we wanted to be this weekend. In the race, I had the situation with Robert at the start when I tried for the gap but he didn’t see me so I was pushed wide and then we had a problem at my first stop which dropped me back again. So it’s been a disappointing weekend and we need to look into the reason why we have been off our usual pace.”

ROSS BRAWN
“Well done to Michael and the team for their hard work today. Michael has driven extremely well all weekend to continue the progress that he made over the first three races of the season and achieve his best finish with our team. Nico has had a more difficult time and we will look closely into the reasons why he has struggled this weekend. Although we have made a step forward with the performance of our car, the evidence shows that our competitors have also improved and our step is not enough to enable us to compete where we would like to be. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us and I remain confident that we have the ability and resources to close the gap, but it will be a tough fight.”

NORBERT HAUG
“Michael’s fourth place is the best result that we could have achieved today. He posted a remarkable drive with very committed overtaking and then keeping the reigning World Champion and current points leader Jenson Button behind him. Our speed was not good enough however to compete at the front in qualifying or the race. Nico was compromised on lap one by the manoeuvres of a competitor which lost him four places. We will work hard to improve our speed and I am sure that we will achieve this step-by-step but certainly not overnight. I am happy for Michael and the team today and in five races, our best results per race have been P5, P5, P3, P3 and now P4. These results have been more or less the maximum we could have achieved which is pleasing but we are aware that winning is our target and not bringing home respectable places.”

The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS pair of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg qualified in sixth and eighth positions respectively for Sunday’s race, the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. Michael and Nico progressed easily through Q1 with both drivers using the prime tires for two runs. Michael completed just one run on the options in Q2 for sixth place with Nico completing two runs and going through in tenth position.

Q3 saw both drivers complete two three-lap runs on the options to end the session with Michael in sixth place on the third row of the grid, and Nico in eighth position which will see him start directly behind his team-mate on row four.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“Today’s qualifying was straightforward in my view. We had a good car yesterday meaning that conditions were quite ideal for us in terms of balance and so on. Today admittedly, the car was not as perfect. It is little things that can trigger that change one way or the other, and whatever happened today just triggered us to fall over the edge towards the downside a little. Nevertheless, I feel a lot more comfortable driving the car that I have in my hands now. But there is a maximum that you can get out of it and that is what we have achieved today.”

NICO ROSBERG
“It’s been a difficult weekend for me and we need to look into the reasons for this and understand why. The changes that we have made with the car are obviously good and we have made a step forward but I haven’t really been able to use the improvements so far. Considering that I have found the car difficult to drive and haven’t had the best of set-ups, our performance today was acceptable but it’s not where I wanted to be fighting this weekend.”

ROSS BRAWN
“I am pleased with the performance of our drivers today with Michael and Nico doing a good job. Michael has continued the progress that we saw in the first three races whilst Nico hasn’t been completely happy with the car this weekend and that reflects in his position. I am comfortable that we have made progress but other teams have also moved forward so we have further work to do. I’m not happy with the overall performance, but I am confident that if we hadn’t done all of the work that we have, we would have been much further back. It’s evident that this has happened to the teams who have not made progress since the last race. There are some positive signs but we need to be faster.”

NORBERT HAUG
“We have certainly improved our car considerably since the beginning of the season but other teams have improved as well and the third and fourth rows are not where we hoped to start this important first race of the European season. Michael has done a very good job since the first lap here in Barcelona with Nico closing the gap to his team-mate from half a second yesterday to just over a tenth today. But of course sixth and eight places are not where we want to start a race from and we will be working very hard to improve that position as soon as possible.”

Formula One’s European season got underway today as the first two practice sessions for the Spanish Grand Prix took place at the Circuit de Catalunya just outside of Barcelona.  The focus for today’s running for the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team was to evaluate the changes and upgrades made to the MGP W01 cars for this weekend. In addition to checking the aero balance and weight distribution with the new developments, the team worked through a number of set-up changes and tyre evaluations.

Michael and Nico completed 40 laps and 46 laps respectively over the course of the day with Michael finishing in third position in both sessions and Nico finishing in sixth place this morning and seventh position this afternoon.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“Today I felt much more comfortable in the car and feel that it is behaving more consistently. In my view, our upgrade is a step forward but we have to wait and see how big the step is as the other teams have obviously improved as well. Now we have to deeply analyse the data to get a better overview on the actual situation and as usual after the Friday practice sessions, it is difficult to estimate where you actually are in comparison to our competitors. We will only have the real picture after qualifying tomorrow.”

NICO ROSBERG
“It was a challenging day for me today and not where I usually end up after the Friday practice sessions. There are no obvious issues on the aero package but we went wrong on the set-up whilst trying something new. I am confident that we will make progress overnight and tomorrow we will be able to extract the full potential from the car.”

ROSS BRAWN
“We had a reasonable day and covered a great deal of work to gather all of the set-up information that we needed with our upgrade package. Michael and Nico followed different programmes and therefore this evening we need to bring all of the data together and decide how we run the cars tomorrow. The new developments performed pretty much as we expected however all of the teams have moved forward here and the target is constantly moving. It looks like we have kept up but we still have to find more pace to compete right at the front.”

NORBERT HAUG
“Our upgrade package for the start of the European season seems to work as anticipated and it was visible on track and on the timing sheets that Michael was quicker and felt more comfortable today than at the last race in China three weeks ago. Nico was less happy with his car today but the data after the session shows where we went in the wrong direction with the set-up so Nico should be back tomorrow to the strength that he showed in the previous four races. Our pace during the race simulations didn’t look too bad but there is definitely still quite a gap to the quickest cars. We will work hard to make another step tomorrow. Today it is not possible to judge whether the competitive order has changed compared to the last races but everybody will find out tomorrow.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS and STL Communications Limited are pleased to confirm an extension to their team partnership agreement which has seen the communications company work with the Brackley based Formula One team since its establishment in 1998.

STL supports voice and data communications services including an Avaya Aura telephone system at the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS headquarters and on location at Grand Prix circuits around the world. The team uses STL GreenMinutes service, the environmentally sustainable lines and calls system that helps organisations work smarter and greener.

Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS, commented: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with STL who have worked for the team for a considerable period of time. This experience and knowledge enables STL to understand our business intimately and achieve the tight deadlines that Formula One requires. We look forward to continuing our excellent relationship with them over the course of the 2010 season.”

Brendon Cross, Managing Director of STL Communications Limited commented: “We have supplied communication solutions to the team for over a decade now and are delighted to be continuing our relationship with MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. As the team’s supplier of voice and data communications, STL has a thorough understanding of the requirements needed to support a successful Formula One team at race venues across the world from the factory in Brackley. The continuing collaboration between STL and MERCEDES GP PETRONAS demonstrates an important synergy between two organisations who share the drive for success through technology, innovation and team work.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS is pleased to confirm the team’s new partnership with Autonomy Corporation plc, a global leader in infrastructure software for the enterprise and the second largest software company in Europe.

Established in 1996, Autonomy was founded on the vision of dramatically changing the way that we interact with information, enabling computers to map to the human world rather than the other way around. Autonomy’s unique meaning-based technology derives understanding from all content and enables organisations to eliminate the traditionally manual and costly operations of analysing and processing information by performing these functions automatically and in real time. Today, Autonomy is a FTSE 100 company and the second largest software company in Europe with over 20,000 blue-chip organisations across seven continents relying on Autonomy’s technologies for true business gain and risk mitigation.

The new partnership with the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team provides Autonomy with a marketing platform for their industry-shaping technology through the global appeal and audience of Formula One. Autonomy branding features on the chassis, nose and cockpit of the MGP W01 cars of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg.

Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS, said: “We are very pleased to confirm our new team partnership with Autonomy. Formula One is one of the most technically advanced sports in the world and a perfect match for Autonomy as an innovative technology company who are right at the cutting-edge of their industry. Our new partnership will provide mutual synergies and benefits for both parties and we look forward to working closely with Autonomy as this exciting 2010 Formula One season continues.”

Dr Mike Lynch, Founder and CEO of Autonomy, commented: “Formula One is built upon some of the finest engineering in the world. Constant innovation, cutting-edge technology and the quest for ever higher speed and reliability are all cornerstones of both Formula One and Autonomy, which at its heart is an engineering company with R&D by far our largest department. We are delighted to join forces with the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team and are looking forward to an exciting 2010 season.”

Autonomy Corporation plc, a global leader in infrastructure software for the enterprise, spearheads the Meaning Based Computing movement. IDC recently recognised Autonomy as having the largest market share and fastest growth in the worldwide search and discovery market. Autonomy´s technology allows computers to harness the full richness of human information, forming a conceptual and contextual understanding of any piece of electronic data, including unstructured information such as text, email, web pages, voice, or video. Autonomy´s software powers the full spectrum of mission-critical applications including pan-enterprise search, customer interaction solutions, information governance, end-to-end eDiscovery, records management, archiving, business process management, web content management, web optimization, rich media management and video and audio analysis.

Nico Rosberg feels that the Spanish Grand Prix has come along at the right point of the season so that he can gain the most out of the upcoming upgrades to his Mercedes GP PETRONAS vehicle. The 24-year-old has made a fine start to the season to sit second the drivers’ championship after four races and is hopeful of continuing his form at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Some upgrades are expected to improve the performance of his MGP W01 and Rosberg insists that his existing knowledge of the Spanish track will help his cause.

He said: “Barcelona is such a familiar circuit as we have tested there so often over the years that we should be able to spend the practice sessions just focusing on getting the most out of the upgrades.”  “From talking to the guys at the factory, I know that they having been working really hard to get everything ready on time and it will be interesting to see the effect that the new developments have on the car.”

Mercedes GP PETRONAS team-mate Michael Schumacher recently remarked that alongside general improvements to the car, engineers have paid special attention to improving downforce and efficiency.