MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1European Grand Prix Race Results

Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished the European Grand Prix in Valencia in 12th and 16th positions

Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished the European Grand Prix in Valencia in 12th and 16th positions Sunday.  The frustrating race at the Valencia Street Circuit proved to be  a difficult track for the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team.

The safety car following Mark Webber’s dramatic accident changed the course of the race for the pair with Nico losing the advantage of an early pit stop on lap eight and Michael being held in the pits by a red light when making his stop on lap 11.

An uneventful and frustrating remainder of the race left Nico and Michael unable to make progress on a circuit where overtaking opportunities are minimal and they finished the 57 lap race outside of the points.

NICO ROSBERG

“It wasn’t a great race for me today and not much fun out there. I struggled for grip throughout and had to work really hard to save my brakes which completely took away the ability to challenge and try to make up positions. But we tried to look for the positives and learn something because you can always learn from any situation and use the experiences later. It’s been a poor weekend from us all round and we have to try to resolve our issues and improve from here.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“What a race. We would like to have clarification about the safety car situation as the red light on the exit from my first pit stop destroyed a race which otherwise would have offered us very good possibilities. Our point of view is that as the safety car had passed the pits without having the cars lined up behind it, there should not have been a red light. There was a green light for a moment and then suddenly it went red again. We believe that this was not correct. Our strategy was right in that context as we took the opportunity which could have given us a finish even close to the podium.”

ROSS BRAWN

“Today’s race was a disappointing outcome to our weekend in Valencia. The car was reasonable today but again we suffered from our qualifying performance which is an issue that we need to get on top of quickly. Nico got caught up at the start therefore we made an early pit stop which was unfortunately compromised when the safety car came out and we lost any benefit. From there, Nico’s race was about consolidating his position as we had some concerns over brake wear which he did an excellent job to manage. With Michael, we were looking to benefit strongly from the safety car. As the leaders had not been picked up, Michael was waved through and that gave us a golden opportunity to make his pit stop as our predictions were that the option tyre would hold up for the remainder of the race. However, when Michael came to exit the pits, the red light was showing which cost him a significant amount of time. In our view, the regulations are clear that the exit light should not go red until the line of cars has formed behind the safety car, and we would like the FIA to look into this. There was no line formed and over 18 seconds between Hamilton and Kobayashi when Michael came in. It was a good effort from Michael to try and recover from there but ultimately a very frustrating afternoon.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Michael could have finished quite high today if the red light at the pit exit had not been switched on. This happened contrary to our understanding of the rules which say the pit exit remains open until a line has formed behind the safety car. That clearly was not the case as there was a gap of over 18 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton whilst Michael was in the pits. He would have fitted in this gap if the red light had not have made this impossible. So Michael´s race was ruined even though he posted quick lap times throughout the afternoon. Despite three pit stops and a long wait at the pit exit, he finished 6.5 seconds outside of the points. Nico had to look after his brakes throughout and was therefore handicapped. It’s been a weekend to forget for our team but we will be stronger soon.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 European Grand Prix Qualifying

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS TEAMATES Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher qualified in 12th and 15th for the European Grand Prix

After a promising start to the European Grand Prix weekend, there was disappointment for the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team in Valencia today as Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher qualified in 12th and 15th positions for tomorrow’s race.

In the first qualifying session, Nico completed one run with Michael having two outings on the prime tyre for the pair to progress in ninth and 12th places respectively. Both drivers started on the option tyre in Q2 but switched to the prime for their second run where Nico’s lap was quick enough only for 12th place whilst Michael hit traffic and finished in 15th position.

NICO ROSBERG

“It’s very frustrating to be so far back on the grid although my lap was good today. There was just no more performance to get out of the car. We had a few issues this morning so we had to make a compromise on our upgrade package and that made the difference of being in the top ten. It’s not easy to understand what happened as we hoped to take a step forward here but we haven’t got the best of our updates yet and we need to understand the tyres quickly. The car will be stronger in the race so we stay positive and see what will happen.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Obviously I am disappointed with my position today and it is certainly not where I want to be. I had to fight with two things. Firstly, as in Canada we have a general problem with the tyres and we can’t get them to work in qualifying. Secondly, I had some difficulties with the brakes and I was locking the front right all the time. This made things extra difficult and is something we need to understand. However our new updates are definitely an advantage, although this was not evident in the performance. I could have gone maybe three-tenths quicker on my last lap if Buemi had not been in the way but it would still not have been enough for Q3. But we are fighters and we know this sport long enough. Our starts are good and with more fuel on board, things do not look so bad. We will certainly try to make the best out of our situation tomorrow.”

ROSS BRAWN

“Clearly that was a difficult qualifying session. After Montreal, we thought that we understood our issues with the tyres but they are still proving to be a challenge. The team and drivers did as well as they could today but we do not have the pace at the moment and we are not making the tyres work well, particularly in qualifying. We are pushing very hard to develop the car and sometimes in pushing so hard, you trip over. We need to reflect, assess and see what our next steps should be.”


NORBERT HAUG

“It is a disappointing qualifying result today for our team. Of course it was very tight, but if you are six-tenths slower than the best lap time, then you end up in twelfth place like Nico. Michael hit traffic in the last sector of his fastest lap which prevented him from improving further. We will certainly not give up on improving our package as we have done continuously since the season began but our competitors have been doing the same. Our race pace tomorrow should be better.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 European Grand Prix Practice

Nico Rosberg topped the timesheets this morning and was fourth quickest with Michael Schumacher ending the day in 11th place

The first practice sessions for the European Grand Prix got underway today at the Valencia Street Circuit in Spain. Driving the track for the first time, Michael Schumacher and teammate Nico Rosberg, who has taken part in the two races previously held at the Marina circuit, had their first opportunity to evaluate the latest developments on the MGP W01.

Nico Rosberg topped the timesheets this morning and was fourth quickest in the afternoon with Michael Schumacher ending the day in 11th place.

NICO ROSBERG

“We’ve had a productive day and I am feeling comfortable in the car although the tyres were a challenge again with graining and various issues. The option didn’t seem to work well but it was the same for everyone and we made the most of it. The team has done a good job on our upgrades and I’m sure that they have improved our competitiveness. We have a few bits and pieces to resolve overnight but we are on the right track which is nice to see. We know that our race pace is better than our qualifying performance at the moment so if we can get our qualifying right, we should make good progress this weekend.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“It was exciting to drive the track for the first time today, probably even to a bigger extent than I had anticipated yesterday after checking it. So this morning for me was mostly about getting a feeling for the track. You need to get used to it but I found it quite comfortable to drive even if some of the corners are blind. However it’s demanding to get the real rhythm which I have not totally found over one lap yet. The long runs went okay and all in all it was not too bad today, depending on the fuel loads obviously which we need to look into more deeply now. Regarding Lewis, I must apologise as I did not see him and was not informed that he was there. As I was planning my lap at that moment and looking ahead, I was unfortunately in his way.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We had a great deal of work to achieve today with our new developments and it was essential that the cars ran reliably to give us as much track time as possible. Therefore I’m very pleased that this was the case and we have been able to carry out our planned programme. It’s a good start to the weekend but as always, there is a long way to go and we have a few issues to get to grips with overnight before qualifying. From our experiences in Canada, we know that we have to qualify well to avoid compromising our race performance so that will be the focus of our attention this evening and tomorrow morning.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Today was not a bad start to the weekend with our heavily upgraded car which the team has worked very hard on over the last couple of weeks. I would really like to thank them for their relentless efforts. With low fuel, our lap times could have been quicker today however Nico and Michael both had traffic on their fastest laps, as happened to other drivers. Our lap times in race trim with very heavy fuel loads have been quick and consistent today. If everything comes together as planned, Nico and Michael will be able to show in qualifying and on Sunday during the race that we have made a step forward.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS F1 Reverse Side of Steering Wheel

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE MERCEDES GP PETRONAS F1 STEERING WHEEL

The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS website offered us another look at the very complex F1 steering wheel used by their driver’s Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. With speeds upwards of 200 mph, there is little time to make adjustments to the race car. With this highly technical piece of equipment, the driver has the information that he needs to drive the car and tune it for various situations with the push of select buttons.

What is on the reverse of the wheel?

The front of the steering wheel contains all the buttons and switches, but the parts fitted on the back are equally as important.

Starting from the top, there are the gear selector paddles which the driver uses to shift the gears up and down. He goes up a gear with his right hand and down with the left. A single gear shift takes only milliseconds and can be initiated with a quick flick to the paddles.

The next two smaller paddles functions are software configurable and allow the driver to ‘fast forward’ to a particular map position, for example a specific differential map that he might need in a corner.

The lower larger paddles are the clutch paddles. There is no clutch pedal in the car, just a brake and accelerator, so when the driver leaves the garage he will pull in one of these paddles, select first gear and then release the paddle like he would lift his foot on a pedal in a regular road car. After this, the clutch paddles are not used and the software in the car controls the clutch during gearshifts.

The only other times that the driver uses these paddles is during the race start if he needs to select reverse or to select first gear after being in neutral during a pit stop. There are two clutch paddles to make it easier for the driver when driving out of the garage. At some circuits, the pit lane runs right to left, and some circuits are left to right, therefore this means the driver will use different hands to actuate the paddles, hence two paddles.

The steering wheel connects to the electronics system of the car using a connector mounted into the centre of the quick release mechanism. These carry all the signals from the electronics mounted inside the wheel back to the main control unit of the car.

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 European Grand Prix Race Preview

The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS TEAM is headed to Valencia, Spain for the European Grand Prix to be held on Sunday 27 June

Team MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Driver’s Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are preparing for the upcoming European Grand Prix this week.  The European Grand Prix takes place around the city streets of Valencia, Spain on Sunday 27 June and is Formula One’s second visit of the season to Spain. The Valencia Street Circuit follows the water’s edge around the Juan Carlos I Marina, the base for the 32nd America’s Cup in 2007, using a specially constructed swing bridge to cross between the north and south sides of the marina. It consists mainly of slower corners with the last sector then being quite fast and presenting some quicker turns.

NICO ROSBERG

“This will be Formula One’s third visit to Valencia and I’m really looking forward to the weekend. The city is pretty cool and the Spanish fans are always enthusiastic so there should be a good atmosphere around the marina. Valencia is a really good track and not what you would usually expect from a typical street circuit. There are a lot of corners but it’s quite fast and flowing which combined with the barriers that line the circuit means that you have to keep your concentration levels high. The last race weekend in Canada was quite a tough one for us but I was pleased to finish in sixth and score decent points after being in thirteenth place on the first lap. Our pace was quick in the race and I hope that the upgrades we have for Valencia will bring further improvements.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Valencia is a track which I have never raced on before so it will be another new experience for me but one which I am very much looking forward to. I always have been quite good in adapting quickly to new situations and I strongly expect that to be the case in Valencia. I like going into new experiences like this and having detailed discussions with my engineers about the challenge. We will bring further updates for our car which should help to improve the performance. We have already seen that the car has improved steadily over the last few races and in Canada, the pace was better even if unfortunately that did not show in the results. That’s why I look forward to travelling to Spain a great deal.”

ROSS BRAWN

“Our car was well suited to the circuit in Montreal and our pace during the race was encouraging. Unfortunately qualifying was a disappointment and we placed well below our potential which compromised our weekend. Nico was clearly one of the quickest cars during the race and his climb from the midfield to sixth place was a very impressive performance. Michael showed good promise but damage to his front wing on the first lap and then the puncture put him out of the running and we were too ambitious with the use of the option tyres which left him struggling for pace. Looking ahead to Valencia, the circuit is similar to Montreal in many ways with long straights connected by slow corners which should suit our car. We have an upgrade package which will be another good step in our development towards competing at the front of the field. With the new points system this year, we are still within striking distance of the Championship leaders and we will continue with our efforts to become more competitive. We have a number of the basics right and the difference between winning and losing is small. We need to close that difference.”

NORBERT HAUG

“The track at Valencia’s harbour side, where the America’s Cup took place in 2007, is not a typical one on the Grand Prix calendar. It consists mainly of slower corners with the last sector then being quite fast and presenting some quicker turns. The lap is close to 5.5km which is above the average length of most circuits. We are planning to introduce some important upgrades to our cars in Valencia and are looking forward to making a step towards the top of the field.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 Canadian Grand Prix Montreal Race Results

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished in 6th and 11th places today

An action-packed Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal today saw Nico Rosberg come home in sixth place, making up four positions on his grid slot, with team-mate Michael Schumacher finishing in eleventh position after an eventful race which was compromised by a puncture.

In a race that was all about managing the tyres, Nico started on the option and recovered from a poor start which pushed him down into the midfield. He pitted early on lap five to switch to the harder prime tyres and set some quick lap times before his second stop on lap 27 for a further set of primes. From there, Nico drove well to manage his tyres and position, finishing in sixth place.

Starting on the prime tyres, Michael got away well off the line and was up to eighth place by the end of the first lap after starting in 13th position. He stopped on lap 12 for his second set of primes and was battling with Robert Kubica for seventh place before a front right puncture forced him back into the pits on lap 14. Michael made his third stop for option tyres on lap 33 and had to nurse his tyres to the end of the race before eventually finishing in 11th place.

NICO ROSBERG

“Sixth place was probably the best result that we could have achieved today so I’m pretty happy. It’s been a difficult weekend with a poor qualifying performance yesterday due to the tyres not working properly and I was unlucky on the first lap today to lose so many places from the chaos in front of me. But from there, I was able to do some good overtaking and push to make up the positions and our pace was quick. We had a great strategy but it was really difficult to manage the tyres. I drove smoothly to control the graining but every time I looked in my mirrors, it was getting worse. Thankfully the primes held after my second stop so we were able to finish with sixth place and get some decent points moving me up to sixth in the Drivers’ Championship.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“At the start, everything went great and we made up places as we had been hoping for. The first stop was perfectly timed so it was looking quite promising. Then I had a puncture on the front right tyre after my first pit stop, after I got together with Kubica, and that obviously decided my race. From there, I was stuck in traffic and there was nothing more to do because today our weapons were not very sharp. Towards the end, I was trying as hard as I could to defend myself but it was only possible to a certain degree and my tyres were just ruined after having done more than half the race distance. I was fighting cars with a good top speed which was quite tough. Otherwise I would have been in a good position I think so we have something to take away to the next races.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We had a messy start to the race which unfortunately is what happens when you start in the midfield. Nico was blocked and Michael was hit which broke part of his front wing. Nico then had a very good race to recover up to sixth place. We called the tyres perfectly, Nico was fast where he needed to be, looked after the car when required and generally had an excellent race. Michael was looking strong in the first phase of the race and was very well-placed. Unfortunately the incident with Kubica punctured the right front tyre and coming in for the extra stop meant we were out of phase with where we wanted to be with the tyres. With hindsight, it was over-ambitious to try and get the option to last as long as we did and Michael really struggled towards the end. We’ve come away with some points from the weekend but not as many as we would have hoped.”

NORBERT HAUG

“It was a great race today and fantastic for the sport and of course the spectators here in Montreal and worldwide in front of their televisions. Our speed looked much better today than in qualifying and it seemed like we were in for a good race with Michael as high as third place in the early phase of the race. Without the puncture, Michael could certainly have achieved a respectable result. For Nico, sixth place was a good result and posting the third fastest race lap shows that our speed compared to our competitors was better than yesterday in qualifying. However we need to improve our car further and we will. Congratulations to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes on their second one-two victory in a row. The victory marks the 72nd win powered by Mercedes-Benz in 224 races since 1997 which is an impressive score. Well done to McLaren and our committed engine guys in Brixworth and Stuttgart.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 Canadian Grand Prix Montreal Qualifying

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher qualifed in tenth and thirteenth places today

A poor performance from MERCEDES GP PETRONAS during qualifying today saw Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher qualify in tenth and thirteenth places respectively for the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Using the prime tyre for their only run in Q1, Nico and Michael progressed easily to Q2. Michael missed the cut for Q3 for the first time this season with his fastest time, set on prime tyres on his second run, only quick enough for thirteenth place.

Nico went through in seventh position but struggled with the options on his quick laps in Q3 and qualified in tenth place.

NICO ROSBERG

“That wasn’t a great qualifying session for us today. We have a good car here this weekend but unfortunately we couldn’t get the tyres to work properly this afternoon. That was the big issue for us today. The harder tyre wasn’t too bad in Q1 but we struggled with the option later on and there was just no more lap time to be had. It is very disappointing to be starting in tenth place but anything can happen in the race so we can only look forward and take advantage where possible tomorrow.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“I am obviously disappointed after today’s qualifying. We simply did not have the balance or grip and overall we had a lot of problems with braking and handling. The car was just not performing as we expected. We had similar issues yesterday afternoon and we made some changes after second practice. This morning, the changes seemed to have made sense as our position was reasonable but this afternoon, I was facing similar issues again. It’s difficult to understand the reasons at the moment but we will look deeply into it now and find a good strategy for the race tomorrow.”

ROSS BRAWN

“A very disappointing qualifying session for us today, particularly as I was quite encouraged by our performance yesterday and this morning. However when it came to qualifying, we just weren’t able to put our laps together. We tried both the prime and option tyres but finding the performance seemed to get away from us. There was very little difference between the tyres and ultimately we struggled to get the best out of them.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Not the best possible result for us today. We certainly didn’t extract the maximum out of our cars and didn’t use the tyres in the best possible way. But tomorrow we will possibly be in a better position.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 Canadian Grand Prix Montreal Free Practice Day

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS TEAM attended practice sessions for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

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.

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Practice 1 Practice 2
Nico Rosberg 4 MGP W01 / 02 23 laps 1:18.356 P4 34 laps 1:17.151 P3
Michael Schumacher 3 MGP W01 / 01 19 laps 1:18.285 P2 34 laps 1:17.688 P9

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.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 Canadian Grand Prix Montreal Race Preview

The 8th round of the 2010 World Championship and the 41st F1 race to be hosted in Canada takes place on Sunday, June 13

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.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 Turkish Grand Prix Race Results

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver's Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg finished in fourth and fifth places at the Turkish Grand Prix

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.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 Turkish Grand Prix Qualifying

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will share the third row of the grid for the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park

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.”

Mercedes GP PETRONAS F1 Team Hosts SKIDZ Student for a Week

SKIDZ Motor Project student named George was fortunate to meet Ross Brawn on a visit with SKIDZ to MERCEDES GP PETRONAS F1 Team

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.

Mercedes GP PETRONAS F1 Steering Wheel Analysis

An in-depth look at the Mercedes GP PETRONAS F1 Steering wheel – Buttons, Switches and Displays

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: Monaco Grand Prix Controversy Over Schumacher Penalty

Mercedes GP PETRONAS team plan on appealing the decision to give Michael Schumacher a 20 second penalty for overtaking

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.

Mercedes GP PETRONAS F1: Monaco Grand prix F1 Race Results

Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished the Monaco Grand Prix in seventh and twelfth places on the streets of Monte Carlo

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.”

Mercedes GP PETRONAS F1: Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher will start the Monaco Grand Prix in sixth and seventh positions

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.”

Mercedes GP PETRONAS Monaco Grand Prix Free Practice

Formula One cars took to the streets of Monte Carlo today for the first two practice sessions ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix

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.”

Mercedes GP PETRONAS Team Previews the Monaco Grand Prix

In preparation for the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, the Mercedes GP PETRONAS team discusses the upcoming race

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.

 

Mercedes GP PETRONAS to Unveil 2 Million Euro Motor Home in Monaco

At the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo this weekend, Mercedes GP PETRONAS will unveil a new modular home on wheels

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.

Mercedes GP PETRONAS Spanish Grand Prix Race Results

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Team at the Spanish Grand Prix finished with Michael Schumacher in 4th and Nico Rosberg in 13th

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.”