Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished the Brazilian Grand Prix in sixth and seventh places Sunday to achieve a double points finish for the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team in Interlagos. Nico and Michael made the most of the opportunities presented to them and had strong races to move up the order and improve on their grid positions.

NICO ROSBERG

“I had a strong start today and when Michael pitted ahead of me, I had clear air and was able to make up positions thanks to our good strategy. From then, it got a little chaotic but the team made a great call to get me on new rubber when the safety car came out. Unfortunately Jenson did the same and there was a lot of chaos with lapped cars so I wasn’t able to make up any further positions. Michael let me past which was nice as he was on used rubber against my new tyres.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“I had quite a good start today gaining two positions which unfortunately I lost again directly afterwards following my exit on the grass because of the fight with Robert. We then had good pace but with hindsight, my pit stop was maybe a little too early which left me stuck behind Adrian. Towards the end, I let Nico past when he was on fresh tyres as he had the better chance to fight Jenson in front of us. I look forward to Abu Dhabi now where I hope to have another encouraging race.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We are pleased to get a solid double points finish with good drives from Nico and Michael today. It was frustrating to lose a place to Jenson in the early stops as we expected him to get held up with traffic but he did a good job to get through. We made all the right strategy calls today which enabled us to make up several places on cars ahead of us on the grid. We had a radio problem which caused confusion with the tyres at Nico’s second stop however we boxed him again with no loss of position. It’s good to have two cars scoring points but obviously we are not finishing where we would like to. Congratulations to Red Bull for taking our Constructors’ title today and we will be after them next year.”

NORBERT HAUG

“We achieved the best possible results for us today to finish behind the drivers who were fighting for the World Championship as we have done in the six races since Spa. The team, Nico and Michael did a solid job and it is positive that Nico came home in sixth place after starting from 13th position. Michael recovered well from losing two places on the first lap to finish in seventh position and could have gone one place better if he had not been caught after his pit stop behind a car who changed tyres late in the race. Sixth and seventh places are not our target for the future but for now these results are the maximum with the technical package we currently have. Well done to everybody in our team and thank you for your hard work. We have one more race to go next weekend and then we are looking forward to next season with consistently better results. Congratulations to Red Bull Racing for winning the 2010 Formula One Constructors’ World Championship.”

The Brazilian Grand Prix, the second to last round of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, takes place on Sunday, November 7th at the Autodromo José Carlos Pace in Sao Paulo. The 4.309 km (2.67 miles) anti-clockwise track is the highest of the year at 800m above sea level and its inner city location at Interlagos, combined with the passion of the Brazilian fans, makes the circuit one of the most atmospheric venues of the year.

NICO ROSBERG

“The Brazilian fans are always fantastic and Interlagos is a really fun track to drive so I’m looking forward to the weekend in Sao Paulo. The combination of the tight infield and the long straight make the track layout very unique. The fact that Interlagos is at a very high altitude level means that the engine has less power due to the thinner air and the car has less grip and lower downforce which is a challenge. There are good overtaking opportunities and the weather always seems to play a part in the race weekend to make it more unpredictable. It was disappointing not to finish the race in Korea from such a strong position but our performance over the weekend was good and we were able to get the most out of the car. It would be nice to continue this and finish the season with strong performances.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“The season is coming to an end and I have to say that I am very impressed with how our guys have coped with it, especially in the last few flyaway races. Even though we have not had any big developments recently, we have still delivered promising performances. The characteristics of the Interlagos circuit are not too far away from those of the last races so we can go to Brazil in quite a confident mood. Our fighting spirit is good and we would like to finish the season in a positive way. So I am looking forward to going to Sao Paulo and hopefully achieving another result that I can be happy with.”

ROSS BRAWN

“The Brazilian Grand Prix is always a fantastic occasion and with the intense battle for the World Championship, it will be an exciting weekend for the fans at the circuit and watching around the world. Interlagos provides several challenges with its high altitude location and the bumpy surface creating two of the key engineering considerations when setting up the car. We have had a run of strong results recently, considering our relative performance position, and I am optimistic that we can continue the recent trend at the last two races. Of course this is not a position that we are happy with, and we are working very hard to ensure that we are back where we want to be next year, challenging for race wins.”

NORBERT HAUG

“The last two races of a very exciting Formula One season will take place within eight days in Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi which is an enormous challenge at the end of a long and demanding season. Everybody at the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team is fully motivated as the last five races have seen our team achieve the best possible results with our current technical package. We have finished regularly behind the World Championship contenders and sometimes between them. At the last race in Korea, we showed better potential with Michael finishing in fourth place and Nico ahead of the eventual second-placed finisher Lewis Hamilton, prior to being taken out of the race. Everybody in our team is fully focused and concentrated to finish the season with the best possible results and build the baseline for better results on a regular basis in 2011.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Driver Michael Schumacher finished the inaugural Korean Grand Prix in Yeongam in fourth place Sunday after an exciting race.

The race, which started under the safety car due to wet conditions, was red-flagged for 50 minutes before restarting once again under the safety car. The dramatic race finished just at the two-hour limit.

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Driver Nico Rosberg overtook Lewis Hamilton to take the fourth position when he was hit by Mark Webber’s spnning car. After the incident, Rosberg was forced into retirement on lap 19

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“I am pretty happy with today’s race and I have to say thank you to my team who guided me perfectly through the afternoon. I am sure that the spectators had a lot of fun here today at this first Korean race. The FIA did very well to start the race behind the safety car as it absolutely would not have been possible to have a racing start. The only shame for us today was that Nico was put out of the race otherwise we would have seen a very good weekend for our team.”

NICO ROSBERG

“We had a near perfect weekend with the car that we have until the collision in the race today. Qualifying in fifth place was great yesterday and the car has felt good all weekend. The team has done a great job here and the straightline speed that we had enabled me to overtake Hamilton early in the race. So it’s a big shame that my race was ended early. It was really difficult to judge which way Mark’s car would go and I took the decision to go left but he spun more and more that way and I just couldn’t avoid him. It’s a real shame as we could have had a great result today.”

ROSS BRAWN

“The team did an excellent job this weekend and have been rewarded with a very good result for Michael today. It could have been even better as Nico was in a strong position and obviously we are disappointed that he was taken out of the race. Nico had made a great overtaking move on Hamilton, he was very happy with the car and everything was going well up that point. Michael had an extremely good race. He took all of his opportunities and drove sensibly in the tricky conditions. We spent the latter part of the race looking after the tyres and making sure that we got through to the end as we didn’t think that we could challenge the leaders. Overall a very positive weekend and we hope to finish the season with equally strong performances.”

NORBERT HAUG

“A good race from Michael today finishing in fourth place behind the World Championship contenders as ‘best of the rest’ after a great manoeuvre to overtake Jenson Button. A shame for Nico who certainly had the possibility of finishing on the podium, given that he was ahead of Lewis who ultimately finished second, when he was caught up in Mark Webber’s incident. A good job from our team here in treacherous conditions with no mistakes made which was very difficult today.”

Formula One makes its first visit to Korea next week for Round 17 of the 2010 World Championship, the Korean Grand Prix, which will be held at the new Korean International Circuit in the South Jeolla region. 400kms from the capital Seoul, the Yeongam track has been designed by Hermann Tilke and will be the largest sports stadium in the country with the capacity for 130,000 spectators. Next week’s Korean Grand Prix will also be the 300th Formula One race for Mercedes-Benz since the company first competed in1954.

NICO ROSBERG

“It will be an exciting challenge to race at the new Korean circuit. It looks great from the pictures that we have seen recently and I hope that the asphalt holds up as it has only been put down very recently. It is always interesting to learn a new circuit and generally I get up to speed quickly so I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Finally this year we are going to a circuit which is not only new for me but for all of the drivers. Korea will be a very interesting country to see and even if the track has only just been finished in time, I am confident that everything will be fine. I am very much in favour of new races and I think it is a benefit for all of us in the sport. It should not be too complicated to learn the layout and we are used to adapting quickly to new circumstances. We had quite a good race in Japan last weekend and are hoping that we can move forward again and put on a good show at the first race in Korea.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We are very pleased to be visiting Korea next week and are looking forward to the experience of racing in a new country for Formula One. It is important for the future of our sport that we continue to expand our global fan base therefore we are very pleased that the venue is ready in time after some uncertainty. We have been preparing for the new Korean circuit back at the factory with work on our simulator so we have a good idea of what to expect but as always with a new track, it will be an interesting challenge.”

NORBERT HAUG

“The first Korean Grand Prix will be a completely new experience for everybody involved in Formula One and our team welcomes this new race onto the calendar. The organisers have had a challenging period of time to get the new facilities complete according to the initial plan but everything seems to be ready now. We are looking forward to an exiting first race at this new track in Yeongam where we can hopefully continue to get the maximum from our current technical package, as in the last races, and score additional points.”

Michael Schumacher finished the Japanese Grand Prix in the points today after a good start from 10th position on the grid and a strong race, including an exciting battle with his team-mate, saw him finish in sixth place.  The team was on course for a double points-finish before an accident for Nico Rosberg brought his race to a premature end on lap 48 when he was in sixth position, just ahead of Michael who was then in seventh place.

NICO ROSBERG

“It was a disappointing end to the weekend today. Due to a clutch problem, my start was poor but our strategy was good to change tyres under the safety car on the first lap which enabled me to recover the places and be racing in sixth position. My tyres were suffering from having done such a long stint so it was tough to maintain a good pace but it was enough to keep Michael behind. Then something broke on the rear of the car and put me into the tyre barrier which ended my race early.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“I am quite happy with the race today and the car felt really good. The opportunity to make up places was just what I hoped for and sixth place was the maximum that we could have achieved. It was good racing and it must have been very entertaining for the crowd. It was fun to be racing Nico so it is a shame what happened to him. We are now heading to South Korea and although I don’t really know what to expect, if our car is as good as it was here, then I hope for another encouraging race.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We had a strong race today with both cars and it is very disappointing and frustrating that Nico was unable to finish the race. Our prime concern was for his safety and thankfully he is absolutely fine. Prior to the incident, he was in an excellent position having taken advantage of an early stop under the safety car to make up places lost at the start. Michael also had a very good race today with a great start setting him up to make up positions. It was an entertaining few laps when Nico and Michael were fighting for sixth place and we were happy for them to battle it out. We are looking into the cause of Nico’s accident now and as always there will be a thorough investigation into what happened.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Michael finished in sixth place today and was the first car behind the five drivers fighting for the World Championship. He drove a strong race after he was handicapped with a small technical issue during qualifying. We still need to investigate what happened to Nico’s car six laps before the end when he was in sixth position. It is a real shame that he could not finish and sorry to him for that. Nico drove a faultless race and it was a good strategy to bring him in under the safety car on lap one. Michael proved this weekend that he is strong when we give him the base to do so.”

The first practice sessions for the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix got underway today at the Suzuka circuit in dry and warm conditions ahead of the heavy rain showers forecast for qualifying tomorrow.

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS pair Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg completed 47 laps and 35 laps of the 5.807km circuit respectively, loved by drivers for its challenging layout, as they worked on the set-up of their MGP W01 cars.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“It’s a great feeling to be driving this track again. It’s really fun and a great challenge. I have always loved Suzuka and particularly the first sector which is cool and demanding at the same time. If you get it right, you enjoy it big time. I’m pleased with our practice today as the car looks better than I had expected here and I didn’t face any real issues. So now we hope for a clean qualifying tomorrow where we will try to achieve as much as we can.”

NICO ROSBERG

“It’s been quite a challenging Friday for me. Unfortunately my morning was hampered by a gearbox issue which cost me some running time at the end of the session which wasn’t ideal. From then on, I just haven’t been as happy with the car here. I had a lot of understeer which we haven’t established the reason for, so we need to look into that overnight. Things started to come together more on the option tyre which gives me hope that we can build on that progress tomorrow. It should be an interesting weekend with the rain so we will try to make the best of that.”

ROSS BRAWN

“It’s been an interesting Friday as we have worked to learn as much as possible from the dry track before the expected rain arrives this evening. Michael had a positive day with the car running well to allow him to get used to the track again and develop his set-up. Nico had a few challenges with a gearbox issue interrupting his programme this morning and a few concerns with the balance this afternoon. We have a lot of information to work with so we expect to make progress overnight. It could be an interesting qualifying if the rain comes so we’ll need to be on our toes.”

NORBERT HAUG

“There is certainly room for further improvements after today’s practice sessions but we have definitely experienced more challenging Fridays this year. Our race pace today looked quite reasonable but of course we are still not good enough to fight at the front of the field. The forecast for tomorrow is predicting rain so the order we saw today may change in different conditions. Michael and Nico did a good job today taking into account the current capabilities of our car and our target is to repeat this level of performance tomorrow and on Sunday.”

Round 16 of the 2010 Formula One World Championship takes the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team back to the Far East for the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit. Hosting its 22nd Grand Prix, Suzuka is a great favorite amongst the Formula One drivers with its unique 5.807km figure-of-eight layout including famous corners such as the Spoon Curve and the high-speed 130R.

NICO ROSBERG

“Suzuka is a great race track and personally I think it is one of the best on the calendar, along with Spa. It is technically challenging, really quick and just a real drivers’ circuit which demands the best out of you and the car. The first sector is definitely the highlight of the lap and part of what makes the whole layout so demanding. We’ve had a decent run of results, considering our performance, with one sixth place and two fifth places so we will be hoping to continue that at Suzuka.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Suzuka was always one of my favourite circuits of the year as driving the track is simply sensational in parts. Suzuka is technically demanding and has interesting corner combinations so it was a really good feeling when you got it together. I am heading to Japan with some good memories in mind as the track in Suzuka was the scene of some great races for me. Obviously I hope that we can add more and I am definitely up for the challenge. I am sure we will try to get the maximum out of our weekend.”

ROSS BRAWN

“Suzka has hosted some great races over the years and it is one of those tracks that is considered a real classic by drivers and fans alike. The improved circuit and paddock facilities were very impressive last year with the organisers putting on a great show. The last three races have been particularly good for us with regard to our work at the track as a team and our run of points finishes so we will be aiming to continue this trend throughout the final four races.”

NORBERT HAUG

“The layout of the Suzuka circuit is one of the drivers´ favorites on the Formula One calendar. This race in Japan is very special and very demanding for the drivers, teams and cars. As in the last races, our target is to score points and to do the best possible job. We know that we are not yet in a position to win but whilst our technical developments are concentrated on next year´s car, our team at the track will be fully focused on the last four races of the season.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Driver Nico Rosberg continued his run of points-scoring finishes Sunda with a strong drive to take fifth place at the Singapore Grand Prix from seventh position on the grid. Team-mate Michael Schumacher had a more eventful race with two out-of-sync pit stops compromising his track position and he finished the 61-lap race in 13th place.

NICO ROSBERG

“It was extremely tough out there but we achieved the best possible result for us today. Our aim for the last few races is to finish as the best behind the top three teams and today we were able to profit as two of them had issues with Felipe in qualifying yesterday and Lewis in the race today. So fifth place is good for us and it’s very satisfying for the team. I could push Jenson a little at some points which was good to see. We will be aiming to finish the rest of the season as strongly.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“I am not particularly happy about my first experience of racing in Singapore this evening. I had two encounters with other cars which were racing incidents and meant that I had to make my stops at times which were not ideal and consequently my race was heavily compromised. I suffered with the rear tyres on my first set of options which made me slide rather than drive through corners which was tough, so I would probably say that I only enjoyed the second part of the race.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We had a small grid advantage starting from the clean side and Nico was able to make up a place which was good. We then stayed out under the first safety car when almost every car behind us came in which made us a little vulnerable but I was very pleased with our pace which enabled us to control the situation. Nico drove an excellent race today with a competitive performance that saw him pushing the McLaren-Mercedes at various stages. Michael had a more eventful race and whilst it didn’t quite go his way today, he persevered to the end of the race. It was a very good team effort to improve the car over the course of the weekend and another well-deserved points finish.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Nico drove a very clever race and brought home the best result we could have achieved under our existing circumstances. Michael had an action-packed first night race in Singapore but he kept going which speaks for him and his car, posting some competitive lap times after his second stop for a new nose. Thank you to everybody in the team for the hard work that was done here in difficult conditions when working in the garage was like being in a sauna at times. Singapore is one of the very best places to stage a race and on behalf of Mercedes-Benz, I would like to give our compliments to the organisers who have built up a benchmark race in a very short period of time. Our learning process is taking our team in the right direction and I am sure that we will have a better car and results next season. We are looking forward to the last four races and everyone will work very hard so that our team and drivers can compete with the leaders in the seasons to come.”

Round 15 of the 2010 Formula One World Championship takes the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team to Singapore for the season’s only night race. First held in Round 15 of the 2010 Formula One World Championship takes the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team to Singapore for the season’s only night race. First held in 2008, the Singapore Grand Prix has been a resounding success with the 5.073km Marina Bay Circuit lit with 1500 light projectors to illuminate the track and facilitate the 20:00 race start time.

Mercedes-Benz Stats (including customer teams)

• Singapore Grand PrixTotal (since 1954)
• Grand Prix Starts 2297
• Wins1 (2009)82
• Podiums2231
• Points Scoring Positions5426
• Grand Prix Points 252543
• Fastest Laps -86
• Pole Positions 181

Marina Bay Circuit Stats

• Circuit Length:5.073 km
• Race Distance:309.316 km
• Number of Laps:61

• Full Throttle:48%Brake Wear:High
• Tyre Compounds:Super Soft/MediumDownforce Level:High 10/10
• Tyre Usage:Medium Average Speed:189kph (117mph)

NICO ROSBERG

“Singapore is one of the highlights of the year and I really enjoyed the last two races. The atmosphere is fantastic and the concept of a night race works really well once you get into the routine of staying on European time. I had the best finish of my career so far at Singapore in 2008 when I finished second so the race has good memories for me. The track is good fun to drive and a real challenge. It feels like a proper street circuit, very narrow and enclosed, with a stop-start nature that never gives you the chance to relax. We’ve had decent results at the last two races so we will be hoping to continue our run of points finishes in Singapore next weekend.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“I have always been fond of getting to know new circuits and Singapore will definitely be an exciting adventure. I have three reasons to look forward to the weekend; it is a new circuit for me, it is a city race and it will be my first night race. Driving a new track has never been too complicated for me and I am usually very quick to learn and find the rhythm. As a team, we would like to perform strongly and we will give our maximum to deliver as good a show as possible.”

ROSS BRAWN

“Over the past two years, Formula One’s night race in Singapore has proved to be a fantastic occasion enjoyed by drivers, teams and fans alike. The weekend creates a great spectacle to showcase our sport and with the championship battle getting closer, we can hope to see another exciting race. From our team’s perspective, we have some refinements to our existing upgrades for Singapore and the high downforce set-up required for this low-speed street circuit. We have achieved decent results within the performance limitations of our car at the past two races and hope to have a strong end to the season during the final flyaway races.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Singapore’s night race is a very special Grand Prix on the Formula One calendar which has quickly established itself as a favourite. The atmosphere around the illuminated circuit is unique amongst the 19 race venues that we visit as are the images of Formula One generated from the night racing. Although we are focusing on the design of our 2011 car, we do have some technical developments for Singapore and as at the last two races, we will aim to achieve the best possible results with Michael and Nico.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Driver’s Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher achieved a double-points finish for the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza today as the pair came home in fifth and ninth places respectively.

Both drivers had good starts which helped to make up places on their grid positions as they drove strong races with Nico pitting on lap 35 and Michael making his stop one lap later. Nico was competing with the late-stopping Sebastian Vettel for fourth place in the final laps but was unable to get ahead of the Red Bull driver.

NICO ROSBERG

“Fifth place was an ok result today except for losing the place to Sebastian at the end there. It was a tough fight and I was pushing to the maximum throughout the race, firstly with Robert at the start and then with Sebastian towards the end. We got the most out of the car this weekend and another double-points finish is good for the team plus it is nice to be ahead of Robert again in the Drivers’ Championship.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“I had a quite clean race and I am pretty happy about my start. It was tight with lots of action so lots of nice fighting. Unfortunately I had to give away two positions to Sebastian and Mark as I just could not keep them behind me. From there onwards, the race was pretty lonely really. However we got the maximum out of it considering where we started from and together with Nico, we scored some important points for the team, so I would say it was a decent race.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We achieved a very respectable result today with two cars in the points which is just the kind of race that we need to have for the rest of the season. Nico and Michael made great starts, showing their experience and maturity, and then drove strong races. Whilst we were not on the pace of the front-runners, we were the strongest of the group behind and Nico did a fantastic job to try and keep Vettel behind but it just wasn’t quite possible. Michael had a very good race to get up into the points and with good work in the pits by the team, this led to another double-points finish.”

NORBERT HAUG

“We scored points with both drivers today which is good. After a great start, Nico drove a strong race which moved him up two positions to fifth place and he posted the third fastest lap of the race, quicker than three of the four guys ahead of him. Michael improved from 12th place on the grid to ninth position at the finish. Needless to say that we are not satisfied with such positions in the longer term but I am definitely satisfied that the team achieved the best possible results today. Thank you to everyone for all of their hard work here in Monza.”

The final European race weekend of the season began today at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in northern Italy.  Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher focused on evaluating the set-up and balance of their MGP W01 cars which ran in a special low-downforce configuration required for the high-speed nature of the Monza circuit.

Completing 59 laps and 55 laps respectively, Nico and Michael finished in the day in tenth and 14th positions.

Drivers

NICO ROSBERG

“Today was ok and the car is generally working well which meant that we could do some useful fine-tuning of our set-up. The tyres seem straightforward and I was happy with my long runs and the consistency that we were able to achieve. I had an issue with understeer through the faster parts of the track so we need to try to resolve that overnight. Our top speed looks reasonable so tomorrow will be about extracting the maximum from the car at its current level.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Monza has always been a great track to drive and from the sensations and the emotions that I experienced out there today, it feels just like it did over the many years that I have raced here previously. Our performance today does not look too bad, especially in the first sector where we worked a lot on top speed, and look quite good. We are using our F-duct and it worked well given that the benefits on this track, where you have to use a small rear wing, are naturally much smaller than on other circuits. I am looking forward to what will hopefully be an enjoyable weekend. ”

ROSS BRAWN

“We’ve had a reasonable start today with the car and our specific aero package working pretty much as we had expected. Nico and Michael achieved consistent running throughout the day which enabled us to get through our test programme including work on the F-duct. We have a few issues to resolve overnight but it has been a decent start to the weekend.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Our lap times in race trim looked not too bad today. Our target is to achieve reasonable grid positions tomorrow with both cars and then have a good and consistent race on Sunday which will hopefully see Nico and Michael in the points again.”

An action-packed and exciting Belgian Grand Prix in Spa today saw MERCEDES GP PETRONAS drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher come home in sixth and seventh places to score valuable points for the team.

The mixed weather conditions benefitted the pair as they stayed out on their dry tyres before switching to intermediates on lap 34 when the heaviest rain shower of the afternoon arrived. With Michael in sixth position and Nico just two places behind, Nico had the better of the re-start under the safety car on lap 41, and made up two places overtaking Michael and Kobayashi.

NICO ROSBERG

“My rain set-up finally worked out towards the end there and I made up two places on the re-start. Sixth place today is ok and it really is the most that we could have hoped for from this weekend. Michael and I had a couple of battles out there which was fun. We respect each other and you just have to be careful and it all worked out ok. It was a good recovery today but we really need to continue to try and improve our car to have a stronger end to the season.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“I am reasonably happy with today’s race, especially for the team. Coming where Nico and I started, I think we can all be pleased with the result, sixth and seventh places from 14th and 21st on the grid is not too bad, and it is important points for the Constructors’ Championship. For some reason, the number seven is somehow connected with me in Spa, so there is a further special feeling here. Without the weather being even crazier, we could not have achieved more today in my view. I ‘met’ Nico twice out on the track today. The first time, I had the better go in a nice racing duel and the second time was right after the re-start where I had to lift a little up into Eau Rouge due to the car in front which Nico used to fly past me. All in all, Spa turned out to be nearly as enjoyable as I had hoped for.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We are obviously very pleased with the result today, and particularly with our strategy, which enabled us to achieve a strong points finish which looked difficult after qualifying. Nico and Michael both drove extremely well in testing conditions and kept us entertained on the pit wall although sometimes a little too entertained! But it was all done in good spirit and both drivers brought their cars home to give us as good a weekend as we could have hoped for. The result is very pleasing considering the relative performance of the car at the moment and a morale boost for the team.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Nico, Michael and the team all did a good job today. Starting from 14th position like Nico and coming home in sixth place is very impressive and even more impressive when you start in 21st place like Michael and are in seventh position at the finish line. We adapted to the typical Spa weather circumstances as best we could which was the baseline for scoring points with both cars from very difficult grid positions. It is obvious that we are still lacking speed but this was a much better result than in the previous two races where we didn’t perform as well as we did with Nico’s podium finish at Silverstone. We are now looking forward to Monza which will be a very special race due to the unique high-speed nature of this circuit. Thank you to everybody in the team for the recovery after qualifying yesterday. These points show that never giving up and being measured and focused are always the right things to do.”

A weather-affected qualifying hour at Spa-Francorchamps today saw MERCEDES GP PETRONAS drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg qualify in 11th and 12th places respectively for tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix. A ten place grid penalty for Michael and a five place penalty for Nico following a gearbox change will be applied to their qualifying positions.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“What a pity as I would have liked to be in the top ten today obviously. I believe that we could have made it but unfortunately I had traffic on my last run so I could not push more at that point. Knowing I have to go back ten positions on the grid anyway makes me hope for mixed weather conditions tomorrow. This would at least bring some movement into the race which could work out in favour or against us. Let’s see what tomorrow afternoon will bring and what we can make out of it.”

NICO ROSBERG

“It’s not been an ideal weekend so far and knowing that we have the five place gearbox penalty, we decided to go for more of a rain set-up as it would be our only chance in the race tomorrow. The car was generally lacking grip today but the main problem was that I had traffic on my fastest lap in Q2 with a driver staying in front of me on his in-lap for the last half of the lap. We’ll have to see what tomorrow brings but if it rains, then we are on the right set-up.”

ROSS BRAWN

“It is obviously a difficult weekend for us with the problems that we have had with Michael being put back ten places and now the gearbox issue with Nico which has lost us five places. We didn’t look too bad in various parts of qualifying today and when we went out at the end of Q2, we had plenty of time for decent runs however we had a problem with a driver who was on his in-lap and holding our drivers up. Michael and Nico ended up missing out on Q3 by fractions of a second due to another driver which is frustrating.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Both Michael and Nico missed the top ten by about seven-hundredths today. In addition, we have been handicapped here from the outset with Michael’s 10 place and Nico’s five place grid penalty. Let’s hope the typical Spa weather lottery will help us to improve and go forward.”

After the summer break for MERCEDES GP PETRONAS teammates, Formula One returns to action next week with Round 13 of the 2010 World Championship.  The Belgian Grand Prix will be held at Spa-Francorchamps, located in the forests of the Ardennes.  The Spa circuit has been shortened over the years but retains much of its original character and is the longest track on the calendar at 7.004 km.

NICO ROSBERG

“It’s been nice to have a short break but it will be good to start racing again next weekend. Spa is definitely up there as one of my favourite circuits and it’s one of the most challenging tracks that we race on. The lap is very high-speed with some great corners, including Eau Rouge of course, and it’s just a great place to drive a Formula One car. The last race in Hungary was difficult for us but I know that everyone at the factory has been working hard since the shutdown and we hope to have a better weekend in Spa.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Spa has always been my favourite racetrack and so for that reason alone, I am really looking forward to going back and racing there. It has been ages since I have last been there. Our weekend will obviously be handicapped by my grid penalty and consequently it will be difficult to expect special things from the race. On the other hand, every racing kilometre is important and welcome because we can learn from it with regards to our car. I will definitely try to make the best out of the weekend.”

ROSS BRAWN

“The summer shutdown has been a well-deserved opportunity for our staff to have a break in the middle of the season but we are all looking forward to the racing getting underway again with the Belgian Grand Prix next weekend. Spa is one of the classic racing circuits on the calendar which is loved by drivers, engineers and fans so it is always one of the highlights of the year. The circuit is dominated by straights at the start and end of the lap with a twisty middle section and the drivers love the fast sweeping corners, including the legendary Eau Rouge. With the shutdown, we have had limited time to work on the car since Hungary, however we will do our best to have a good weekend in Spa to kick-off the final run of seven races to the end of the season.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Spa is a classic race in the Formula One season and I am sure everybody in the paddock as well as the media and the spectators worldwide are looking forward to this special Grand Prix which is run partly on narrow public roads that are used for daily traffic throughout the year. Our team will be focused on achieving respectable results for Michael and Nico.”

Wide, spectacular and clad in an authentic racing car outfit – two very special S-Class saloon models from the AMG stable. One is the racing touring car of 1971, the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG, and the other is the S 63 AMG showcar. With identical sponsoring and the memorable start number “35”, the new high-performance model is a reminder of a historic success: on July 25, 1971, the bright red four-door saloon crossed the finish line in second place at the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps. This triumph in the car’s very first race made AMG world-famous overnight.

The highly experienced Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz took turns behind the wheel of the AMG touring car. AMG was anything but the favourite to win this classic Belgian long-distance race: it faced the mighty opposition of the Ford Capri RS, BMW 2800 CS, Chevrolet Camaro, Opel Commodore and Alfa Romeo GTA. Nobody expected that the large luxury saloon from Affalterbach in provincial Swabia would be able to keep up with the well-established teams.

5th place in the starting line-up for AMG

The red four-door saloon already showed its potential in training, when Clemens Schickentanz surprised everyone with the fifth-fastest training time. Indeed nobody at AMG had expected fifth place in a starting line-up of 60 cars. 80,000 spectators wondered about the fast, red saloon with its long wheelbase – the only Mercedes taking part in the race. Pole position was occupied by the favourite, the Chevrolet Camaro driven by Ivo Grauls and Peter Hoffmann, followed by the Alpina-BMW 2800 CS of Niki Lauda/Gérard Larousse, then the first works Ford Capri with Dieter Glemser and Alex Soler-Roig, and the Schnitzer-BMW 2800 CS piloted by Rauno Aaltonen and Helmut Kelleners. All in all, 60 racing touring cars were seeking to beat the stopwatch on the then 14.1 kilometre course in the Ardennes, driven by well-known names such as Hans-Joachim-Stuck, Jochen Mass, Toine Hezemans, Willy Kauhsen, Achim Warmbold and Rainer Braun.

On the first lap, driver Hans Heyer in the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG was able to manoeuvre into 3rd place right behind the Ford Capri (Glemser/Soler-Roig) and the Chevrolet Camaro (Grauls/Hoffmann). After a turbulent race with a rainstorm at midnight and numerous breakdowns, the “35” finally crossed the finishing line in second place behind the works Capri driven by Glemser/Soler-Roig. The AMG saloon had absolved exactly 308 laps in the 24 hours. Technical problems: none at all. A sensational result.

Top speed of 265 km/h and exotic wood trim in the cockpit

Hans Heyer looks back fondly on this race: “We knew we could win, but the others did not know that yet!” The AMG saloon was unbeatable on the straight, however the braking system substantially adopted from the standard model had problems coping with the weight of the car (1635 kilograms). “But on the old Spa course the discs had plenty of time to cool down, and nobody was able to catch us on the long straights,” the now 67 year-old reminisces. With a top speed of 265 km/h, the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG was tailor-made for the fast Belgian track. The interior had a luxurious atmosphere with its standard appointments such as power steering, air suspension, carpets, panelled doors and a dashboard with exotic wood trim. The spectators along the trackside enthusiastically cheered the large saloon with its unmistakable V8 sound. “The outsider quickly became the public’s favourite,” says Hans Heyer.

The AMG racing saloon was technically based on the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. With an engine output of 184 kW (250 hp) at 4000 rpm and a top speed of 220 km/h, this luxury saloon was Germany’s fastest regular production car at the time. It was not only an enlarged displacement from 6330 to 6835 cc that increased the output to 315 kW (428 hp) at 5500 rpm, and torque from 500 to 608 newton metres. AMG co-founder Erhard Melcher “tweaked” the eight-cylinder power unit using classic methods: high-precision camshafts and modified rocker arms, lighter connecting rods, new Mahle pistons, larger intake valves, modified combustion chambers, polished intake and exhaust ducts, a new intake tract with two throttle flaps and a racing exhaust system ensured a better gas throughflow and made higher engine speeds possible. Endurance was improved by installing an additional oil cooler and finely balancing the crankshaft.

The wings were flared to make room for the lightweight size 10 x 15 and 12 x 15-inch magnesium wheels adopted from a C 111 test car. Aluminium doors helped to reduce the car’s weight from the original 1830 to 1635 kilograms. Larger front wishbones, a more robust rear axle with a heavy-duty differential and smaller, stiffer suspension air bellows made the saloon fit for the racetrack.

Sensational success reported on German TV news

The unexpected success in the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps made AMG, which was founded in 1967, well-known overnight – and marked the start of an impressive success story. Even the German TV news “Tagesschau” reported on this sensational result. “It really was a sensation at the time,” AMG founder Hans Werner Aufrecht remembers. The courage shown by Aufrecht and his partner Melcher in entering such a car in the classic 24-hour race had been well rewarded.

Afterwards the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG took part in the 2×6 hour race at Paul Ricard on 11 and 12 September 1971, accompanied by a privately entered 300 SEL 6.3 with an AMG engine. In March 1972, now repainted in yellow, the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG took part in the trials for the Le Mans 24-hour race, but did not take to the starting line for the June race. The car was however entered in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in June 1972, and in the Nuremberg 200-mile race at the Norisring on 6 August 1972, where Hans Heyer took first place in the “Standard and special touring cars above 2000 cc” category with the four-door saloon, which had meanwhile been painted red again. The success story of the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG came to an end there: a rule-change by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) put the brakes on this muscular racer, as only cars with an engine displacement of up to five litres were permitted to enter European Touring Car Championship races in future. AMG sold its racing saloon to the French Matra group, where it was converted for high-speed tests on aircraft tyres. Its subsequent fate is unknown. In spring 2006 Mercedes-AMG built a replica of the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG according to the original drawings, so as to keep this unique success story alive.

Spectacular S 63 AMG”Thirty-Five” showcar in the style of the racing touring car

Like its historic predecessor, the new S 63 AMG showcar does not fail to attract attention. Eye-catching details include the imposing tyre sizes of 275/35 R 20 and 325/30 R 20 at the front/rear, and the 4.5 cm flare on each wing. The start number 35 and practically all the sponsoring stickers follow the original. Instead of fire-red non-metallic paintwork, the body of the showcar is finished in “AMG Le Mans red metallic”, a colour available exclusively for the new SLS AMG. The functional interior is enhanced with black/carbon-fibre piano lacquer trim. A rollover cage, two AMG sports bucket seats with four-point seat belts and an AMG sports steering wheel lined in leather/Alcantara underline the racing touring car look. This spectacular showcar provides an outlook on the series production version of the new S 63 AMG, which is due to be launched in September 2010.

“AMG Performance 2015” as the continuation of a success story

The car is powered by the new AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine and the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission. Mercedes-AMG is continuing this impressive story with its “AMG Performance 2015” strategy, and meeting its promise to continuously reduce both the fuel consumption and emissions of new models with the new engine/transmission combination – while reaching new heights with the central brand value of “performance”.

The new AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine will play a major part in the Mercedes-AMG model strategy over the next few years. The unique AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission will also guarantee a thrilling yet economical power transfer in future AMG high-performance cars. The new engine/transmission combination is another milestone in the success story of Mercedes-AMG, which

began in 1967. Another highlight in the company’s more than 40 year history is undoubtedly the SLS AMG: this gull-wing model which was launched in March 2010 is the first automobile to be completely independently developed by Mercedes-AMG. It means that as the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars, AMG is not only fielding a masterpiece but also demonstrating development expertise at the highest level.

Direct petrol injection with spray-guided combustion and twin turbocharging

With an overall displacement of 5461 cc, the new AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo unit makes do with exactly 747 cubic centimetres less compared to the naturally aspirated AMG 6.3-litre V8 with a displacement of 6208 cc. In addition to downsizing, AMG is also utilising the advantages of direct petrol injection with spray-guided combustion and piezo-electric injectors: thanks to its higher thermodynamic efficiency, this technology makes more efficient use of fuel and leads to lower exhaust emissions. AMG combines this spray-guided combustion with twin turbochargers. Other highlights include a crankcase wholly of aluminium, four-valve technology with adjustable camshafts, an air/water intercooler, generator management and a start/stop function as standard.

This high-tech package leads to a high output and torque yield, together with fuel consumption figures that are unrivalled in the competitive lineup. The AMG 5.5‑litre V8 biturbo engine develops a peak output of 400 kW (544 hp) and maximum torque of 800 newton metres. In conjunction with the AMG Performance package these figures are increased to 420 kW (571 hp) and 900 newton metres. The major difference between the two performance classes is an increase in the maximum charge pressure from 1.0 to 1.3 bar. A look at the performance diagrams shows that no other engine in this output class achieves the figures delivered by the new AMG biturbo.

Quantum leap: fuel consumption reduced by 25 percent

With a provisional NEDC fuel consumption of 10.5 litres per 100 kilometres, the new S 63 AMG is 3.9 litres more economical than the preceding model powered by the naturally aspirated AMG 6.3-litre V8 – despite an increase in output by 14 kW (19 hp) resp. 34 kW (46 hp) and in torque by 170 and 270 newton metres. Engine specialists consider this achieved fuel saving of more than 25 percent to be nothing less than a quantum leap. CO2 emissions have likewise been significantly reduced: at 246 grams per kilometre, the figure is 28.5 percent lower than for the previous model. Both performance variants have identical fuel consumption and CO2 figures.

With figures like these, the new S 63 AMG is not only considerably better than all its competitors, but also more fuel-efficient than much less powerful cars in this segment. In some cases, in terms of its enormous output and torque figures, the new AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine is twice as efficient as many a medium or compact class diesel engine.

At the same time the S 63 AMG delivers superior performance at sports car level: the high-performance saloon accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, and has an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. The 100 km/h mark is reached in just 4.4 seconds with the AMG Performance package, with the top speed increased to an electronically limited 300 km/h.

Engine production – tradition of hand-built excellence

Like all AMG engines, the new eight-cylinder biturbo is assembled by hand in the AMG engine shop taken into commission in 2002. A single, highly-qualified technician assembles the M 157 according to the “one man, one engine” philosophy, maintaining the very strictest quality standards – as attested by his signature on the characteristic AMG engine plate.

Exciting power delivery, characteristic sound

These figures raise high expectations which the 400 kW (544 hp) AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo certainly meets. The flat torque curve ensures enormous pulling power in all speed ranges: 670 newton metres are already available at 1500 rpm, and the maximum torque of 800 newton metres is delivered just 500 rpm later, remaining constant to 4500 rpm. Even more effortless performance is ensured by the engine variant with the AMG Performance package, which has a peak output of 420 kW (571 hp). In this case the eight-cylinder delivers 875 newton metres of torque at just 2000 rpm, with a constant 900 newton metres available between 2500 and 3750 rpm.

It is not only the unrivalled torque delivery of this turbocharged eight-cylinder that makes the heart beat faster, as the agile responsiveness with no irritating charger delay leads to an effortlessness and dynamism previously unknown in this output class. All perfectly matched by the characteristic, sonorous engine note. Moreover, this AMG high-performance engine naturally meets all the requirements with respect to smooth, quiet running and the comfort on long journeys that is to be expected of a Mercedes.

MCT 7-speed sports transmission with Controlled Efficiency mode and start/stop function

Power is transferred by the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission used exclusively by AMG, which is already familiar from the SL 63 AMG and E 63 AMG and combines high emotional appeal with outstanding driving dyna-mics and a high level of efficiency. The wet start-up clutch replaces a conventional torque converter, and helps to save fuel. The exemplary fuel economy is also in large measure due to the standard start/stop function. This system is active in the transmission’s Controlled Efficiency (“C”) mode, and switches the eight-cylinder engine off when the car comes to a stop. In “C” mode the sports saloon always starts off in second gear, and the transmission shifts to the next, higher gears at a decidedly early stage. With its high torque at low engine speeds, the V8 engine encourages a smooth, effortless driving style.

The eight-cylinder biturbo engine also features the generator management system familiar from the E 63 AMG: whenever the engine is on the overrun or when braking, kinetic energy is used to charge the battery rather than being wasted as heat in the usual way. In all other operating modes a combination of onboard network and generator management enables the generator to be kept at a low voltage. This reduces the load on the engine and makes for fuel savings of around 0.15 litres per 100 kilometres according to the NEDC standard, and up to 0.2 l/ 100 km in city traffic with its frequent overrun and braking phases.

Long tradition of powerful AMG V8 engines

Powerful eight-cylinder engines are an inseparable part of AMG’s corporate history. One milestone in this history was the M 117, the first eight-cylinder with four-valve technology: with a displacement of 5.6 litres, 265 kW (360 hp) and 510 newton metres of torque, this V8 accelerated the Mercedes-Benz 300 CE 5.6 AMG to a top speed of 303 km/h in 1987. This made the coupé Germany’s fastest series-production car; American AMG fans reverently christened it “The Hammer”. Another important engine in the history of AMG was the supercharged AMG 5.5-litre V8 introduced in 2001: the M 113 K developed an output of up to 428 kW (582 hp) and torque of 800 newton metres. The supercharged AMG 5.5-litre V8 in the SLR McLaren of 2003 was even more powerful – it developed up to 478 kW (650 hp) and 820 newton metres. 2005 saw the debut of the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine; depending on the model, the naturally aspirated, high-revving M 156 developed up to 386 kW (525 hp) and 630 newton metres. Exclusively reserved for the new SLS AMG, the likewise 6.3-litre M 159 has a maximum output of 420 kW (571 hp) and maximum torque of 650 newton metres.

The supercharged AMG 5.5-litre V8, the AMG 6.3-litre V8 and the AMG 6.0-litre V12 biturbo were all able to win the Best Performance Engine category in the International Engine of the Year Awards.

Hans Heyer highly successful in touring car and sports car races

Hans Heyer, born in Mönchengladbach on 16 March 1943, has taken part in 1000 races in more than 35 years of motorsports. He has competed as a works driver for many brands, including AMG-Mercedes, Ford, Lancia, Porsche, Jaguar and BMW. Heyer is Germany’s most successful Go-Kart driver of all time, winning four European championships, two world vice-championships, four German championships and two Dutch championships. He won the precursor to the DTM series three times, the German motor racing championship and achieved three first places in the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps. In 1974 he crowned this successful career with the European touring car championship title.

Heyer was also very successful with prototype sports cars, with victories including the 1000-kilometre races in Monza, Mugello, Kyalami and on the Nürburgring. He also competed in the 24-hour race in Le Mans several times, and became sports car brand world champion in 1976 and 1980. In 1977 Hans Heyer even competed in a Formula 1 race for ATS.

In 1985 Hans Heyer took to the starting line for the Paris–Dakar marathon rally, winning the truck category and taking 28th overall place. In 1986 and 1987 Heyer worked as a development and test driver for the AMG-Mercedes team, and also as racing manager in 1988 and 1989. In 2004 Hans Heyer announced his final retirement from active racing after his 1000th race. His son Kenneth, aged 29, has followed his father’s footsteps and is entering the ADAC GT Masters and the FIA GT European championships in 2010.

Tyrolean hat as a trademark

Hans Heyer’s trademark was his Tyrolean hat: he elevated this striking head cover into a trademark over several decades – and it also “opened doors” for him automatically. “There were times when I did not need to show identification for anything. My hat was so well-known that I got in everywhere, even at Formula 1 events.”

Clemens Schickentanz still active today

The greatest sporting successes of Clemens Schickentanz, born on 24 May 1944 in Coesfeld, include overall victory in the first ever 24-hour race on the Nürburgring in 1970, together with Hans-Joachim Stuck. Even more publicity was assured by the second place with the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG at the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps with Hans Heyer in 1971. In 1973 Clemens Schickentanz won the GT European championship and the Porsche Cup; at the 24-hour race in Le Mans he took 3rd and 4th place in 1973 and 1983. His race record is also studded with numerous victories in 1000 km races. Clemens Schickentanz has never officially ended his active carer as a racing driver, and still appears on the starting line for classic car races.

The driver duo of Hans Heyer/Clemens Schickentanz was not only successful with the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG. In 1978 they drove the new 450 SLC 5.0 AMG in the European touring car championships. At the end of the season they had achieved two third places in Monza/Italy and on the Salzburgring in Austria. In 1980 Clemens Schickentanz alternated with Jörg Denzel behind the wheel of the silver coupé. After a second place in Monza, they achieved their first victory in the Touring Car Grand Prix on the Nürburgring.

Legendary racetrack with many bends: Spa-Francorchamps

The Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in the Belgian Ardennes was opened in 1921, and is regarded as hallowed ground by racing drivers and fans – it almost has the same legendary appeal as the North Loop of the Nürburgring.

The seven kilometre long circuit is already very special because of its very varied course and very considerable differences in altitude, which is why it is often

referred to as the “Ardennes Rollercoaster”. Spa-Francorchamps is world-famous by virtue of its notorious “Eau Rouge” combination of bends. Shortly after the starting/finishing line and the “La Source” hairpin, the track dips into a fast left/right combination. This is immediately followed by a respectable uphill gradient transitioning into the fast and also blind “La Radillon” left-hand bend.

A test of courage for any racing driver. There is only space for one car to pass through this demanding combination of bends – no chance for two or even three abreast. It is also important to take the ideal line to gain impetus for the long “Kemmel” straight that follows. Another key point is the ultra-fast double left-hander named “Blanchimont”, where speeds of up to 300 km/h are attained before the racing cars have to be braked hard to take the “Bus Stop” chicane.

“Eau Rouge” is particularly synonymous with exciting racing incidents – but has also been the scene of tragic accidents in the past. The extraordinarily talented German driver Stefan Bellof lost his life at Eau Rouge on 1 September 1985, during a sports car race. Following numerous rebuilding measures on this bend and other stretches, passive safety has been drastically improved for both the drivers, the spectators and the track marshals.

World Champion Michael Schumacher holds the lap record

The official lap record in Spa-Francorchamps is held by the seven-times World Champion Michael Schumacher: his lap time of 1:43.726 minutes dates from 2002, and corresponds to an average speed of 241.837 km/h. Mercedes-GP-Petronas driver Michael Schumacher on the Belgian Grand-Prix track: “This racetrack is one of the few that has retained its historic charm – and one of the last where the drivers really make the difference.” AMG Mercedes DTM driver David Coulthard: “I would say that at least 90 percent of all drivers consider Spa-Francorchamps to be their favourite course.”

Spa-Francorchamps is now the venue for the Belgian Grand Prix Formula 1 race (27 to 29 August 2010) and the 24-hour race (31 July to 1 August 2010) – the very event in which the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG achieved its second place in 1971.

Michael Schumacher finished the Hungarian Grand Prix in 11th place today whilst Nico Rosberg retired following a pit stop incident.

Nico lost a position at the start and was running in seventh place when he came into the pits on lap 16 following the deployment of the safety car. A problem with the nut on the right rear wheel saw the wheel come loose as Nico went down the pitlane and led to his retirement. With Michael following quickly into the pits, the incident had an impact on his stop, costing valuable track time and despite a battle for tenth place, he ultimately finished outside of the points.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Today’s race was probably was one of the toughest that I have had so far. It was pretty edgy to drive the car on the limit so I had to fight my way through the race, and at the end, it was like walking on ice. Regarding the overtaking manoeuvre with Rubens, I indicated pretty early that I would move towards the inside and not simply give up the line, and there was just enough space for him to pass me without touching each other. It was a hard fight, and this is what we are here for, but I accept that the FIA stewards saw it as too hard. I look forward to the break now and to coming back out of it stronger in Spa.”

NICO ROSBERG

“It was a disappointing end to a difficult weekend today. I didn’t have a good start because I was on the dirty side and I was struggling to find the pace to keep up with Petrov, so it would have been tough to make up much ground. We needed to have a good pit stop to stay ahead of Kubica but unfortunately we had the problem with the right rear wheel. It’s disappointing to have my first retirement of the season but these things happen and we will learn from the experience. After I heard that my tyre hit big Nige, one of my old Williams truckies, I was more concerned about my tyre than him! But seriously, it’s great that he doesn’t have any serious injures and I’m sorry for the incident. We’ll come back in Spa ready to do better.”

ROSS BRAWN

“Today was very disappointing for the team but sometimes these experiences happen and it is important that we learn from them. Nico and Michael struggled with their starts from the dirty side of the grid and it certainly cost Nico a place. The early safety car brought everyone in for their pit stops with our drivers due in quick succession. We had a problem with the right rear wheel during Nico’s stop and his car was sent without the wheel nut being properly fitted. We will have a thorough investigation into the incident and report our conclusions to the FIA. We are thankful that no serious harm was caused by the stray wheel and send our best wishes to the Williams mechanic who was unfortunately injured. Michael’s stop followed just under five seconds later and he was held whilst we sorted out the problem to ensure there was not a reoccurrence. This cost him a lot of track time at a crucial point and he came out down the field. Michael and Rubens had a tough battle in the closing laps which the stewards ultimately felt was too tough. We don’t necessarily agree with their decision but we do accept the penalty. It’s been a tough weekend but we will go away, lick our wounds and come back stronger at the next few races.”

NORBERT HAUG

“A very disappointing result for our team. Nico and Michael were not able to score points due to problems during their pit stops. Thankfully the mechanic who was hit by the tyre was quickly released from his check-up in the medical centre and our apologies to him and the Williams team. Our pace was not great but we should have scored points which ultimately, due to the above mentioned problems, we did not. We now have a well deserved summer break for our hard-working team and we will try to do better in Spa.”

A strong performance from Nico Rosberg today saw him qualify in sixth place for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. Team-mate Michael Schumacher had a more difficult session and qualified in 14th position.

Nico was competing towards the front throughout the three qualifying sessions and his final lap in Q3 was good enough to line up on the third row of the grid. Michael struggled more with the set-up of his car and did not progress beyond Q2.

NICO ROSBERG

“I’m pleased to be starting from sixth place as we didn’t think we would be that far forward today, so it’s an unexpected and pleasant surprise. We are a long way from the front which is a concern but we took everything that we could from today and I am happy with our performance. We did a very good job with the set-up which meant we could get the best out of the car. Hopefully I can have a good start and our aim as always is to make up a few more places and get some decent points again.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Obviously qualifying was not ideal for us today. After yesterday’s performance, we purposely went for a different set-up which was supposed to tell us more about the car and was targeted more towards the race. It seemed to be reasonable this morning but as the track became hotter in qualifying, it went against us. Our set-up should work better in the race although starting from 14th place does not make it easy. Being on the dirty side of the starting grid does not specifically help, but I will certainly try again to have a good start tomorrow. And from then on we will have to see how the race develops.”

ROSS BRAWN

“We’ve had a challenging weekend with the cars here so far. We did make some progress this morning prior to qualifying and clearly we got the car to suit Nico and he did an excellent job this afternoon. However we didn’t find the right solutions for Michael which was not helped by some vibration problems on his last set of tyres in Q2. I must compliment Nico on a great job and achieving a strong starting position which is as good as we could have hoped given the performance of the car.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Nico and our team did the maximum they could and achieved the best possible result for us today. Sixth place on the dirty side of the track with less grip is not the ideal place for a good start, but our result could have been worse after we faced some problems in finding the right set-up direction for the cars yesterday. Well done to the team for the recovery. Michael tried a different set-up solution which did not work out in the end. A week at Hockenheim, he was eight-thousands of a second slower than Nico and here the margin is much bigger so we just did not get it right.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Driver’s Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher were in Budapest for the first two practice sessions on the Hungaroring ahead of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. With their MGP W01 cars running with a revised aerodynamic package for this race, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg concentrated on developing the set-up and balance, with a particular focus on race preparation.

Michael completed 57 laps and finished the day in 10th position with Nico covering 53 laps in 13th place.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“Today we saw two sessions where neither the long runs nor the single laps were looking particularly good. We are not up to the speed that we normally are on Fridays and unfortunately our car does not look very good here at the moment. We have to look deeply into the data now to see if there are any specific reasons or if it is due to the character of the circuit. I think our specification is better than we had at Silverstone but we have to make it suit this track. We obviously hope for a better performance tomorrow and Sunday.”

NICO ROSBERG

“It was an interesting day and even though we have taken a small step back with our upgrades, the car seems to work as it should. The track was unexpectedly fast so we had to do some different things with the set-up just to get a feel for it. My lap time wasn’t particularly representative as I didn’t set a time because of the traffic so I think we look to be in our general position behind the frontrunners at the moment. ”

ROSS BRAWN

“We had a busy day working with our revised aero package to find the right direction for qualifying and particularly the race. Both drivers completed some good set-up work but Nico and particularly Michael are not completely happy with our position at the end of today. We have a fairly clear picture of where we expect the prime and option tyres to be positioned for qualifying and the race but we have a lot of work ahead this evening to improve the cars for tomorrow.”

NORBERT HAUG

“Not a perfect first day of practice for us and there is certainly still work to be done tonight in order to improve the set-up of our cars. If the forecast is correct for tomorrow, there is a chance of thunderstorms around lunchtime which could possibly create an exiting qualifying session.”

The third set of the 2010 season’s back-to-back races continues this weekend in Budapest with the Hungarian Grand Prix just one week after the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. Taking place at the Hungaroring, located 19kms from the capital, the circuit has hosted the race since 1986 and is one of the most technically demanding on the calendar.

NICO ROSBERG

“Budapest is a great city and the atmosphere there and at the track over the race weekend is very vibrant so I always enjoy visiting. The Hungaroring is one of those tracks that provides a real technical challenge and it is good fun to drive. Overtaking is difficult there so qualifying is really important and you need to start from as high up the grid as possible. Qualifying hasn’t been our strong point recently so we will be working hard on our preparations over the weekend to give us the best chance in the race. I had a strong weekend in Hungary last year, finishing in fourth place, and it would be nice to be competing towards the front again this time around.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

“The German Grand Prix last weekend was clearly disappointing for us but we have seen a variety of performances from our team over the past few races. With this in mind, I will still go to Hungary with a positive feeling. It is clear that we need to understand our car better, and the track in Budapest plus more time to evaluate our upgrades should help us in that respect. As I said after the last race, we have to remain calm, look into all the details and analyse our performance in order to learn as much as possible from such weekends. That is the way we have to go in order to improve our situation which may already be possible this coming weekend in Hungary.”

ROSS BRAWN

“The Hungarian Grand Prix will be the conclusion to an extremely busy period for the team following two of our home races taking place this month at Silverstone and Hockenheim. The last race weekend in Germany was challenging for us, particularly following the podium finish at Silverstone, and we were disappointed not to be competing further up the field. The team is doing a good job operationally but we need to find more pace from the car and we continue to work very hard to achieve this. Hungary is a technically demanding circuit and should be a good proving ground for our latest upgrades, providing further invaluable track testing time, as we work to find the optimum set-up. Our two-week factory shutdown just after the race will be a well-deserved rest for our employees and the chance to recharge their batteries before the busy final third of the season.”

NORBERT HAUG

“The Hungaroring circuit near Budapest is very different to that of the last race in Germany with a slow and twisty layout requiring maximum downforce. One weekend after the home race of Mercedes-Benz, our team wants to achieve a better result than we managed at the Hockenheimring.”

We’ve already brought you an in-depth look at both the front and back of the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS F1 steering wheel, and now we have a video analysis of the same steering wheel currently used by  team drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. Operating at speeds in upwards of 200 mph, design of the steering wheel for F1 drivers is crucial, as there are numerous knobs and buttons necessary for flawless operation on the track. In the video, driver Nico Rosberg gives us an extraordinary insight into the main instrument used by himself and teammate Michael to pilot their MERCEDES GP PETRONAS F1 cars.