MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Driver’s Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished their practice sessions Friday finishing in fifth and sixth positions. In today’s qualifying for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS showed an improved performance from recent races with Nico Rosberg achieving fifth place on the grid and Michael Schumacher in tenth position after a mistake on his quick lap in Q3 compromised his chances of finishing higher up the field.
| Drivers | Car No. | Chassis No. | Practice 3 | Qualifying 1 | Qualifying 2 | Qualifying 3 |
| Nico Rosberg | 4 | MGP W01 / 02 | P4 | P10 1:31.626 | P6 1:31.085 | P5 1:30.625 |
| Michael Schumacher | 3 | MGP W01 / 01 | P8 | P15 1:32.058 | P5 1:31.022 | P10 1:31.430 |
| Weather | Warm & sunny | |
| Temperatures | Air: 24-25°C | Track: 33-39°C |
NICO ROSBERG
“I’m really pleased with fifth place today and it shows good progress after being so far back in Valencia at the last race. This is a positive step and important for us to know that we really understood what the problems were and how efficiently we have been able to turn the situation around. Everyone at the factory has worked really hard and this gives us a great chance for the race tomorrow at one of our home circuits. My lap was good today and it’s nice to be fighting back up there towards the front again. I’m looking forward to the race and if I get a good start, then we have every reason to expect a strong result.”
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“Clearly I am disappointed after today’s qualifying as I couldn’t get my lap together in Q3. After the second session which was pretty good, I wasn’t able to maximise my performance and I am obviously unhappy about my grid position. I made a small mistake on my first quick lap so I slowed down to give the tyres the possibility to work again for the second fast lap. But there wasn’t much more to come and so I pushed harder and therefore made some mistakes. Now I will have to work hard for the race tomorrow which will be difficult from where I am starting as overtaking here is not really possible. I have to do a good start and see how far I can get. I will certainly try to make the most out of it.”
ROSS BRAWN
“Nico did a very good job today and his fifth place puts us in a decent position for the race. Michael looked quick after Q2 and we were expecting an equally strong Q3 however he made a mistake on his lap and unfortunately that was it. But we saw today what Michael is capable of and that’s encouraging for the future. This is an important weekend for the team as we focus on consolidating our position and today probably finds us in our natural position in the order right now. We have a fantastic team and I am pleased that they have had some modest reward today from the commitment and hours of hard work that went into our upgrades. Of course the race is what counts so we will wait and see what happens tomorrow.”
NORBERT HAUG
“A step forward compared to our performance at the last race in Valencia. The gap to the best placed ‘non Red Bulls’ is not too big today and Nico extracted everything possible from our car. It’s a pity for Michael who was in fifth place in Q2 and in a position to repeat that result in Q3 if it had not been for a slight mistake on his only run. However Michael is a good starter and can make up places. For Nico, a respectable result is possible tomorrow and this would be the best reward for all of our hard-working team members at Brackley and Brixworth. Many of them will watch their home race from the grandstands in Silverstone hoping for a good result for MERCEDES GP PETRONAS.”
The British Grand Prix in Silverstone is a home race for Mercedes-Benz, as the factories of both the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One team and Mercedes HPE are only a few miles away.
Out of the 18 British Grands Prix Mercedes took part in, Mercedes won six which is – sta- tistically – every third race. The first highlight was the race at Aintree in 1995 when the Sil- ver Arrows achieved a quadruple victory with Stirling Moss ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio, Karl Kling and Piero Taruffi.
The most recent win was in 2008 when Vo- dafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Ham- ilton started his home Grand Prix fourth on the grid and won more than a minute ahead of the field.
The Silverstone circuit was built on a former World War II airfield of the Royal Air Force.
The first Grand Prix after the war – still with- out world championship status – was organ- ised here in October 1948; the route itself was marked by bales of straw.
The British Grand Prix on 13th May 1950 marked the beginning of Formula One World Championship history. In the early days, 70 laps (329 kilometres) were run on a 4.7 kil- ometre long circuit. The first race was won by Giuseppe Farina at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo, at an average speed of 152.983 kph on his fastest lap.
Alongside Monza and the former Spa-Fran- corchamps and Spielberg circuits, Silver- stone was one of the fastest GP circuits until 1990. The fastest lap ever was achieved in 1987: Nigel Mansell reached 246.325 kph in a Williams Honda. In 1991 and again this year, the circuit was made longer and slower by additional chicanes.
For the 2010 grand prix, the circuit has been extended from 5.141 kms to 5.901 kms. The additional corners in the last sector will de- crease the average speed from about 230 kph to an estimated 220 kph.
Round 10 of the 2010 Formula One World Championship, the British Grand Prix, takes place next weekend at the remodelled Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire. Venue for the first World Championship Grand Prix held sixty years ago in May 1950, Silverstone will be the second home race of the season for MERCEDES GP PETRONAS whose factory in Brackley is just eight miles from the track with Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines in Brixworth 20 miles away.
NICO ROSBERG
“Silverstone is a great circuit and one of those tracks which provides a real challenge for you as a driver. I think every driver loves to race there. The layout is demanding with the very quick corners and it will be interesting to see the new changes in the Arena complex for this year. The atmosphere and the fans are always fantastic at Silverstone and it will be even better this year with our factories just down the road and the support of everyone at the team. We will be going back to Brackley after the race to see everyone and it would be nice to get a good result to reward their hard work. It’s been tough for us over the last few races but we are working hard to improve and I am confident we will get there.”
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“Silverstone represents a special race for us as it is so close to everyone at our factories in Brackley and Brixworth who are all working like hell to make up the quite difficult start into the season that we have experienced. We would like to give them and all of our supporters a good performance this coming weekend, even if we seem to struggle a bit at the moment. We have to face the fact that we were less competitive in Valencia than we had hoped for which makes it difficult to predict how we can perform at the British Grand Prix. Our race pace has been quite promising but our qualifying speed is not yet ideal and we still do not understand the full picture about the tyres. This clearly is something that we will keep working on intensively. I have a lot of different and mostly nice memories of Silverstone and therefore I am obviously very much looking forward to travelling there. We will certainly try to do our best there.”
ROSS BRAWN
“The British Grand Prix is always a very important and special weekend for our team with Silverstone situated between our factories in Brackley and Brixworth and as one of our home races. We are delighted that the British Grand Prix is secure for the foreseeable future and look forward to experiencing the new track layout at Silverstone next weekend. A lot of thought and hard work has gone into the improvement plans and Silverstone will be a venue to be proud of for both the organisers and the thousands of fans who visit over the weekend. Our team has had a challenging time over the recent race weekends in Montreal and Valencia but we retain our motivation and are working hard to improve our performance and maximise the potential which can be taken from our latest upgrades. It’s a long hard road ahead but we are confident that we will get there.”
NORBERT HAUG
“The race at Silverstone is a classic and it is good for Formula One that this traditional Grand Prix has remained on the calendar. After substantial modifications to the circuit, parts of the track layout will be new for all teams and drivers. With the remodelling, there are slower sections added to the predominantly fast layout of the track. Our MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team will have two of our home races in a row this month with the German Grand Prix following just two weeks after Silverstone. It is very important for us to show an upward curve of performance as we did not achieve the best possible results for us in the two previous races in Montreal and Valencia. Our hard working and totally motivated team will be giving their all for these improvements.”
Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) won the 2010 DTM’s fourth round at Nuremberg’s Norisring. After 82 laps (188.600 kms), he came home 0.591sec ahead of Mattias Ekström (Audi). It is Jamie’s third win at the Norisring in a row – all three of them he achieved with the same car which is a new record for the DTM.
Mercedes-Benz achieved the eighth continuous Nuremberg victory and the 13th at this circuit out of 30 races since 1988. It is the 155th DTM win for the brand since Mercedes-Benz entered the championship as a factory team in 1988.
Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) ended up third whilst Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished sixth.
Achieving his fourth continuous podium finish, Bruno maintained the overall lead with now 32 points. Jamie improved to second overall with 22 points ahead of Ekström with 21 and Gary with 19 points. Salzgitter/Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG with Spengler/Paffett leads the team ranking with 51 points; this can be compared to the Constructors’ Championship in Formula One.
Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) who had started from pole position for the first time in the DTM, received a drive-through penalty because of a jump-start and therefore ended up 11th despite posting the fastest lap of the race (48.616sec on lap 65). David Coulthard (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) who lost the left door due to a collision without own fault came home 13th.
Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished ninth ahead of Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class). CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) ended up 14th ahead of Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class).
A total of 132,000 spectators attended the DTM race at the Norisring during the weekend.
The start:For the first time in the DTM, Ralf Schumacher started from pole position, followed by Bruno Spengler and Jamie Green. Ralf led the field to the Grundig hairpin followed by Jamie and Bruno. Paul Di Resta was pushed into a spin by Alexandre Prémat at the Esses and dropped to the back of the field.
Lap 5: Drive-through penalty for Ralf Schumacher because of a jump-start.
Lap 7:Ralf Schumacher drove through the pit lane whilst Jamie Green took the lead ahead of Bruno Spengler. Ralf dropped to 18th and last position.
Lap 15:David Coulthard passed Markus Winkelhock at the Grundig hairpin. When Martin Tomczyk overtook David at the Dutzendteich corner, Winkelhock crashed into David’s left door which he lost shortly afterwards.
Lap 21:Gary Paffett (fifth) came in for his first pit stop, followed by Paul Di Resta (11th) one lap later.
Lap 25: Bruno Spengler (second) pitted for the first time.
Lap 29: Susie Stoddart (ninth) completed her first routine halt.
Lap 35:Pit stops by Maro Engel (fourth) and CongFu Cheng (ninth). David Coulthard (fifth) followed two laps later.
Lap 42:Jamie Green pitted from the lead. One lap later, Ralf Schumacher (fourth) was the last C-Class driver to make his first stop.
Lap 48:Maro Engel (eighth) completed his second stop. Paul Di Resta (tenth) followed one lap later and Susie Stoddart (12th) another lap later.
Lap 52:CongFu Cheng (11th) pitted again.
Lap 53:Bruno Spengler (third) made his second mandatory stop; David Coulthard (eighth) followed one lap later.
Lap 55:Gary Paffett (fifth) came in for his second stop.
Lap 57:Jamie Green pitted from the lead and maintained the top spot ahead of Mattias Ekström. Ralf Schumacher (second) came in for his second stop one lap later.
Lap 59:After the second round of pit stops, Jamie Green held a lead of 2 sec ahead of Mattias Ekström. Bruno Spengler was third ahead of Oliver Jarvis, Timo Scheider and Gary Paffett.
Finish (lap 82):Jamie Green won with half a second ahead of Mattias Ekström whilst Bruno Spengler came home third and Gary Paffett sixth.
Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) winner: “We cannot play football, but at least we can win races. However, it was tough. Mattias Ekström was pushing throughout and I had to stay totally focussed until the chequered flag. On this track it is so easy to make mistakes. Therefore, I am even happier to achieve this hat trick here at the Norsiring and my sixth DTM win in total. Thank you to everybody in our Persson team – their hard work made this win possible, and particularly the fastest pit stop of the race.”
Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) third: “I am quite happy with third position. Of course, a better finish would have been nice but six championship points are ok. In the end, my C-Clas was faster and faster and with a few laps more I would have had a chance to challenge the leaders.”
Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) sixth: “I struggled with understeer throughout the race; therefore I was not able to attack. I just lacked a bit of speed. At least I scored three points.”
Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) ninth: “I am happy to finally experience a race without incidents again. So, ninth place is quite reasonable, but a points finish would have been better, of course.”
Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) 10th:”My race was over on the opening lap when Prémat pushed me into a spin. I fought back to finish 10th but you don’t get points for this place.”
Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) 11th: “Today I gave away a possible race win. I am awfully sorry for my team that we were not able to show how strong our C-Class was here at the Norisring. Shortly before the start I was looking for the clutch’s bite point when the car made a brief move whilst the light was still red. My speed was very good which is also demonstrated by my fastest race lap. This weekend motivates us even more for the next race at the Nürburgring and for the rest of the season.”
David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) 13th: “Despite losing the door early on when I was hit by another driver, I tried to race as fast as I could and in these circumstances I think my race was quite ok. I only struggled at the last sector which just doesn’t suit me. Anyway, I enjoyed the many fans and the fantastic atmosphere.”
CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) 14th:”The first half of my race was not bad but then I lost my pace. Therefore I was not able to push. This was my first DTM race on a temporary street circuit – a good foretaste of the season finale at Shanghai.”
Susie Stoddart (TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) 15th: “As a consequence of a first-corner collision, my right door was damaged which caused significant vibrations. I was not able to improve and just tried to finish the race.”
Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:”What a race! Jamie Green won at the Norisring for the third time in a row – and this with one and the same car. Congratulations to Jamie and the Persson team on this success. Such a hat trick has not happened in the DTM before. We are all happy about the eighth continuous Mercedes victory at the Norisring and tonight we will celebrate – and certainly not only a little bit.”
Mercedes-Benz DTM Team today realeased statements from Jamie Green, Bruno Spengler, Ralf Schumacher David Coulthard and Norbert Haug regarding the upcoming DTM Norisring Race.
Jamie Green, best-placed 2009-season car driver after three races of the 2010 DTM season, and winner of the last two DTM races at Norisring:
“I won the race at Norisring in 2008 and 2009 – driving one and the same car. The circuit looks quite straightforward, but it can be deceptive. The numerous undulations give the car problems and need great concentration on the part of the driver, especially when braking hard from around 260 km/h to less than 50 km/h before the hairpins.”
Bruno Spengler, DTM Vice-Champion in the 2006 and 2007 seasons, and leader in the overall ranking after three races of the 2010 season:
“I have won twice at Norisring – in 2006 and 2007. I like this course and its unique atmosphere, with many fans. I have started the season well with 26 points in three races and leadership in the overall ranking, and I want to continue this trend.”
Ralf Schumacher, starting in his third DTM race at Norisring:
“Norisring is one of my favourite tracks. Last year I achieved my best DTM result so far there. I am expecting an exciting race which will make heavy physical demands. The circuit layout looks simple, but it has its challenges and merciless duels are guaranteed. The frequently high, summery temperatures up to 60 degrees in the cockpit can also make things uncomfortably hot. The drivers need to be in first-class physical condition for the 82 laps, and I certainly am.”
David Coulthard, driving in his fourth DTM race at Norisring:
“Norisring is rightly known as the Monaco of the DTM. I already liked the track a great deal during my visit last year, with its impressive atmosphere and numerous enthusiastic spectators. The short cycles between acceleration, braking and steering into bends make extreme demands on the drivers and cars, passing the starting/finishing line after lap times of less than 50 seconds. With the bumpy surface, and walls and crash barriers very close to the track, it is necessary to drive very precisely. My aim at Norisring is to follow on from my good qualifying result at Lausitzring, and perhaps my first DTM top-ten result will be on the cards.”
Norbert Haug:
“Every race in the DTM calendar is a one-off – but Norisring is always the most unique each year.
The route right through the city of Nuremburg is only driven on once a year, on a single racing weekend, and as short and simple as it looks, it poses a unique challenge for the vehicles, drivers and teams. From 2003 to 2009 we have achieved seven victories in succession at Norisring.
The last two wins in 2008 and 2009 were achieved by Jamie Green with one and the same car, which is unprecedented and speaks for the quality of the driver, team and car – while confirming that even as a previous-season model, our C-Class is undoubtedly up-to-date.
Our teams and drivers are looking forward to the new round of challenges at Norisring in 2010, and we all know – although the statistics over the last few years say differently – that Mercedes-Benz by no means has an ongoing claim to victory in Nuremberg forever.
Nonetheless we will try to follow the seven previous victories with an eighth.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
A selection of statements by the Mercedes-Benz DTM team before the third round of the 2010 DTM season:
Gary Paffett, DTM Champion 2005, runner-up in 2009 championship and winner of last year’s DTM race at Lausitzring:
“Particularly in the first sector, the Lausitzring is characterised by fast direction changes that challenge both the driver and car. There is a particularly good overtaking opportunity at the first corner, when we have to brake down from 250 km/h to 70 km/h within a few seconds. My victory from seventh grid position last year shows that overtaking is certainly possible on the EuroSpeedway.”
Bruno Spengler, DTM Runner-Up in 2006 and 2007, leader in the overall ranking after two races in the 2010 DTM season:
“This racetrack is technically very demanding thanks to the high-speed parts on the Trioval, and the comparatively slow, winding infield. The short intervals between acceleration, braking and cornering test the drivers and cars to the limits. This means a compromise between top speed and downforce for the set up.”
Ralf Schumacher, taking part at the Lausitzring for the third time:
“After my modest results in the first two DTM races, I am well motivated for the race at Lausitzring. The track is the third-shortest on the race calendar with a length of 3.5 kilometres, but it holds plenty in store. Entering the pits is particularly tricky, as we exit the last bend at 220 km/h and need to brake to 80 km/h in just over two seconds. My goal is to win my first points of the season at Lausitzring.”
David Coulthard, is starting his third DTM race at the Lausitzring:
“The race on the Lausitzring is a home event for my Berlin-based team Mücke Motorsport, and will be my premiere on this track. I have already heard a great deal about this course from my team colleagues, and also about the fantastic atmosphere along the roughly one-kilometre start-finishing straight in front of the main grandstand. I aim to improve significantly, and be nearer the front after the qualifying.”
Norbert Haug:
“Mercedes-Benz has an almost exemplary record for DTM races at Lausitzring. We have won 8 of the 10 races staged here, the most previous one being last year’s DTM race. In contrast to the qualifying and warm-up, we were far from achieving the desired speed on the last DTM Sunday in Valencia, and everybody in the team will be working hard to deliver a better performance at the Lausitzring.”
Schedule: EuroSpeedway Lausitz
Friday 04.06.2010
Saturday 05.06.2010
Sunday 06.06.2010
Team MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver’s Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg finished in fourth and fifth places at the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park on Sunday. Their final standings were an improvement of one position from their grid placings.
The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS teammates had a fairly quiet race with Michael Schumacher moving up to fourth briefly after a first lap battle with Jenson Button but he was unable to hold the position that he took in turn one. Schumacher made his only pit stop of the race on lap 14 with Nico Rosberg following one lap later where a quick in-lap and excellent work from the pit crew kept him ahead of the chasing Robert Kubica.
Rain threatened in the middle of the race but only a few light spots eventually fell around the circuit. The collision of the two Red Bulls on lap 40 promoted Michael to fourth place and Nico to fifth position where they remained until the chequered flag.
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“My race started as I had hoped when I was able to catch Jenson right at the start. Unfortunately I did not have a lot of grip with the tyres as the formation lap was quite slow and the pressures had gone down which combined with the top speed of the McLarens meant that I could not hold Jenson behind me for long. I was even struggling to keep the car on the track during the first lap. From there onwards, I was in my starting position and when Sebastian retired, we were able to pick up a place. That was about it. It was a straightforward race for me without any more possibilities. I understand at the front there was quite a bit happening so for the fans, it was a good show. All in all, I think we had a positive race and we clearly made a step forward towards Red Bull and in front of Ferrari, so we can be quite happy about that.”
NICO ROSBERG
“I am reasonably happy with fifth place today although it was an uneventful race for me. I was slightly faster than Michael for much of the race but it was not possible to overtake and I had to be careful as Robert was pushing hard behind me. For me, the most exciting part of the race were the in and out laps for my pit stop which were pretty fast and together with the great work from the team, that enabled me to stay ahead of the cars just behind me on track. Although our general pace still has to be improved, I’m satisfied that we have taken what we could from this weekend.”
ROSS BRAWN
“A solid performance today in which we achieved the potential of the car with both drivers. We had a purposefully quiet early part of race as we were unable to challenge the leading group and therefore decided to save our tyres for the second half. Michael, Nico and the team did an extremely good job with the car that we had and once again our pit stops were very impressive. Compliments to them all today. We have made reasonable progress with our latest set of upgrades thanks for the hard work of everyone at the factory but clearly we have a lot of work still to do.”
NORBERT HAUG
“Fourth and fifth positions for Michael and Nico were the best results we could achieve today as our pace was only ok in the last third of the race. We are aware that we need further improvements and we definitely will get them. Congratulations to McLaren Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton for achieving the 71st victory for Mercedes-Benz since our first win with David Coulthard in a McLaren Mercedes in Melbourne 1997. Four Mercedes-powered cars came home in the top five today which is a remarkable result, especially for our hard-working engine guys, so well done to you all.”
Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will share the third row of the grid for the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park on Sunday after qualifying their MGP W01 cars in fifth and sixth places today. With temperatures slightly cooler than for the practice sessions on Friday, the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS pair progressed easily through Q1 with just one run each on the harder prime tyres. An initial run on the prime and a second run on the option tyres saw Nico and Michael through Q2 in fourth and tenth positions.
Both drivers had two sets of new option tyres saved for Q3 and set their fastest times on the first of their two three-lap runs. Michael ran wide on the exit of turn eight on his second run and ended the session in the gravel.
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“I am quite happy with my qualifying today and I really think that we have made a step forward. If you consider that this is a track which is aerodynamically demanding, you can clearly say the hard work of our guys paid off and I would really say thank you to them. What happened in turn eight was that it was my last go, the fast lap before was a good one, so obviously you try to push even more, especially as on this lap you can win time. I went out a bit wide and off it went. In my view, the side I am starting from tomorrow is an advantage as it is much cleaner. I have tried practice starts from both sides and felt my side was the better one. As for tomorrow’s race, I will certainly try to have a good start and try to achieve the best result possible.”
NICO ROSBERG
“It was a decent performance today and sixth place gives us a good opportunity for the race and we will aim to move up the field from there. I would have liked to have been a little further ahead of course. The car is feeling reasonable this weekend and although there is a very narrow set-up window, we have pretty much got there. It’s clear that we have made some progress with our aero upgrades and everyone at the factory has done a good job, so thanks for all their hard work. I am on the dirty side of the grid for the race tomorrow but it should have cleaned up now and it’s only a short run to the first corner. If I can have a good start and first lap, then we have the potential for a strong race.”
ROSS BRAWN
“A good qualifying performance from the team today after a lot of hard work here at the track and back at the factory on the latest developments for our car. Michael and Nico have been very evenly matched throughout the weekend and have worked well together to ensure that we have been able to get the new parts functioning and extract the maximum performance. Fifth and sixth positions on the grid gives us the potential to have a strong race tomorrow and we look forward to seeing what Nico and Michael can achieve. We’ve seen just how challenging the Istanbul Park track can be with turn eight catching out many drivers over the course of the day and Michael was no exception but thankfully there is no damage done.”
NORBERT HAUG
“That was a step in the right direction with Michael achieving P5, less than a tenth of a second behind P3, and Nico posting the sixth fastest time, less than two-tenths behind P3. Having said that, we are very aware that we are still almost six-tenths behind the superb pole time of Mark Webber and Red Bull Racing. However our speed compared to the front looks better than at the last ‘normal’ race track that we competed on in Barcelona. The step forward since then has only been possible through hard work, dedication and our aggressive development process. Thank you and well done to everybody in our team. We are not yet where we want to be but we are heading in the right direction.”
The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team had their first practice session for the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix today at the Istanbul Park circuit. The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS drivers, Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, spent the two ninety-minute sessions focusing on the evaluation of the team´s new developments for their MGP W01 cars and working on the balance, set-up and tyres around the challenging 5.338km circuit.
Nico Rosberg completed 47 laps and finished the day in sixth position while teammate Michael Schumacher completed 46 laps and finished in seventh position.
NICO ROSBERG
“We made some good progress today and have been working hard with our updates for the car. It wasn’t a perfect day as we lost some time in the process of evaluating the new developments, particularly in the second session, so I was playing catch-up this afternoon. However we achieved a lot of interesting work and arrived at a decent balance by the end of the day so I am reasonably happy. We have a few question marks remaining and it will be a busy final practice session tomorrow. The early indications are that we have made a decent step forward and although we don’t know how much yet, it is a good job from the guys at the factory and at the track to get everything here and working.”
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“It’s really difficult to judge what the current picture is after today’s practice sessions, especially as we don’t know who was running on what fuel loads. We certainly have some improvements on the car which you can notice but it is very difficult to quantify the full effects coming from Monaco to here and thus not having a clear reference and comparison. Clearly the improvements are in the right direction but as always it is a matter of how quick we develop compared to our competitors. Turn eight is still a nice challenge here. It has small surprises in terms of bumps and it is fun to drive obviously. It is exciting and technical at the same time. Let’s wait and see what is going to happen tomorrow.”
ROSS BRAWN
“Today’s two practice sessions were particularly busy for the team as we had our first opportunity to evaluate our new developments on the track. Without track testing it is always a challenge to bring new parts directly onto the car but we were able to achieve some good work today. Both drivers are reasonably happy but as always, we will not be able to make a valid judgement on our progress until the end of the weekend.”
NORBERT HAUG
“Quite a busy start into the weekend for us. The team evaluated different aero options and in the end our long run pace in race conditions looked quite promising.”
Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) finished the 2010 DTM’s second round at Valencia, Spain in second place and was the best Mercedes driver. After 45 laps. Bruno crossed the line third, 3.547 seconds behind winner Mattias Ekström (Audi); however, after the stewards of the meeting excluded Martin Tomczyk (Audi) from the race, he moved up one position.
Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) ended up fifth and Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class), the winner of the season opener at Hockenheim four weeks ago finished sevenhth.
Spengler, second at Hockenheim, achieved his second consecutive podium finish and took the overall lead with 16 points. Ekström is second on 13 points and Paffett third with 12 points.
Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) came home ninth ahead of Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class), Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) and CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class).
Former Formula One drivers David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired; David on lap 38 from 14th place with a broken gear shift control and Ralf on lap 24 from 14th position due to misfire as the consequence of an electronic engine control failure.
A total of 21,000 spectators attended the DTM’s racing premiere at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo during the weekend.
The start:
Starting second on the grid, Bruno Spengler was second at the first corner. Paul Di Resta improved from fifth to fourth whilst Gary Paffett, fourth in qualifying, dropped to eighth place following a coming-together with Alexandre Prémat (Audi). Maro Engel was pushed into a spin and was 17th at the end of the field after the opening lap.
Lap 11: Gary Paffett (ninth) came into the pits for his first routine halt. Bruno Spengler (fourth) and Maro Engel (15th) followed one lap later.
Lap 14: Paul Di Resta (first) pitted and so did David Coulthard (ninth) and CongFu Cheng (13th).
Lap 15: Ralf Schumacher (fith) and Susie Stoddart (sixth) completed their respective first stops.
Lap 19: Second pit stop by Maro Engel (17th).
Lap 21: Gary Paffett (11th) pitted for the second time.
Lap 24: Bruno Spengler (fourth) came into the pits for his second stop, followed by David Coulthard (12th). Ralf Schumacher was 14th when he retired in the pits due to misfire. One lap later, Paul Di Resta (sixth) and Susie Stoddart (10th) completed their second stops.
Lap 26: Jamie Green (second) pitted for the first time.
Lap 29: Second pit stop by CongFu Cheng (13th).
Lap 35: Jamie Green (first) is the last driver with a routine pit stop.
Lap 36: After the second round of pit stops, Bruno Spengler was the best C-Class driver in fourth place.
Lap 38: David Coulthard had improved to 12th place when he had to pit with a broken gear shift control.
Finish (lap 45): Bruno Spengler took the chequered flag third; Paul Di Resta ended up sixth and Gary Paffett eighth. After Martin Tomczyk was excluded, they all moved up one position respectively.
Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) second:
“The track was very slippery and the conditions had changed completely after this morning’s warm-up. Ekström was faster here today, after we had dominated in Hockenheim, but that’s what happens in the DTM. I am happy to take the overall lead and of course I would like to say this again after another eight races. I will now focus on the next race at the Lausitzring in two weeks.”
Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) fifth:”
My start was very good; however, I struggled with the balance of my car and had a lot of oversteer.”
Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) seventh:
“I lacked speed and downforce from the very beginning. Then I was hit hard four or five times and my car was damaged. All in all a difficult race for me, but at least I scored two points.”
Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) ninth:
“After the start I got stuck in traffic and lost time. When I had a clear track, I was faster, but it was already too late to improve.”
Susie Stoddart (TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) 10th:
“10th place is not so bad. In the beginning, I was following David and hoping for a chance to pass him, but he was too fast for me.”
Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) 11th:
“On the first lap I was pushed into a spin, my engine stalled and when I continued I was 20sec behind the field. That was it.”
CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) 12th:
“After a good start I had problems with my first set of tyres, which disappeared after my first pit stop. Then I had a coming-together, my car was damaged and I was not able to improve.”
David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired:
“I started very well and gained a few positions; however, afterwards I was pushed wide and lost again same places. My race was pretty uneventful until on lap 38, when I retired due to a broken gear shift control.”
Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired:
“When the misfire began the team told me to try and continue, but the problem became worse and I lost more and more speed – it just didn’t make sense.”
Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“A race with little excitement, in which we were not able to produce the speed of the two previous days and thus contributed our part to the lack of thrill. Bruno Spengler is the overall leader and we are also first in the team ranking. Some incidents looked a bit strange to me and were completely unnecessary – this has to change in the future. We now look forward to the next race at the Lausitzring and I hope that there we will present speed good enough for winning during three days.”
The second round of the DTM Season will be held in Valencia this weekend, May 23rd and as Norbert Haug put it, it is the “premiere of DTM”.. Valencia’s circuit is new and state-of-the-art. Following its opening, on 19th September, 1999, it quickly established as a popular and renowned motor-racing venue. You can see nearly the entire racetrack from every grandstand. Turn one is particularly fast and on the way to turn two, the drivers are offered overtaking opportunities that are just as good as the ones in the infield.
Below, a selection of statements from the Mercedes-Benz DTM Team before the second race of the 2010 DTM season.
Gary Paffett, DTM Champion in 2005, runner-up in the 2009 season, and winner of the first DTM race of the 2010 season in Hockenheim:
“Winning the season opener at Hockenheimring gave me a perfect start into the new season. The course in Valencia confronts us with challenges which are partly different from those in Hockenheim. Valencia has many twists and turns that are very demanding on car and driver. After many laps of Formula 1 testing, I am very well acquainted with the circuit and it would be ideal if I could defend my lead in the standings there.”
Jamie Green took third place as best driver of a past-year model in the first DTM race of the 2010 season in Hockenheim:
“Hockenheim showed that I can compete with the best, and my third-place finish was a good start. The differently banked curves make the circuit in Valencia especially demanding, and finding a good setup is the key to success.”
Ralf Schumacher, fastest driver on all four test days in March 2010 in Valencia:
“I am especially looking forward to Valencia. The course suits me well and I clocked good times here during the winter tests. We shall see what they are worth up against competition. I’d like to make up for the mishap in the qualifying in Hockenheim with a good result here.”
David Coulthard, competing in his second DTM race in Valencia:
“Although my showing in my first DTM race was anything but impressive, I really enjoyed my debut in Hockenheim. Together with the team I analyzed the mistakes I made and where I have to improve. I definitely want to work on my qualifying performance – a good starting position is important to get a good result on the narrow course. I am very familiar with the circuit from many Formula 1 tests, but that doesn’t mean to say that this will be a big advantage to me in the DTM car.”
Norbert Haug:
“For Valencia this is the premiere of the DTM, but the course isn’t new to drivers and teams since pre-season tests took place there. We’ve won seven of the last ten DTM races and will try to deliver a good piece of work in Valencia too.”
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.”