It was a tough weekend for Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team, as Nico Rosberg finished the Hungarian Grand Prix in 10th place.   Rosberg did, however, manage to move up three spots from his less than ideal starting position – one of the few positives on the day.

Michael Schumacher fared far worse, retiring from the race after 58  laps.  His troubles began before the race began, when Schumacher switched his engine off during the yellow lights when he noticed experienced very high engine temps.  He subsequently started the race from the pits, then picked up a penalty, then suffered from a tire puncture.  All of this, paired with ongoing engine temperature problems, led Michael to retire with 11 laps left, to avoid any engine damage that could impact the next race.

Hopefully the next race at Spa will see different results for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team.

As for the results, Lewis Hamilton of Vodafone McLaren took the top spot, followed by Lotus drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.

Mercedes AMG Petronas driver, Michael Schumacher, started the 2012 German grand prix 3rd on the grid and finished the race 28.9 seconds behind the winner, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso for a 7th place finish. Thanks in part to a good strategy and impeccable driving, Nico Rosberg, who started in 21st, finished the race in 10th.  Still landing him in points.  The winners of the 2012 Formula 1 Grosser Preis Santander von Deutschland were Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, McLaren-Mercedes’ Jenson Buton and Lotus-Renault Kimi Raikkonen.

• Michael made three pit stops this afternoon on laps 14, 36 and 52, running option/option/prime/option

• Nico also ran a three-stop strategy, stopping on laps 12, 32 and 50 and choosing prime/option/option/option

• With fresh tyres in the final laps, Michael set the team’s second fastest lap in three races in 1:18.725

Michael Schumacher

There are nicer ways to finish a home race than falling back from third to seventh place. I squeezed everything I could out of the car but, unfortunately, that’s everything we could manage today. It’s a pity because I would have loved to have given something more to all our Mercedes-Benz colleagues who were supporting us today. Before this weekend, we expected to be racing between P5 and P7, and of course fifth place would have been the better option, but seventh was our maximum in these circumstances. I got a decent start and the short battle with Sebastian was fun. After that, unfortunately, there weren’t too many highlights, apart from setting the fastest lap, perhaps. However, we couldn’t maintain that pace for very long. Now we have to look forwards and do our maximum at the next race.

Nico Rosberg

It feels ok to have scored one point today after such a bad qualifying yesterday and starting right at the back. We had a good strategy and I had great fun out there at times overtaking so many people to move from 21st to 10th place. Some of the guys I had to overtake a couple of times and there were some nice manoeuvres. Thanks to our fans here in Hockenheim for their fantastic support, even though the weekend didn’t really run to plan. Now I look forward to Budapest in just seven days and hope for a better weekend, and we will keep working very hard towards this.

Ross Brawn

We ran the race as well as we could today, in the knowledge that we would have to make three pit stops. Some of our rivals on two-stop strategies faded towards the end but the drop-off was not sufficient for our drivers to be able to take advantage on fresher tyres. Michael and Nico put in consistent performances, pulled off good overtaking moves and we delivered six clean pit stops. Our strategy enabled Nico to climb eleven positions from his starting place, while Michael finished in seventh place for the second time in two weeks. We made the right decisions this afternoon but, after 67 laps, Michael found himself 29 seconds behind the winner. That shows we need to find more pace from the car.

Norbert Haug

Of course it is not pleasant starting third and coming home seventh. We were convinced that a three-stop strategy would be the fastest race for us, and we will evaluate whether a two-stop strategy could have brought us more. In any case, a podium was out of reach for us today and we certainly need further improvements. Nico put in a great drive, gaining 11 places from 21st to 10th. Like in Silverstone, our best-placed car came home roughly 30 seconds behind the winner, so we are missing about half a second per lap. We are now looking forward to doing a better job next weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg finished the Canadian Grand Prix in sixth place today with Michael Schumacher forced to retire after 43 laps. Nico ran a two-stop strategy, pitting on laps 19 and 38, and using super soft/soft/soft tires.  Michael retired after 43 laps when a hydraulic problem left his rear-wing flap stuck open. Nico has now scored 67 points in the last five races – putting him fifth in the standings.

Full Race Overview

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton became Formula One seventh winner at the seventh round of the 2012 F1 season, after an action-packedCanadian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Hamilton was involved in a three-way fight with Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. Vettel led for the first 16 laps for Red Bull, but after pulling away at the start, rapid tire degradation forced him into the pits at the end of the 16th lap.

Hamilton went in a lap later, with Alonso going one further still for Ferrari and came out in the lead against Hamilton and Vettel. Hamilton quickly passed Alonso, however, and opened a three-second lead until he had to make a second tire stop on the 50th lap.

Hamilton began slashing the gap his second stop created, as Vettel also began to close in on Alonso. On the 62nd lap Hamilton swept easily by Vettel, then clawed in Alonso. The Spaniard resisted him on the 64th lap, but on the 65th the game was up and the McLaren driver was headed for a brilliant victory which he would later describe as one of his most enjoyable.

Behind him, one-stopping Romain Grosjean was coming at Alonso and Vettel like a train in his Lotus after some careful tire conservation, and Sauber’s Sergio Perez was following suit. Both pushed the Ferrari down places, and then to add final insult to injury Vettel, who had stopped after all on the 63rd lap and taken on a set of Pirelli super-softs, flew by Alonso as well.

Hamilton’s success puts the English driver back in the lead of the championship by two points from the Ferrari driver, 88 to 86. Vettel is third on 85.

Grosjean’s excellent drive made up for Lotus’s disappointment in Monaco, while Perez’s place on the podium was revenge on Alonso for the Malaysian Grand Prix result.

Behind Vettel and Alonso, Nico Rosberg had an up and down race in which he initially struggled on the super-softs in his Mercedes but was later able to set fastest laps as he fended off Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Kamui Kobayashi led his Sauber team mate initially, but his early single stop compromised him and he had to be satisfied with ninth ahead of repentant Felipe Massa, who spun early on in Turn One and thereafter had to play catch-up as he took the final point for Ferrari.

Behind the Brazilian, Paul di Resta looked a candidate for points but ultimately lost out after yet another smooth drive for Force India, and led home team mate Nico Hulkenberg by eight seconds.

It was a disappointing race for Williams, with Pastor Maldonado making his way through for 13th ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, who marred a race-long fight with Toro Rosso team mate Jean-Eric Vergne with a late spin in one of the chicanes; Vergne had earlier been handed a drive-through penalty for pit lane speeding, and took 15th.

Jenson Button had an appalling day on which he was one of the first pit stoppers despite starting on the more durable soft-compound Pirellis, and ended up lapped and totally mystified by his McLaren’s lack of pace. Bruno Senna was 17th after an undistinguished race, leading home the Caterhams of Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov, and Charles Pic’s Marussia.

Pic’s team mate Timo Glock was the last retirement, with brake problems. Michael Schumacher ran at the end of the potential points-scorers’ train before his DRS stuck open and he was forced to retire, while mechanical problems stopped both HRTs after Pedro de la Rosa had led the Marussias.

Nico Rosberg

“Sixth place is a decent result today and it’s important for both me and the team to keep scoring points for the championship and maintain our consistency. It was a mixed-up race and it was difficult to find a rhythm, particularly at the start, but by the end, the gap to the leading cars was not that big. It could have gone better this weekend, and we just need a little bit more performance to be competing at the front. However we are making good progress and increasing our understanding of the tyres all the time.”

Michael Schumacher

“Unfortunately, our weekend in Montreal didn’t turn out trouble-free for me and a hydraulic problem with the DRS forced me to end my race early. At first, I didn’t know exactly what the problem was; I overshot the corner, ran through the grass and asked myself what was going on. Then the team told me about the problem and I saw it in the mirrors. Of course it’s disappointing for all of us but it’s not a question of pointing fingers; stuff like this happens. I know the team are doing their best and that it probably hits them even harder than me. We’ll be back on the attack in Valencia.”

Ross Brawn

“We had a very quick car today, as Nico’s performance in particular showed, but a combination of failing to achieve our potential in qualifying and a messy race cost us positions at the flag. We asked both drivers to be cautious with the super soft tyres in the first five laps to ensure we didn’t push them too hard, but when we gave them the go-ahead, it was clear that Nico – who was running in clean air – was extremely quick and one of the fastest cars. Michael was caught in a train of cars in the lower half of the top ten, and although we tried something different by stopping early in order to get him into clean air, it didn’t quite work for us. He then suffered a hydraulic issue which left his DRS jammed open and it was not possible to fix it in race conditions. I can only apologise to Michael for a further technical failure. As for Nico, his race was running to plan and he was gaining on the leaders when he ran across Massa, who was running out of tyres and defending vigorously before his final stop. This cost Nico both track position and time that proved crucial in the closing laps. Ultimately, that’s part of racing, but the real lesson from today is that achieving our potential in qualifying, and running clean races, is vital for strong results.”

Norbert Haug

“It was a great, exciting race this afternoon, during which Nico was able to lap at the same speed as the leaders after a tricky opening few laps. Nico was 14 seconds behind first place at the end of the race – the same gap as we saw after 10 laps. Our team has taken an important step forward and got the most from the tyres in track temperatures that exceeded 40 degrees, which was demonstrated by Nico several times setting the fastest laps of the race during his stints. We got the tyre management right here, as in Monaco, and we are working hard to push this process further forward. After seven races, Nico is 21 points behind the championship leader – he has scored on average just three points fewer than leader Lewis Hamilton, which is not too big a gap. Michael was running well after his early stop until he was forced to retire with his rear wing flap stuck open. It’s clear to everybody in the team that we must achieve the same levels of reliability on his car as we have with Nico, who has completed every racing lap so far this season. Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes on their victory today – it was the 300th race for McLaren and Mercedes, a milestone which adds extra significance to Lewis’ appearance on the top step of the podium.”

The Monaco Grand Prix, Round Six of the 2012 World Championship, is without doubt the most prestigious and unique race on the Formula One calendar. Taking place around the streets of the principality on Sunday, May 27, this year’s race will mark the 70th anniversary of the event.

• During a typical Monaco qualifying lap, the driver makes over 130 significant steering movements
• Including other functions like KERS, a driver makes around 200 car inputs per lap – not including brake and throttle pedals
• On average, the drivers change gear once every 54 metres around a lap – in Spa, it’s once every 146 metres

Michael Schumacher

“Monaco is just a circuit of its own very unique character. In a way, you could look at it with a big portion of irony with regards to the contradiction that, for so many years we have successfully campaigned for more track safety, and then we deliberately race in Monaco. But in my view this is justifiable once a year, especially as the circuit is really so much fun to drive. Every time you go there, you just look forward to finally getting out and driving the track. Of course, knowing that I will lose five positions on the grid does not add to this feeling but this just means that I will have to try even harder. I’m actually quite confident that we should look reasonably good in Monaco due to the hard work that everybody in the team is putting into the development of our car. So let’s make the best out of the weekend.”

Nico Rosberg

“I love the Monaco Grand Prix weekend and it’s a great feeling to be driving at home, knowing that all my friends and family are watching. I have always been quick around the streets here, and I believe a good result is possible for us next weekend. The nature of the track should suit our car but as we have seen at every race so far this season, tyre management will be crucial. With five different winning teams so far this year, at least ten drivers have the chance to win in Monaco so this could be one of the most interesting races there for years.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal

“The uniqueness of Monaco makes it one of those tracks where anything can happen, particularly in a season that has proved to be almost impossible to predict so far. Despite the logistical challenges of the weekend, Monaco is a race that everyone on the team and the drivers really enjoy, and the experience of winning in Monaco is something very special indeed. After Nico’s win in China, we have had two more difficult race weekends, but I am confident that we will start to see an improvement in Monaco as the developments that we have brought to the car recently take effect.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“With five different winners from five different teams in five races, it has been an exciting and unexpected first quarter of the 2012 season.Now Formula One visits the most atypical circuit of all, Monaco. It makes unusual, one-off demands of the cars: there are fast and narrow sections, but also eight corners taken at under 100 kph and over 4,500 gear changes during the race. It is also incredibly challenging and rewarding for the drivers. In Monaco, more than any other circuit, the driver can really make the difference, especially on a single qualifying lap. Both Nico and Michael have shown a great feeling for the circuit and the ability to master it in recent seasons.

After all the talk of unpredictability of the teams’ performance levels this year, there are also clear facts: three of five races have been won from pole position, including Nico’s victory in China. What’s more, the five drivers who have completed every race lap are all in the top seven in the current championship standings. Strong qualifying speed has been rewarded at every race, and consistently finishing races appears to be even more important in 2012. In the last three races, Nico has scored a total of 41 points, the second highest total in the field after Sebastian Vettel with 43. Our focus in Monaco will be to extract the maximum from our further developed technical package. Giving the drivers a car they can trust and feel confident in is worth more here than at any other circuit on the calendar.”

On May 16, 2012, 25 SLR Club Members, set out from Stuttgart-Untertürkheim on this year’s Mille Miglia. They headed off to join the main field of classic cars at this year’s Mille Miglia. This marks the 8th time that SLR Club members are taking part in the traditional Italian race. The exclusive field is comprised five SLR Coupés, seven Roadsters, three Roadster 722 S models and ten SLR Stirling Moss models. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, was on hand to wave off the main field of vehicles.

This year’s Mille Miglia is taking place from May 17 to 20 and will cover a route that goes clockwise from Brescia to Rome and back, on the fabled Mille Miglia roads crossing six regions: Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Umbria and Lazio on the way down, adding Tuscany on the way back.

The 2012 route will pass through some of the most beautiful cities of Italy. Along with Brescia and Rome, the Mille Miglia will be going through Verona, Vicenza, Padova, Ferrara, Gambettola, Sansepolcro, Spoleto, on the way, and Viterbo, Siena, Firenze, Bologna, Reggio Emilia and Cremona on the way back.

New time trials will be scheduled for Umbria on the way, and also in Tuscany on the way back.

Each road has its history, its anecdotes, its traditions. The eighty some years since the first Mille Miglia have seen changes along the roadside, as has Italy, but something unchangeable and unchanging remains: the passion inspired by the Freccia Rossa, symbol of the Mille Miglia.

As with past years, Mercedes-Benz is again acting as a sponsor of the historical Italian race. The Stuttgart works team is taking part with a Mercedes-Benz SS, an SSK, and a 300 SLR (W 196 S) racing car, evoking memories of Mercedes-Benz’s great victory in the famous 1000-mile race: in 1955, Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson won the Mille Miglia at the wheel of a 300 SLR in the fastest time ever achieved – their record still stands to this day.

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS driver Nico Rosberg finished the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya in seventh place Sunday while teammate Michael Schumacher retired on lap 12 due to a collision with Bruno Senna.  Schumacher ran into the back of the Senna in Turn One on the 12th lap. Schumacher later criticised Senna, but Senna said his tires were shot and that knowing Schumacher’s to be fresher he was trying to move left out of his way when the misunderstanding occurred. Schumacher was given a five-place grid penalty for the next race in Monaco for causing the collision.

Pastor Maldonado was the winner in Barcelona, thanks to the Venezuelan’s unexpected speed in his Williams FW34. This was the British team’s first victory since Brazil 2004.

• Nico followed a three-stop tire strategy, pitting on laps 9, 22 and 40
• Nico’s tire usage was soft (9 laps), soft (13 laps), hard (18 laps), hard (26 laps)
• Michael retired in turn one at the start of lap 12 following a collision with Bruno Senna’s Williams
• The 2012 season has now seen five winners from five races, something that last occurred in 1983

From June 8-10, 2012, Mercedes-Benz Classic will put on an exceptionally fascinating show in the ADAC Eifelrennen at the Nürburgring.  With a history dating back to the year 1922, the ADAC Eifel race, the longest motorsport events in Germany. There is a range of about 70 events so far in 90 years on a par with classics such as the Grand Prix of Germany, France, Italy and Monaco, the 24 hour race in Le Mans or the 500-mile race in Indianapolis. With the Eifel race, names and events, cars and motorcycles as well as numerous anecdotes connected, made history.

Mercedes-Benz rally cars and touring cars from the 1960s and 1970s play just as active a part in the Eifelrennen as the renowned supercharged sports cars from the 1920s. Amongst others, the Stuttgart-based brand will bring to the Nürburgring a 310-hp (228-kW) 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK (series W 06 III) – the car Klaus Ludwig will drive in the so-called “Elefantenrennen”.

This stage of the ADAC Eifelrennen is reminiscent of the opening race at the Nürburgring in 1927, which Rudolf Caracciola and Adolf Rosenberger won in a dual-victory driving the Mercedes-Benz type S. Hence the honorary title “Champion of the Nürburgring”, which Caracciola earned for himself in the ensuing years.

The 300 SEL 6.8 AMG, which later gained fame as the “Red Sow”, and the classic Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (W 112) rally car will also be driven by other renowned Mercedes-Benz racing drivers, such as Jochen Mass and Dieter Glemser. The AMG Version of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 (W 109) luxury saloon drew attention in 1971 when the red touring car earned first place in its class and a second-place ranking in the overall classification at the 24 Hour Race of Spa-Francorchamps. Outfitted largely with standard equipment, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SE carried on the brand’s brilliant motorsport tradition in the 1960s above all with numerous rally victories.

The “fintails” were also successful on the circuit. The 220 SE (W 111) rebuilt by Mercedes-Benz Classic, which will compete in the three-hour race for the Dunlop FHR long-distance cup, is a reminder of this success. Jochen Mass will be behind the wheel during this stage. Thus the Eifelrennen marks a new high point in the partnership between Mercedes-Benz Classic and the Fahrergemeinschaft Historischer Rennsport e. V. (FHR). Founded in 1983, the FHR has been promoting historic motorsport for almost 30 years and has made a significant contribution to the popularity of the current racing series with historic competition vehicles.

The ADAC Eifelrennen has been held at the Nürburgring since the opening of the legendary race track in 1927. But the event’s roots stretch back even further – from 1922 to 1926, contenders raced in a circuit around the town of Nideggen in what was called the ADAC Eifelrundfahrt-Rennen. The Eifelrennen also marked the birth of the iconic Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows. In 1934, type W 25 racing cars appeared here for the first time not in the usual white livery, but with their shiny aluminium bodywork exposed.

In 2009, ADAC relaunched the Eifelrennen as an event for vintage motorcars. With a variety of competitions for different classes and a multitude of sideshow events, the event provides an exceptional stage for the highly active scene of historic motorsport. It will also include the presentation of some 70 club vehicles by Mercedes-Benz Classic in the paddock and the big club meeting in the Mercedes arena, with an expected turn-out of over 500 classic cars.

Mercedes-Benz Classic cars at the 2012 ADAC Eifelrennen

Mercedes-Benz SSK 27/170/225 hp (series W 06 III), 1928

Of the six-cylinder supercharged sports cars in the Mercedes‑Benz S model series, type SSK (series W 06 II, W 06 III and WS 06) is the most exclusive and most fascinating version. The model designation stands for Super-Sport-Kurz (Super Sport, Short), emphasising the shorter wheelbase alongside its particularly sporty character. In the summer of 1928, works team driver Rudolf Caracciola raced the brand-new SSK to victory at the Gabelbach race and races on the mountains of Schauinsland and Mont Ventoux. In 1930 and 1931, the SSK helped him win the European Hill Climb Championship. The weight-reduced, further modified 1931 version, also known as the SSKL (Super-Sport-Kurz-Leicht (Super Sport, Short, Light), W 06 RS), also achieved spectacular victories. The win at the legendary “Mille Miglia” 1000-mile race was one of the most important of these. In April 1931, Rudolf Caracciola was the first non-Italian to win this gruelling road race from Brescia to Rome and back.

Technical data for Mercedes-Benz model series SSK 27/170/225 hp (W 06 III) road-going version

• Production period: 1928-1930
• Cylinder: 6/in-line
• Displacement: 7065 cc
• Performance: 170 hp (123 kW), with supercharger 225 hp (166 kW) at 3300 rpm
• Maximum speed: 192 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 220 SE (W 111) “FHR fintail”

To commemorate the motorsport successes of the period and to keep the tradition of the brand’s exceptional racing history alive while also making historic motorsport even more attractive for private drivers, Mercedes-Benz Classic reconstructed a type 220 SE “fintail” saloon (series W 111) in 2011, for use in historic motorsport events . The car meets the regulations of the FIA International Sporting Code, Appendix K (FIA – Féderation Internationale de l’Automobile). The vehicle is used in particular for the Dunlop FHR long-distance cup held by the Fahrergemeinschaft Historischer Rennsport e. V. (FHR) – the world’s biggest historical long-distance racing series as per Appendix K. True to practice for the 1960’s, the competition car closely resembles the production model from a technical standpoint. The usual modifications included stiffer suspension elements and body components, a larger fuel tank and an engine performance tuned specifically for the intended use.

Technical data for Mercedes-Benz 220 SE (W 111) “FHR fintail”

• Production period: 1959-1965
• Cylinder: 6/in-line
• Displacement: 2195 cc
• Performance: 120 hp (88 kW) at 4800 rpm
• Maximum speed: approx. 170 km/h

Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (W 112) rally car

From Argentina to Germany, the rally-car version of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SE dominated the touring car scene in the years 1963 and 1964. As with all other Mercedes-Benz motorcars from the period which competed in rallies, the large “fintail” saloons were modelled closely on their standard counterparts. Daimler-Benz AG also used this fact as a selling point for the production saloons. But the saloons underwent certain modifications, depending on how they were to be used. These included reinforced chassis elements, a larger fuel tank, and changes to the engine performance, for instance, by lowering the compression ratio to achieve better engine reliability. There were also variations in the gearbox and axle ratios.

Technical data for the Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (W 112) rally car

• Production period: 1963-1964
• Cylinder: 6/in-line
• Displacement: 2996 cc
• Performance: 195 hp (143 kW) (production version: 160 hp/118 kW; from 1964: 170 hp /125 kW)
• Maximum speed: over 200 km/h (production version: 175 km/h to 195 km/h, depending on year of construction and rear axle ratio)

Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG (W 109)

At the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 AMG touring race car, Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz won a surprising class victory and second place in the overall classification on 24 July 1971 in the 24-hour race at Spa, Belgium. The winning car was developed by the then-virtually unknown AMG, founded in 1967 by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher under the name “Ingenieursbüro, Konstruktion und Versuch zur Entwicklung von Rennmotoren” (engineer’s office, construction and testing for the development of racing engines). The modified vehicle was based on the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. With an output of 184 kW (250 hp), the car was absolutely unrivalled in its time. But Aufrecht and Melcher made the fastest German series production car of the period even more powerful: engine capacity grew from 6330 to 6835 cc and the performance of the improved V8 engine increased to 315 kW (428 hp). The race win at Spa marked the breakthrough for AMG and would be followed by further victories. The original car from 1971 no longer exists, but in 2006, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG was re-developed in a detailed reconstruction.

Technical data for Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG (W 109)

• Production period: 1971
• Cylinder: V8
• Displacement: 6835 cc
• Performance: 315 kW(428 hp)
• Maximum speed: 265 km/h

Drivers for Mercedes-Benz Classic at the 2012 Eifelrennen

Dieter Glemser

Born in Kirchheim/Teck on 28 June 1938.

Dieter Glemser’s career in the fast lane began with the Schorndorf Hill Climb race in 1960. Many class victories followed in various mountain and circuit races on the Nürburgring.

Glemser began racing for Daimler-Benz AG in 1963, winning overall in a Mercedes 220 SE at the Poland Rally and taking second place in both the Germany Rally (including a class win) and the Grand Prix of Argentina. In the following year, too, Glemser participated in the triple victory of the Böhringer/Kaiser, Glemser/Braungart and Rosqvist/Falk teams at the Grand Prix of Argentina.

Glemser celebrated victory once again in 1971 with a European Champion title for Ford in the touring car championships and a win at the 24-hour Spa-Francorchamps event. He also held the title of German Motor Sport Champion in 1973 and 1974. However, following a severe accident caused by tyre damage at the Macau Touring Car Race, Southeast China, in November 1974, he decided to end his active motorsport career.

For ten years from 1990, Dieter Glemser was a member of the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport team, and as hed of department, he was responsible for the organisation. From 2001 to 2008, he worked on a freelance basis for Mercedes-AMG and Daimler AG for sport and driver safety training as well as at Classic events. He continues to drive at Mercedes-Benz Classic events to this day.

Klaus Ludwig

Born in Bonn on 5 October 1949.

Klaus Ludwig started in motorsport by competing in slalom races, orienteering excursions and touring car races from 1970 to 1973. He went on to achieve high rankings in the German Racing Championship and secured victories here in 1979 and 1981, in addition to three wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979, 1984 and 1985.

In 1988, he won the German Touring Car Championship with Ford, then joined the AMG-Mercedes team in 1989, driving to victory 19 times in the five years that followed. The high points of his career were the driver’s title in the championships of 1992 and 1994 as well as a second place finish in 1991 – successes which earned him the nickname “King Ludwig”. In 1995 and 1996, Klaus Ludwig competed in the German Touring Car Championship for Opel’s Team Rosberg.

In 1997 and 1998, Ludwig was once again driving for Mercedes-Benz, this time in the FIA GT Championship, winning the overall ranking together with Ricardo Zonta in 1998. In the first season of the new German Touring Car Championship, he was the oldest contender to date to win a race, in 2000, and concluded the season in third place overall in a Mercedes-Benz CLK. When the season was over, he ended his active career as a professional racing driver.

Jochen Mass

Born in Dorfen near Wolfratshausen/Munich on 30 September 1946.

Jochen Mass, originally a trained seaman, began his richly varied motorsport career in 1968 racing touring cars for Alfa-Romeo and as a works team driver for Ford between 1970 and 1975. During this time, he won the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (1972). At the same time, he drove in Formula 2 (1973) and in 105 Formula 1 Grand Prix races (1973/74 for Surtees; 1975-1977 for McLaren; 1978 for ATS; 1979/80 for Arrows; 1982 for March).

With the 1985 German Sports Car Championship title and a stint as a works driver at Porsche until 1987 under his belt, he was recruited for the Sauber-Mercedes team, also as a works driver. He drove in Group C for this team until 1991. In the new Silver Arrow, the Sauber-Mercedes C 9, Jochen Mass won the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens and finished runner-up in the 1989 World Championship. Three years later, Mass became involved in team management for the German Touring Car Championship.

Sir Stirling Moss described him as “a highly skilled driver with an incredible feel for race cars and in-depth knowledge of motorsport of all ages”. Jochen Mass still represents Mercedes-Benz at historical racing events and at vintage super sports car events such as the ADAC Eifelrennen at the Nürburgring. Whether in a Silver Arrow W 165 or a Mercedes-Benz SSK, Jochen Mass knows and drives them all.

After winning the DTM season opener last week, Gary Paffett, driver of the THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé, managed to get on the podium again at the Lausitzring. Paffett came in a second behind Bruno Spengler of BMW who won the race in a time of 1:09:45.795. After the first two races of the season, Paffett leads the drivers’ standings with 43 points over Jamie Green, driver of the Mercedes AMG C-Coupé, who has 30 points. Team THOMAS SABO / Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG lead the team standings with Mercedes AMG in second place with 37 points. Mercedes-Benz also leads in the DTM manufacturer championship with 96 points to BMW’s 54 points and Audi’s 52 points.

Jamie Green, 2nd in the opening race of the season Hockenheim a week ago, came in 4th. Green posted a time of 1:19.025 minutes, the fastest lap of the race at the Lausitzring, the second time he’s done it at this track. In total, Mercedes has clocked eight out of thirteen fastest laps in DTM races at this track since 2001. It was also the 164th quickest lap for Mercedes-Benz since 1988.

In his 45th DTM race, Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) moved up the field from 16th place to P10 and so finished in the points. Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé) and David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) finished in P11 and P12. In his second DTM race, Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) came home in 16th place. Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) was 21st, Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) did not finish.

The start: Gary Paffett moves up one position at the start into P2. Jamie Green overtakes Mike Rockenfeller on the first turn and is fifth. Vietoris moves up the field four places from 18th on the grid.

Lap 8: Green goes by Edoardo Mortara (Audi) and is in fourth place.

Lap 11: Ralf Schumacher and Christian Vietoris overtake Adrien Tambay (Audi).

Lap 13: The pit stop window is now open. Roberto Merhi, Schumacher and Vietoris come in for their first mandatory stop.

Lap 15 : First set of fresh tyres for Paffett.

Lap 18: Mehri wins through against Tambay in the scrap for 19th position.

Lap 21: Green now leads the race from Bruno Spengler (BMW) and Paffett.

Lap 25: Second pit stop for Merhi.

Lap 26: Green still in the lead but comes in now to make his first pit stop.

Lap 28: Schumacher makes his second mandatory pit stop.

Lap 30: Vietoris overtakes Rockenfeller.

Lap 31: Schumacher goes by Rahel Frey (Audi). Paffett comes in for final mandatory pit stop.

Lap 33: Green in P2 turns into the pit lane.

Lap 36: Paffett four tenths down on Spengler in second place.

Lap 48: Robert Wickens coasts to a halt at the side of the track.

Final lap: After 52 laps and a total distance of 180.856 kilometers, Gary Paffett and Jamie Green are second and fourth. Ralf Schumacher is tenth.

Comments after the race:

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Second:

“It’s such a pity. My THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé had enough speed to win again today. I was just a bit too far behind at the pit-stop. Having said that, my car was really quick and had a brilliant set-up, a tribute to the team. I was also so close to Bruno Spengler’s car that I was losing a bit of down force. However, I did give it my all and being second on the podium within the space of a week is a great result for us, especially after the win in the opening race.”

Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Fourth:

“My Mercedes-AMG C-Coupé was just terrific today. Augusto Farfus drove a fantastic race. I was behind him most of the time, but despite the great pace of my car, I couldn’t get past. Now the focus of my attention has to be on my home race at Brands Hatch where I’m hoping to get back on the podium again.”

Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 10th:

“Our C-Coupé was pretty quick today. The car performed flawlessly and the same applies to the strategy and the pit stops. This enabled us to progress from 16th to 10th place. If I can get a better grid position in the next race, I’ll hopefully not get stuck in traffic and be able to compete with the front runners.”

Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé), 11th:

“We were not quite as quick as at the season opener in Hockenheim. There was a lot of dirt on the track which cost us more than we expected. It’s a bit annoying that we just missed a points finish, but hopefully things will go better for us in two weeks time at Brands Hatch.”

David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 12th:

“I had to be careful at the start of the race not to collide with any other cars and make sure my car wasn’t damaged. I gave it my all and got the best possible result. I just couldn’t have managed any more than that.”

Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 16th:

“I think the race went well but I would have preferred to have been further up the field. I’m hoping that things will be better for me at Brands Hatch given a bit more preparation.”

Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 21st:

“I had a bit of a disappointing race. Straight after my first pit stop I realised that there was no way I could make any great progress in the race. I’ll just have to draw a line in the sand now and look to the future.”

Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), retired

“Unfortunately I skidded off the track on lap 48. However, I have made some progress despite this. I’ll now focus all my efforts on Brands Hatch and hopefully pick up my first DTM points there.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“Both Gary and Jamie had the speed to secure P1, but at this track it is not enough to simply go faster to be able to overtake. Gary started the race from third place, a mere 0.043 seconds adrift of pole position. He immediately moved up one position as the race began but was subsequently unable to get past the rear of Spengler’s car, which he was then forced to follow for about 50 laps.

Congratulations to BMW and Bruno Spengler on their victory and many thanks to our team for their sterling work since the beginning of the season, which has enabled us to head all three championship standings – the drivers’, the team and manufacturers’ championships.

As in Hockenheim, our C-Coupé and our drivers were highly competitive and we want to make a concerted effort to build on that.”

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) won the 2012 DTM season opener at Hockenheim from sixth place on the grid with a 4.7- second lead on Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé). It was Paffett’s 18th Victory in the DTM and his fourth at Hockenheim. It was the British driver’s 26th podium in the 82nd DTM race of his career and his seventh in a DTM race at Hockenheim. With 18 wins and a winning rate of 22%, Paffett has achieved the greatest number of victories among those drivers currently contesting the DTM. Paffett and Green secured the 100th one-two victory for Mercedes-Benz in the DTM since 1988.

It was the sixth consecutive Mercedes victory at their home race in Hockenheim (opener and finale), and their third win in a row at a DTM season opener (Paffett 2010 and 2012, and Bruno Spengler, 2011). Overall since 1988, Mercedes-Benz has won 32 of 65 DTM races at the Hockenheimring. During the same period, Mercedes-Benz drivers were victorious 166 times in 343 DTM races.

Paffett’s victory was the first success in the new DTM era in the three-way battle between the three premium brands Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz and the first victory for the new DTM Mercedes AMG C Coupé, the successor to the AMG Mercedes C-Class, which is the most successful vehicle in the history of the DTM with 85 victories in 159 races.

Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé) advanced from 15th on the grid to finish fourth. Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) and David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) were also amongst the points, finishing seventh and eighth respectively. Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) and Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) ended the day in twelfth and 14th positions. DTM rookie Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) was forced to retire from the race.

Jamie Green set the fastest lap with a time of 1:34.901 minutes – the sixth time he has done so at Hockenheim. It is also the 36th time in 65 DTM races at this venue that a Mercedes-Benz driver has posted the fastest lap time. Nine of the last ten fastest laps here were set by a Mercedes-Benz driver.

A total of 142,000 fans attended the DTM opener at Hockenheim this weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun). Some 71,000 spectators were at the track for Sunday’s first race of the new DTM era.

Race summary

• The start: Jamie Green defends his P2 off the line. Gary Paffett moves up two places to fourth. Ralf Schumacher goes up from eleventh on the grid to eighth place.

• Lap 2: Paffett overtakes Edoardo Mortara (Audi) in front of the Mercedes-Benz grandstand.

• Lap 4: Green overtakes lead driver, Mattias Ekström (Audi), to move into P1. Paffett quickly follows him and is now in second place.

• Lap 6: Drive-through penalty for Ralf Schumacher. Christian Vietoris moves up to eighth position.

• Lap 8: Green and Paffett in the lead with a half-second gap between them.

• Lap 9: Vietoris overtakes Filipe Albuquerque (Audi) and is seventh.

• Lap 10: The pit stop window is now open. First mandatory stop for Vietoris. Green extends his lead on Paffett to 0.7 seconds and 4.5 seconds on Ekström.

• Lap 12: Schumacher pits for fresh tyres.

• Lap 13: Green and Coulthard come into the pits. Paffett now leads.

• Lap 14: First mandatory stop for Paffett. He retains his lead on Green.

• Lap 15: Fresh tyres for Susie Wolff and DTM rookie Robert Wickens.

• Lap 16: Mandatory pit stop for Roberto Merhi.

• Lap 18: Paffett has built up a lead of 1.2 seconds on Green and 8.7 seconds on Ekström.

• Lap 19 : Drive-through penalty for Wickens.

• Lap 20: At the half-way stage, three DTM AMG Mercedes C- Coupés are in the top 5: Paffett and Green in P1 and 2, Vietoris in fifth place.

• Lap 21: Second pit stop for Coulthard.

• Lap 22: Final mandatory pit stop for Schumacher and Wolff.

• Lap 24: Merhi and Wickens come in for second pit stop.

• Lap 26: Vietoris pits from fourth position.

• Lap 27: Lead driver Paffett pits for second time.

• Lap 28: Last pit stop for Green. Paffett defends lead from team-mate. Vietoris in fifth place.

• Lap 32: Schumacher overtakes Miguel Molina (Audi) to secure eighth place.

• Lap 34: Vietoris overtakes Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) to move into fourth place.

• Lap 35: Schumacher goes up into P7, in front of Coulthard.

• Lap 38: Merhi retires in the pits.

• Final lap (Lap 40): After 40 laps and a total distance of 182.96 kilometres, Gary Paffett wins the 2012 DTM season opener at Hockenheim from Jamie Green. Christian Vietoris, Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard finish in P4, P7 and P8 respectively.

Comments after the race:

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Winner:

“What a fantastic start to the new DTM era. Many thanks to the team for their hard work – my THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé was tuned perfectly. After a difficult season in 2011, I am pleased to have found the way back to the podium top spot. I’ve always believed in the team and my speed and that’s now paid off. The scrap with Jamie was really exciting and always very fair, which is exactly how racing should be, simply terrific!”

Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Second:

“Second place on the podium – what a great way to start the 2012 season! The setup of my Mercedes AMG C-Coupé was perfect for today’s race, so a big ‘thank you’ to my team. I got off to a great start and was able to overtake Mattias Ekström early on to take the lead. The contest with Gary was exciting and always very fair. His first pit stop was even faster than mine, so he came out of the pit lane ahead of me. Even so, I’m well satisfied with my second place and am delighted with the one-two win for Mercedes-Benz in the first race of the season.”

Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé), Fourth:

“I had a terrific race at the season opener. After qualifying, I would never have dreamt that I could move up from 15th position to fourth, but my C-Coupé was really well prepared and very fast. The pit crew too did their work brilliantly. Overall, it was a great team effort and I’m also very pleased for Gary and Jamie and their one-two victory.”

Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Seventh:

“This was a thrilling and exciting start to the new DTM era. I think that the race made exciting entertainment for the many fans in the stands and at home watching on TV. My result could have been better, but I made a mistake and got a penalty, which I have to accept. My pace was good, so I’m really looking forward to the race next weekend at the Lausitzring.”

David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Eighth:

“A P8 finish and three points in the first race of the season is a good result for me. After all the uncertainty in the winter, it was good to actually drive the car under race conditions and to find out where we are relative to the opposition. The one-two victory for Gary und Jamie shows that our C-Coupé is very fast. However, this competition is very tight and there is still everything to play for.”

Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Twelfth:

“What a great start to the season for Mercedes-Benz! I’m very happy for Gary and Jamie, and our team result – five C-Coupés in the Top 8 – was just fantastic. My race was predetermined to some extent since I couldn’t do much from my position on the grid, but a twelfth place from the last row is not a bad result. At the next race in Lausitz, I want to secure a better grid position and improve my placing.”

Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 14th:

“I didn’t manage to finish in the points today, unfortunately. But personally, I think 14th place at the start of the season is quite an achievement for a rookie, especially in such a hard-fought competition as this. I have learned a lot from this first race and I’m sure it will put me in good stead for the rest of the season. I’m pretty sure that with the superb support of the Mercedes team, I will continue to improve as the year progresses.”

Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), retired:

“Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the best of starts in my first DTM race. To add to that, after just five laps, I had a collision with two other cars – my car was damaged and so I was no longer able to match the pace.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“Our new C-Coupé was really on song today. This one-two finish for Gary Paffett and Jamie Green is the best possible reward for everyone who has worked so hard on the design and construction of our new DTM C-Coupé. My thanks to everyone – that was some of the best motor racing ever. It just does not get any better, especially Jamie’s and Gary’s overtaking. Super! This represents our 100th one-two victory in the DTM. Five Mercedes AMG C-Coupés finished in the Top 8, and 65% of all the available points went to our drivers and teams. We’ve made a solid start to the new DTM. We will now focus on the race at the Lausitzring next weekend, but first, we have a little celebrating to do with everyone who has worked so hard.”

It’s been announced that the new Mercedes AMG C-Class Coupe will be the Safety Car for the 2012 DTM season. The Mercedes C 63 AMG Coupe Black Series will provide all the necessary safety for the DTM series, the world’s most popular touring car series. With a maximum output of 380 kW (517 hp), this two-seater is the most powerful C-Class of all time. The German Touring Car Masters (DTM) gets underway at the Hockenheimring on 29 April 2012.

The Safety Car is deployed under the direction of the German Motorsport Association (DMSB), which is responsible for implementing safety measures, ensuring compliance with safety standards and discharging the attendant official sporting functions in accordance with the DTM rules. The C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series Safety Car driven by racing driver Jürgen Kastenholz (44) is intended to ensure maximum safety for racing drivers, spectators and track marshals in case of dangerous situations, such as extreme weather conditions, accidents or other incidents. In response to a radio message from the race organisers, the Safety Car enters the track and leads the DTM field around the circuit until normal racing can be resumed.

The most powerful C-Class of all time stands for spectacular design, technology transfer from the field of motorsport and driving dynamics of the very highest calibre. As such, the C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series only required modification to a few points of detail for deployment as the DTM Safety Car. The most striking feature distinguishing it from the series production version is the aerodynamically optimised light bar on the roof. Energy-efficient, fast-response LEDs in green and orange keep the DTM racing drivers informed of the current situation.

Green: the two central green lights on the front and rear are always active when the C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series enters the field at the beginning of a Safety Car phase. Continuous green is the signal for all DTM drivers to overtake the Safety Car.

• Orange: as soon as the Safety Car is in position in front of all DTM vehicles, the green LEDs are switched off and the orange LEDs are activated. The flashing orange lights at the outer ends of the light bar indicate that overtaking is absolutely prohibited.

• The stroboscope-like flashing LED lights on the front and rear remain active throughout the Safety Car phase. The license plate with Safety Car lettering which is illuminated by LEDs on the boot lid provides for better visibility in poor weather.

Engine, power transmission, chassis, suspension and brake system corresponding to series production variant

The AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine corresponds to the series-production engine: with a maximum output of 380 kW (517 hp) and maximum torque of 620 Newton metres it even tops the roughly 377 kW (500 hp) V8 engine in the Mercedes-AMG C-Coupé which is being used in the DTM. The high-speed naturally aspirated engine enables acceleration to 100 km/h from a standing start in 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 300 km/h (electronically limited). With the spectators at the race track and the TV audience in mind, the C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series Safety Car is fitted with a modified AMG sports exhaust system. The special rear silencer guarantees a distinctive AMG V8 sound.

Engine cooling, power transmission, chassis and suspension, brake system – these areas have been honed to perfection and did not require any modification. The AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission with four drive programmes, double-declutching function and RACE START guarantees direct and fast gear-shifting. As is customary in motorsport and typical for a Black Series model, the AMG sports suspension is designed as a coil-over suspension. It covers a broad range of adjustment options for an individual race track set-up. The standard-fit AMG rear-axle differential lock with locking effect in acceleration and deceleration mode combines with the 3-stage ESP® for reliable traction. The AMG high-performance braking system featuring motorsport-tested compound brake disks at the front offers extremely short stopping distances and fade-resistant deceleration performance.

Optional equipment from the AMG Performance Studio

The C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series DTM Safety Car is equipped with the AMG Track package, the AMG Aerodynamics package, the AMG Exterior Carbon-Fibre package and forged AMG light-alloy wheels. The AMG Track package comprises active rear axle gear cooling and sports tyres. The radiator is positioned in front of the diffuser insert in the rear apron, where it effectively takes in the air stream. The specially developed Dunlop Sport Maxx Race sports tyres in size 255/35 R 19 at the front and 285/30 R 19 at the rear are fitted on forged AMG wheels which are painted matt black with a high-sheen rim flange.

The AMG Aerodynamics package includes so-called flics and a functionally designed genuine carbon-fibre front splitter on the front apron, plus a fixed carbon-fibre rear aerofoil with adjustable blade. All three components provide the vehicle with a sharper profile while optimising its aerodynamic balance. The AMG Exterior Carbon-Fibre package covers exterior mirror housings, the inserts in the side sill panels and a diffuser insert in genuine carbon fibre. All optional equipment items come from the AMG Performance Studio and are available ex-factory for every C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series.

Functional race-track atmosphere in the interior

The interior also corresponds to the series production model, with a few exceptions. The two AMG sports bucket seats ensure optimum lateral support for driver and co-driver. In view of the intended deployment on the race track, four-point seat belts are used. Optimum control of the vehicle is guaranteed by the AMG Performance steering wheel in nappa leather/DINAMICA with flattened top and bottom rim sections and aluminium gearshift paddles.

AMG carbon-fibre trim featuring the “AMG Black Series” logo underscores the functional race-track atmosphere. For communication with the race organisers, the Safety Car is equipped with a two-way radio system and TV monitor. The camera located next to the rear license plate provides the co-driver with a view of the DTM cars following the Safety Car. Under the monitor there are four buttons in blue, green, orange and silver for operating the light bar, the stroboscope-type flashing LED lights and the horn.

DTM Safety Car provided by Mercedes-AMG since 2000

Mercedes-AMG has been providing the Safety Car ever since the beginning of the “new” DTM in 2000, alternating with Audi from race to race – and since 2012 with BMW also. In the Formula 1 World Championship, an SLS AMG is deployed as an Official F1 Safety-Car and a C 63 AMG Estate serves as an Official F1 Medical Car.

A Daimler shareholder has called on the company to pull the Mercedes team out of formula one racing.

Fund manager Ingo Speich, of the Daimler shareholder Union Investment, said at Daimler’s annual general meeting that he is disappointed Mercedes-Benz has lost ground to road car rivals like Audi and BMW.

“Mercedes is no longer the measure of all things in the premium sector,” he is quoted as saying by Die Presse.

Speich referred to “a lost decade” for Daimler, and called on the company to follow BMW’s recent lead and pull out of formula one.

According to reports, his speech received applause from several other shareholders.

Mercedes is the biggest F1 team to not yet follow the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull in signing the 2013 Concorde Agreement. Fort those of you left wondering what the Concorde Agreement is, it is a contract between the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the Formula One teams (currently represented by the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA)) and the Formula One Administration which dictates the terms by which the teams compete in races and take their share of the television revenues and prize money.

Customer Sports program of AMG vigourously starts the 2012 season. Altogether, more than 45 SLS AMG GT3s will be entered for more than 15 race series on four continents. The German team ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport will enter two SLS AMG GT3 for the new FIA GT1 World Championship. Six gullwing cars are expected to fight for the overall win in the 24 Hours Nürburgring. Eight SLS AMG GT3s will be entered in the German ADAC GT Masters. The newly-formed French team, which the eight-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb is part of, will participate in the French GT Championship. The cooperation team and defending winner HEICO-GRAVITY CHAROUZ TEAM will face the competition in the FIA GT3 European Championship.

Commanding fights for the lead, top-class drivers and the who’s who among sports car brands – this is what national and international race series, in which customer teams enter the SLS AMG GT3 as racing car, have in common. Inspired by 26 race wins in 2011, the 1-2-3 in the Dubai 24-hours race (January 12-14, 2012) and the second place in the Bathurst 12 Hour Race in Australia (February 26, 2012), the gullwing car from Affalterbach has proved that it is a serious rival for competitors. In mid-March, many of the customer teams took advantage of the opportunity to optimally prepare for the season in test drives and setting drives on the race track of Paul Ricard in Le Castellet in Southern France.

Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board, Mercedes-AMG GmbH:

“Mercedes-AMG is proud of the fact that the SLS AMG GT3 is given such a positive feedback by customer teams. In the motorsport season of 2012, AMG takes part with a team of three: With the gullwing car in the customer sports programme, the new Mercedes-AMG C-Coupé in the popular DTM and the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team in Formula 1 we are active all over the world. As AMG celebrates its 45th birthday, the best conditions for an exciting anniversary year are provided!”

Uli Fritz, head of AMG Customer Sports: “We want to thank the teams, which are already with us for the second year, for their confidence in us and we appreciate the new teams in the family of AMG Customer Sports. The fact that more than 45 SLS AMG GT3s are meanwhile taking part in races around the globe does not only show the great performance of the gullwing car but also proves our philosophy of using the SLS AMG GT3 merely for customer sports, not for factory entries.”

Thomas Jäger, coordinator of AMG Customer Sports: “The popularity of the SLS AMG GT3 is based on four factors: Performance, reliability, its uncomplex driveability and a good parts supply. We are working hard to continue improving all of those factors in the new 2012 season as well. The gullwing car is also appreciated for its exceptional safety level with the carbon safety cell for the driver, known from the DTM cars.”

Eight SLS AMG GT3s in the ADAC GT Masters

With the first ADAC GT Masters held in 2007, the racing series has meanwhile become very popular. Not only is the number of 44 inscripted sports cars from 13 brands impressing, but also the fact that eight SLS AMG GT3s will be fighting for the title in 2012. HEICO Motorsport will enter four cars (Alex Margaritis / Lance David Arnold, Kenneth Heyer / Christiaan Frankenhout, Harald Proczyk / Dominik Baumann and Andreas Simonsen / Maximilian Buhk). Thus HEICO Motorsport has the former Mercedes-Benz DTM driver Alex Margaritis, who is the current champion of the GT Masters, among their drivers.

In a cooperation, the teams HEICO Motorsport and Gravity-Charouz Racing will enter another gullwing car. The drivers for the HEICO-GRAVITY CHAROUZ TEAM will be Erik Janis / Jan Stovicek. MS Racing will enter two SLS AMG GT3s (Maximilian Götz / Sebastian Asch and Daniel Dobitsch / Florian Stoll). Seyffarth Motorsport (Jan Seyffarth / Maximilian Meyer) will enter one car. The ADAC GT Masters begins on 31st March in Oschersleben and comprises 16 races. Per racing weekend, two races are held and the private television station Kabel 1 will show live broadcasts of all races in full length.

VLN on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife with ten races

The Nürburgring VLN endurance championship came into existence more than 30 years ago. The race series is traditionally held on the legendary Nordschleife (“north loop”) and the short layout of the Grand Prix track. The teams of Black Falcon, HEICO Motorsport and ROWE RACING will each enter two cars for the VLN. Black Falcon Team Manager Sean Paul Breslin: “We have already known the SLS AMG GT3 since 2010. It is a fast, reliable car with a level of security which is currently unmatched by any other race car. The first of a total of ten VLN races will take place parallelly to the ADAC GT Masters on the 31st of March. About 200 cars are expected.

24h race Nürburgring – highlight of the season

The motorsport scene is awaiting this year’s 24h race Nürburgring with much excitement. The event will already take place from 16th to 20st of May and is defined as the highlight of the 2012 season by many German motorsport fans. As in the VLN, the teams of Black Falcon, HEICO Motorsport and ROWE RACING will be facing the traditional Eifel marathon with two cars each. Bernd Schneider (HEICO Motorsport) and Thomas Jäger (ROWE RACING) will be supporting the customer teams as part of the AMG support programme and will actively take part in the race. More than 700 drivers and almost 200 race cars will be entered for the traditional endurance race.

FIA GT1 World Championship with two SLS AMG GT3s

None of the races of the new FIA GT1 World Championship will take place in Germany. However, there are many indicators that the World Championship will be offering exciting motorsport: Each car brand will have two cars in start positions and nine teams of the international sports car elite confirmed their participation with cars of different manufacturers. Due to the change in regulations from the GT1 to the GT3 category, even an increase in the number of excellent performances can be expected.

The German team ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport will participate with two SLS AMG GT3s. The gullwing cars will be driven by Marc Basseng / Markus Winkelhock and Thomas Jäger / Nicky Pastorelli. As part of the AMG support programme, Thomas Jäger will be supporting the team during the beginning of the season.

Team manager René Münnich: “We want to win the World Championship this year. We fought for the drivers’ and the team title for a long time in 2011. The new SLS AMG GT3 is a fast and reliable race car – the conditions for the new season could hardly be better.” The FIA GT1 Championship comprises ten races in nine countries, among which you can also find emerging markets such as China, India and Russia. The first race of the season will take place in the French location Nogaro on 8th April 2012 and the final is scheduled for 2nd December 2012 on Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi.

FIA GT3 European Championship with defending winner in start position

The FIA GT1 World Championship and the FIA GT3 European Championship will start at the same time. The first six of a total of 12 races will be held on the same tracks. Every weekend, two races will take place. The defending winner HEICO Motorsport will participate with two SLS AMG GT3s in cooperation with Gravity-Charouz Racing here as well. The cockpits of the HEICO-GRAVITY CHAROUZ TEAM will be shared by Dominik Baumann / Maxi-milian Bukh as well as Max Nilsson / Mika Vähämäki.

The team of the eight-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb forms a new part of the 2012 season. Sébastien Loeb Racing will face the competition in the French GT Championship with one gullwing car (Frédéric Gabillon / Gilles Vannelet).

Blancpain Endurance Championship with four teams from four countries

Four teams from four countries will participate in the Blancpain Endurance Championship: The Belgian team Viage KRK-Racing will enter two gullwing cars driven by the teams Karl Wendlinger / Anthony Kumpen / Koen Wauters und Raf Vanthoor / Dennis Retera / Marius Ritskes. Black Falcon will also enter two gullwing cars. As in 2011, the British team Preci-Spark with the twins David Jones, Godfrey Jones and Mike Jordan will also participate in the Championship. Premium Motorsports Poland will participate for the first time with one car.

In face of the Blancpain Endurance Championship’s starting field with 50 cars, it will definitely be an event with commiting motorsport. The first race will take place in Monza, Italy on 15th April 2012. The highlight of the season will be the 24-hour race of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on 28th July 2012. An endurance race from the Blancpain race series is also scheduled for Germany: The penultimate race out of a total of six races will be held on the Nürburgring on 23rd September.

From Malaysia to Brazil and as far as Australia

Besides the big Championships, which are mainly held on European tracks, customer teams will also be driving the SLS AMG GT3 on the continents of Asia, South America and Australia as well as in smaller national race series.

• Malaysian Super GT International Series: Petronas Syntium Team
• Brazilian GT Championship: AMattheis Motorsport, BVA Racing
• Australian GT Championship: Erebus Racing
• Spanish and Portugese GT Championship: Sports & You
• British GT Championship: Preci-Spark, Eurotech Racing
• French GT Championship: Graff Racing
• Austrian GT Series and Touring Car Series: Lechner Racing
• Super Touring Car Trophy: Land Motorsport
• DMV-TCC: ANTeam
• Italian Endurance Race Championship ECC: G-Private Racing

Former Formula One driver David Coulthard retains his place in the Mercedes-Benz line-up for the 2012 DTM season. The 40-year-old Scot is about to start his third year in the DTM as a member of Team Mücke Motorsport. Coulthard was Formula One championship runner-up in 2001. He won a total of 13 races during his F1 career, twelve of which were for McLaren Mercedes, including the first victory of the new Silver Arrows era on 9th March 1997 in Melbourne (Australia).

When he made his DTM debut in 2010, Coulthard quickly established himself as a fan favourite in the paddock. He scored his first DTM point in the 2010 season finale in Shanghai, where he also set fastest lap.

Prior to the DTM phase of his racing career, Coulthard competed in 246 Formula One races between 1994 and 2008. Twelve of his 13 Grand Prix victories were during his time at McLaren-Mercedes, with whom he also won the constructors’ title in 1998 and finished runner-up in the drivers’ championship in 2001. Since 2009, Coulthard has attended all Formula One races as a member of the BBC television team covering F1. His expert opinions are rated highly by viewers and professional colleagues alike.

Coulthard is one of the founding ambassadors for Wings for Life. The Scot has worked unstintingly for the charity foundation over a number of years, spreading the message worldwide and helping to generate donations to finance its research projects. Founded in 2004 by Heinz Kinigadner and Dietrich Mateschitz, this registered non-profit foundation promotes research into finding a cure for paraplegia caused by injuries to the spinal cord. With the agreement of sponsor Deutsche Post, Mercedes-Benz has made available advertising space on the bodywork of Coulthard’s car to draw media attention to Wings for Life and to its driver’s role as ambassador for the organisation, thereby helping boost fund-raising impact.

In his first two years in the DTM, Coulthard drove the AMG Mercedes C-Class, the most successful car in series history with 85 victories from 159 races.

David Coulthard: “In 2012, the DTM enters a new era. New cars, new technical regulations and a third manufacturer promise to make the championship more exciting than ever before. That’s why I’m looking forward even more to my third year with Mercedes-Benz in this highly competitive championship. The popularity of the DTM and the huge enthusiasm of the fans make this yet another excellent platform to draw attention to Wings for Life, the charity organisation for which I have been such a committed advocate over many years. I now have two years of DTM experience to draw on. My first impressions of our DTM Mercedes AMG C‑Coupé are very positive – especially the paddle shift on the steering wheel which I know very well from my time in Formula One. In the past two years, I’ve had to learn a lot about the engineering, the driving technique and about DTM racing in general. I know my team well now and, after 15 years as a member of the Mercedes-Benz family, I feel really at home. In 2012, I want to continue my progress and post some respectable results.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “David Coulthard is one of the best-known and most popular drivers in the DTM. He has played a prominent role in Mercedes-Benz motorsport history since winning the first race with the then brand-new McLaren Mercedes Silver Arrow in the 1997 Australian Grand Prix. David went on to record a dozen more Formula One victories with us, including several Monaco GPs and also the classic race at Spa in Belgium. In 2001, he was Formula One World Championship runner-up with McLaren Mercedes. In 2012, David Coulthard will be contesting his third DTM season, and this time he has set his sights even higher. Last year, there were several races in which David was amongst the very fastest in the field over the entire distance. As soon as David can turn this speed into better grid positions and quicker starts, he will be a real contender. And this is our shared goal for 2012.”

In today’s Bathurst 12 Hour Race in Australia, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 has finished in the second place. The Australian customer team of Erebus Racing with its drivers Peter Hackett (AUS), Tim Slade (AUS), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) and Bret Curtis (USA) came home second after having driven 270 race laps. Having started from 6th place on the grid, starting number 20 took over the lead for the first time in the third hour of the race on a wet track. In an exciting battle against other GT3 cars, the gullwing car of the customer sports team of Erebus was able to constantly hold on to a position no lower than the top three. The Bathurst 12 Hour remained a narrow decision until the very end. The two leading cars remained in the same lap and the time difference with which they crossed the finish line was only 1.13 minutes.

The endurance race on Circuit Mount Panorama, which is 6,213 kilometres long, was marked by the difficult weather conditions, a large number of incidents and many safety car phases. The traditional hilly track is located in the State of New South Wales, with a distance of approximately 200 kilometres west of Sydney, the biggest city in Australia.

Peter Hackett (AUS): “I am very happy about the second place. Our SLS AMG GT3 delivered a convincing top performance facing the wet conditions on the track. The car ran like clockwork and was completely reliable. We did not get involved in any of the incidents and drove a constant race with a great race strategy and fantastic pit stops. The co-operation with Black Falcon from Germany worked very well since both teams complemented each other perfectly.”

Tim Slade (AUS): “It was a great challenge with a narrow finish here on Circuit Mount Panorama in Bathurst. During the entire race we competed with the other GT3 cars on a high level. I want to thank the whole team for this cohesive performance.”

Black Falcon’s SLS AMG GT3 retired from race after accident

The second SLS AMG GT3 of the customer team Black Falcon with Rob Wilson (NZ), Sean Patrick Breslin (GB), Sean Paul Breslin (GB) and Vimal Mehta (TZA) started from 9th place on the grid and had no difficulties in claiming one of the top positions among the fastest cars in the race. After an hour, starting number 21 had to make a pit stop because of a problem with the rear suspension. After having been repaired successfully, the gullwing car of Black Falcon carried on driving. However, due to an accident in the 52nd lap, the race came to an end after three hours. Thanks to the exemplary safety level, which is currently not reached by any other GT3 car, the driver Sean Patrick Breslin was unharmed.

Most successful newcomer in the 2011 motor sport season

The Bathurst 12 Hour was the second podium position in a row for the AMG Customer Sports programme. In the Dubai 24 Hours race (12th to 14th January 2012) the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT3 scored a commanding 1-2-3 with Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon at the top.

In its debut year of 2011, the Gullwing became probably the most successful newcomer in the 2011 motorsport season: from March 2011 on 40 race cars were delivered to international customer teams that took part in races on four continents and won a total of 26 races. The success story was crowned by the team title of the FIA GT3 European Championship for HEICO Motorsport and its two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 – the first title for the Gullwing in its first full racing season.

The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W03 made its official debut today at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. After an early morning unveiling in the pit lane by Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, Michael then took the wheel for the day’s running.

• A smooth morning session enabled the team to begin set-up comparisons with the new chassis

• A hydraulic problem identified during the afternoon session brought an early end to the planned program

• Michael completed 51 laps today, taking the F1 W03’s total mileage to 782 km to date

Nico will take over the program tomorrow, with Michael back in the car on Thursday, and Nico concluding the test on Friday.

Michael Schumacher “My initial feelings with our new car are certainly good. I’m happy with the different evaluations that we have done over the last week, but obviously with the rule changes, we won’t know more until later. It’s certainly an improvement and we have worked hard on the areas we had defined last year. The aerodynamics figures look good so I’m not worried about the shape of the nose! Even though we had the hydraulic problem today, I’m pleased with all the mileage we have achieved so far with the new car.”

Date: Tuesday 21 February 2012 Track: Circuit de Catalunya Driver: Michael Schumacher

“Mille Miglia” stands for the fascinating history of motor racing legends. Again and again, the famous racing sports cars from Mercedes-Benz and their drivers have reached new heights in this legendary Italian thousand-mile race. This is now being marked by the “Mercedes-Benz Champions at Mille Miglia” exhibition at the Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia. This event is the first highlight of the strategic cooperation between Daimler and the Museum in Italy, which was concluded in February 2012. “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” will open its doors on 15 February, and can be seen until this year’s 2012 Mille Miglia (16 to 20 May 2012).

The stars of the exhibition are automative gems from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection which have contributed to the history of the Mille Miglia. These racing sports cars and other exhibits bring this history to life, major highlights being the overall victories by Rudolf Caracciola in 1931 and Stirling Moss in 1955. The history of this event carried out from 1927 to 1957 also includes several class victories and excellent placings for Mercedes-Benz. These successes give the Stuttgart-based brand an exceptional status in the history of the Mille Miglia. For one thing, no other non-Italian car brand has ever managed to win this road race from Brescia to Rome and back.

From the SSK to the 300 SLR

The Mille Miglia was three years old in 1930, when Rudolf Caracciola and his co-driver Christian Werner left the starting line for the “Thousand Miles” in their Mercedes-Benz SSK. On this first attempt Caracciola achieved the class victory for cars with a cubic capacity of up to 8 litres, reaching sixth place overall with an average speed of 92.8 km/h. In the following year he returned to Brescia to drive for Mercedes-Benz, this time at the wheel of a Model SSKL, a weight-reduced version of the SSK designed for road and mountain races. Caracciola duly won an overall victory in the racing sports car, whose supercharged six-cylinder engine developed 300 hp (221 kW) from a displacement of 7065 cubic centimetres. As a German national accompanied by co-pilot Wilhelm Sebastian, Caracciola was the first non-Italian to win the Mille Miglia.

Building on its success during the era of large, supercharged Mille Miglia cars, Mercedes-Benz entered a new generation of racing sports cars in the race during the 1950s: in 1952 Karl Kling took second place in the new Model 300 SL from the W 194 series, with Rudolf Caracciola in fourth place. Kling was the fastest driver to cover the route from Brescia to Rome, and received the “Sportman of the Year” award in that year. Three years later, in 1955, Mercedes-Benz almost completely dominated the Mille Miglia. Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson won an overall victory in the 300 SLR (W 196 S) racing sports car, whose 2982 cc eight-cylinder engine developed up to 310 hp (228 kW). The 157.65 km/h average speed achieved by Moss is the best ever achieved in the history of this road pace. Juan Manuel Fangio, who embarked on the “Thousand Miles” with no co-driver, was the second to cross the finishing line.

In 1955 John Cooper Fitch with co-pilot Kurt Gesell also won the class victory for GT cars above 1300 cc cubic capacity in a standard 300 SL sports car (W 198 I), and in the diesel class victory went to Helmut Retter and Wolfgang Larcher in a Mercedes-Benz 180 D (W 120). That season also saw the debut of the new Mercedes-Benz racing car transporter, which was created on the basis of the 300 SL for the purpose of rapidly transporting a racing car from the factory to the racetrack when required.

The “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” exhibition provides a particularly wide view of the motor sports world in the mid-20th Century. It repeatedly becomes clear that the champions are not just the drivers who are the first to cross the finishing line. Instead the winners are a large team using the innovative strength and performance of the entire company, a company whose origins go back to the independent invention of the automobile by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in 1886.

Tradition of the Mille Miglia viewed in a historical setting

The Museo Mille Miglia (Museo Mille Miglia) is where the fascination of this legendary road race can be experienced throughout the year. For this reason Daimler has embarked on a strategic cooperation with the Museum in Brescia. One major aim is to emphasise and strengthen the aspects held in common by the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart and the Museo Mille Miglia.

Opened in 2004, the Museo Mille Miglia is located in the historic Sant’Eufemia della Fonte monastery complex outside the gates of Brescia. The former Benedictine monastery was founded by Landolfo, Bishop of Brescia, in the year 1008. The monastery having been moved inside the city in the 15th Century, the historic buildings were first used as warehouses, then as a hospital. In 1997 the decision was taken to create the Museo Mille Miglia in this highly evocative location just under 20 kilometres from the shores of Lake Garda.

The focus of the permanent exhibition, which is divided into nine periods, is on the road race itself. However, the Museum also reflects the national, social and cultural history of Italy using the example of the regions traversed by the race in the course of time. Here the emphasis is on the period between 1927 and 1957, to which seven sections are devoted. There is also one section each covering the Mille Miglia from 1958 to 1961, and the present event for classic cars which was first held in 1977.

Special exhibitions such as “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” are devoted to individual, celebratory perspectives during which a dialogue also develops with the permanent exhibition. The exhibition opening in February provides a complete, panoramic view of the exciting motors sports history written by the racing sports cars of Mercedes-Benz at the Mille Miglia. Accordingly a visit to “Mercedes-Benz Champions at the Mille Miglia” will be one of the highlights of the programme for both the participants and spectators at this year’s race from Brescia to Rome and back.

Mercedes GP Petronas driver Nico Rosberg finished the Brazilian Grand Prix in seventh place while teamate Michael Schumacher finished the race in 15th place after an early brush on the approach to the Senna S, with Bruno Senna. The Brazilian Grand Prix was a 71-lap race in Interlagos and was the final round of the 2011 Formula One season.

• Nico ran a two-stop strategy of option/option/prime, stopping on laps 16 and 42

• Michael was forced to run a three-stop strategy after a puncture on lap 10, pitting further on laps 32 and 51

• Three of the team’s four clean pit stops were under 21 seconds this afternoon

• With a total of 731 points, Mercedes-Benz is the highest scoring engine manufacturer of the 2011 season

Nico Rosberg

“Today wasn’t an ideal ending to the season, and although I scored some points, I expected to finish higher than P7. I didn’t get a good start, and I had problems with my tyres overheating as the track temperatures were very high. So I had to manage my tyres very carefully during the whole race which impacted on the pace. Now I’m looking ahead and I hope we can do better in 2012. I look forward to an exciting time in the winter as we work hard to develop a better car for next year.”

Michael Schumacher

“It was a bit of a shame today with the incident with Bruno, which was caused perhaps due to some lack of experience, but then those things happen. Otherwise I think we could have had a nice race with some solid points. After the collision, all I could do was try to fight as much as possible, and hope for rain which did not come. In the first stint after the incident, my car was not well-balanced with a lot of oversteer. Unfortunately we could not change this at the pit stop which handicapped the balance in the second stint, whereas in the last stint the balance was good. We very much look forward to next season now. With all the effort that is being put into the development of the car, I am confident we can make another step forward to where Mercedes belongs; fighting at the top.”

Ross Brawn

“Nico didn’t have a great car balance today, struggling with oversteer, and he had to look after the tyres very carefully. He experienced high levels of degradation and consequently had a frustrating afternoon trying to manage the balance, in a situation where the tyres were particularly sensitive. Michael had a good battle with Senna in the early laps, and his pass at the start of lap 10 was clear-cut. However, Senna showed his inexperience trying to defend a position that he had already lost, and the contact ruined Michael’s race. After an unplanned stop to replace his punctured tyre, Michael was able to demonstrate the car’s innate pace, thanks to a better car balance, and his lap times looked reasonably competitive. I want to say thank you to all the team in Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart, whose efforts have not waned at any point during a long season. There are accomplishments we can be proud of this season, such as our consistently strong pit stops, and we know that we need to put everything together next year. Finally, I would like to highlight the excellent support we have enjoyed from all our partners in 2011. Formula One is a true team sport, and they have played an integral role in helping us build towards a more successful future.”

Norbert Haug

“It was certainly not a perfect end to our season and not the results we had wanted to achieve at this final race in Brazil. We need to investigate why Nico’s speed over the major part of the race, suffering from a less than optimal car balance, was quite different to Michael’s, who had an unfortunate coming-together during his second passing move of the race. This cost him dearly as he had to do a whole lap with a punctured left-rear tyre, but his pace afterwards did not look bad at all. I would like to take the opportunity at this season’s final race to say thank you to all our team members in Brackley, Brixworth, Stuttgart and Fellbach for their dedicated work and relentless efforts. Also, I would like to thank all the partners and families of our team members – without their fantastic support, our colleagues could not get their demanding jobs done. There will be a short and well-deserved break for most of our team around Christmas before attacking next year with a better technical package, and the clear target of closing the gap to the top of the field.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher began today’s race in seventh and eight position and by the end of today’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the drivers made up one place on their grid positions to finish in sixth and seventh places.  The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a 55-lap race held at the Yas Marina Circuit, was won by McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton, followed by Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and distantly by McLaren’s Jenson Button.

• After an entertaining battle between the pair on the first lap, Nico emerged ahead in P6 by the start of lap two
• Nico and Michael both followed a two-stop option/option/prime tyre strategy today
• Nico stopped on laps 17 and 48, with Michael coming into the pits on laps 16 and 42

Nico Rosberg

“It was an interesting race for me today. The start didn’t work out very well as I tried to overtake Felipe but suddenly there was no space left. Michael was able to overtake me, and we had a fun battle before I took the place back. From then, I was able to handle my tyre situation very well. I stayed out a bit longer before the second stop as there was some grip left, and it was better to stay out with the softer tyres. With the prime tyres, I had some understeer which made it impossible to overtake Felipe towards the end. Thanks to my engineering team who did a brilliant job here and I was quite happy with my car all weekend. Our pit stop guys were also great again, and that’s why we achieved a good result today. It makes me look forward to Brazil and hopefully we can achieve another good result there.”

Michael Schumacher

“A reasonable race today and some reasonable points I would say. Considering that we did not manage to find the perfect balance yesterday, we managed to get the maximum out of our situation today. But then, I did lose some small parts of the car which cost us some balance, and towards the end I had a slow puncture, which is why I had to park my car at turn two. The tyres gave up rather early in the first stint but that was due to our tyre strategy yesterday when we wanted to save a fresh set for the race. I therefore had quite used tyres for the start. We now have to look into the data and make sure we are well prepared for the last race of the season which we want to finish as well as possible.”

Ross Brawn

“A very lively first lap between our drivers today which was highly entertaining. We’ve often said that they are free to race as long as they keep it sensible, and it was good to see today. Nico had the stronger pace this evening, and his lap times during the race were quite encouraging. Our performance today reminds us of the little bit that we have to close down to become truly competitive, but it is within reach. Both Nico and Michael drove extremely well, and with good pit stops and a sound strategy, we achieved possibly the best results that we can at the moment.”

Norbert Haug

“Sixth and seventh places for Nico and Michael are the best possible results with our current technical package, and our team has now finished in the top six rankings for the fifth time in the last seven races. These positions are certainly not our ultimate target but during the building-up time of our team, it is nevertheless positive to get the best possible results. A big thank you to the organisers of the spectacular race here in Abu Dhabi which creates a great atmosphere and fantastic television images. In this ‘home’ race for our team, we have achieved the results that we are currently capable of, and we want to come back next year with a quicker car and a better performance for our partner and co-owner Aabar. Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton and McLaren Mercedes for their victory today, which is the 71st Grand Prix win for McLaren Mercedes since 1997. Compliments also to everybody at Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines for having six Mercedes-powered cars between P1 and P9 today.”

The second to last race of the 2011 Formula One World Championship takes place in Abu Dhabi and is the home race for Aabar, shareholder and partner of the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team. Round 18 will be hosted at the impressive 5.554 km (3.45 mile) Yas Marina Circuit and is the season’s only twilight event, with the race starting at 5:00 pm GST (8:00 am EST) on Sunday, November 13, 2011.

• The Yas Marina Circuit features six corners below 100 kph – only Monaco, Singapore and Valencia have more.

• The circuit also features four straights where the cars exceed 285 kph – the same number as in Monza.

• With an estimated 3740 gear changes, the race features some 20 per cent more than the season average.

Michael Schumacher

“The season’s ending is coming up with some quite spectacular races; after the debut in India last weekend, we are now heading to the equally impressive Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi next week. The twilight race here certainly delivers a very unique atmosphere and challenge, and I truly enjoyed driving in those conditions last year when I was doing so for the first time. I hope that we can carry on our good team performance next weekend, at the home race for Aabar, and I look forward to scoring more points.”

Nico Rosberg

“The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi is another great Hermann Tilke-designed track which I like very much. It’s a fantastic setting with the track winding around the harbour and the hotel, and there is always a great atmosphere there with so many fans. I have good memories from last year’s race and racing later in the day makes an interesting change to the usual race weekend format. I felt very comfortable in my car over the Indian Grand Prix weekend, and I’m planning to build on the result there in Abu Dhabi. I hope that we can get closer to the fastest teams for the last couple of races this season, and we are pushing very hard to achieve that.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal

“As well as being the penultimate race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the final ‘home’ race of the year for the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team. Our shareholder and partner Aabar Investments is based in Abu Dhabi, so it will be a busy and exciting race weekend for us, with special events taking place at the race track and in the city. The Yas Marina Circuit is without doubt one of the most visually impressive Formula One facilities to have been built in recent years. The race has very quickly established itself as a wonderful, sell-out weekend, loved by drivers, teams, fans and guests alike. We are looking forward to our visit, and of course the added challenge of the later start and ‘twilight’ race. On the back of a two-car points finish, and a very good team performance, at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, we will be working towards a similar result in Abu Dhabi. It would be a very great pleasure to achieve this at Aabar’s home race.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“After a very successful premiere in India, Formula One’s third visit to Abu Dhabi will highlight another of our sport’s proudest success stories of recent years. The facilities and welcome at the Yas Marina Circuit are second-to-none and embody the commitment to excellence that defines the country’s relationship with our sport. The circuit features relatively few high-speed corners, so mechanical grip and traction are at a premium, while the powertrain is also highly stressed: the percentage of the lap spent at wide open throttle, as well as the total number of gearshifts in the race, are both well above the season average. Our target in Abu Dhabi is to build upon our recent form, which has seen at least one of our drivers finish among the top six in four of the last six races. This is the maximum we can currently achieve, given that the six cars of the three top teams are generally producing better lap times than our current technical package. Like Germany, Great Britain and Malaysia, Abu Dhabi is one of our ‘home’ Grands Prix, where we will recognise the exemplary support and commitment of our partner and shareholder Aabar and mark an important milestone in our racing year.”

Today’s Fomula 1 race marked the first ever Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit and it saw strong performances from MERCEDES GP PETRONAS drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg.  The race ended with Schumacher and Rosberg finishing in fifth and sixth places respectively with the winner of the F1 race being Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel followed by McLaren’s Jenson Button, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Mark Webber.

• Michael made up three places at the start, and followed a prime/prime/option strategy, stopping on laps 18 and 50

• Nico also stopped twice on laps 17 and 45 with the same prime/prime/option tyre choice

• Staying out five laps longer for his second stop enabled Michael to open enough of a gap to pass Nico for P5

Michael Schumacher

“I am obviously happy about the race today. We achieved the maximum that we could hope for, and as a team we maximised our potential. Fifth and sixth places are a great result for us. On top of that, my car was very nicely sorted for the race and very stable. At the start, everything worked out according to my strategy as I deliberately didn’t want to use KERS in the first two corners and save it for the long straight where I knew that I could make up some positions. In the second stint, I managed to maintain my tyres so I could stay out longer and that was enough for fifth place. What’s really important at the moment is that we keep pushing and trying to improve, and that is what we achieved today. To the organisers of the first Indian Grand Prix, I would like to send a big compliment; I’m sure that I am not the only one to say that this was a very positive debut.”

Nico Rosberg

“We can be happy with a good team result and that’s what the boys in the garage deserved. I’m also pleased to have gained one place on my grid position. However my strategy was not perfect today and I lost some time in the second pit stop which meant that I wasn’t able stay ahead of Michael. I had good pace at the end of the race and pushed very hard but it was impossible to catch him over the last laps. I’m confident that we can repeat this good result in the last two races. All in all, it has been a good Indian Grand Prix debut for us and I hope all the fans enjoyed the race. I’m looking forward to coming back next year.”

Ross Brawn

“A very solid race from the drivers and team today, and we are very pleased to have achieved fifth and sixth places. Michael, Nico and the engineers did an excellent job to focus on getting the car right for the race, and making the best use of the tyres. We certainly got everything that we could out of our current car this weekend. It was an exciting race from our two drivers with Michael coming out on top this time, however you could see just how closely matched they are during the race. Nico’s second set of tyres faded a little bit more on him whilst Michael was able to stay out longer which was enough to take fifth place. It was a very good result for the team today and I’m extremely pleased with how we have worked this weekend.”

Norbert Haug

“A strong result today for our team considering the possibilities that our technical package currently has. It is satisfying for everybody to extract the maximum and to achieve the best possible result. Our lap times looked consistent throughout the race which shows that we handled the tyres well and found a set-up which suited the track. Of course, our drivers did a very good job today. To come home in fifth place after starting in 11th is certainly satisfying for Michael. His start, when he gained three places, and his second long and consistent stint were decisive for him to get in front of Nico. He also did a good job today with both our drivers doing similar lap times throughout the race which shows that they achieved what was possible. This inaugural Indian Grand Prix was a remarkable event. This is a fantastic and challenging race track, and saw packed grandstands and great enthusiasm from the fans. Formula One could not have wished for more during the first race in a new country. So a big thank you to the organisers, the Jaypee Group, and to Bernie Ecclestone and FOM, who have worked very hard to make this new event happen. We now are looking forward to the next Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, the home of our co-owners and partners Aabar, where we hopefully can achieve a similar result. Fifth and sixth places are not what we are ultimately striving for but it is satisfying to get the best possible results and we can build on that in order to make a good step next year.”