Mercedes AMG C-Class Driver Jamie Green Wins at Hockenheim

Jamie Green, driver of the AMG Mercedes C-Class, won the 2011 DTM season finale by 7.6 seconds over Martin Tomczyk of Audi

Jamie Green, driver of the AMG Mercedes C-Class, won the 2011 DTM season finale at Hockenheim by 7.6 seconds from Martin Tomczyk (Audi) after starting from second place on the grid. It was Green’s seventh DTM victory and his second at Hockenheim. This was the 17th podium for the British driver, his sixth in a DTM race at Hockenheim and podium number 480 for a DTM driver at this track.

It was the fifth consecutive victory Mercedes-Benz at their home race in Hockenheim. Since 1988, Mercedes-Benz has won a total of 31 out of 64 DTM races at the Hockenheimring. In the ‘new DTM’ since 2000, a Mercedes driver has won nearly three-quarters of all races at the circuit (19 victories in 26 races).

The season finale was the last race for the AMG Mercedes C-Class, the most successful vehicle in DTM history (85 wins in 159 races). Since 1988, more than half (51%) of the 165 Mercedes-Benz wins have been secured with the C-Class.

To make a direct comparison with Audi, from 202 races, Mercedes-Benz has won 109 times and Audi 62.

Jamie Green set the fastest race lap in Hockenheim – 1:34.114 – for the fifth time at this track. In all, since 1988, Mercedes-Benz drivers have set the fastest lap in 35 of 64 DTM races at Hockenheim. Since the revival of the DTM in 2000, a Mercedes-Benz has set the fastest race lap in 76% of all races (20 of 26 races).

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished his 80th DTM

race in fifth position after starting from seventh on the grid. Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) came home ninth. Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished 11th and 12th. Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class), Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) and David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) crossed the line in 14th, 15th and 17th positions respectively. Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) was forced to retire from the race.

A total of 120,000 spectators attended the DTM finale (Fri, Sat, Sun) in Hockenheim.

Race summary

The start: Jamie Green overtakes pole-sitter Miguel Molina (Audi) at the start of the race and goes into the lead. Gary Paffett moves up one position to sixth place.

Lap 4: Green extends his lead on Martin Tomczyk (Audi) to more than two seconds.

Lap 10: The pit stop window is now open. Paffett is the first C-Class driver to pit. David Coulthard and Christian Vietoris also come in.

Lap 11: Bruno Spengler and Renger van der Zande complete their first mandatory pit stop. Vietoris retires.

Lap 12: Ralf Schumacher and Susie Wolff pit for the first time.

Lap 13: Green comes in for his first stop with a five-second lead.

Lap 18: Second mandatory pit stop for Paffett.

Lap 19: Schumacher and Wolff come in for the second time.

Lap 20: Green has a six-second lead after the first round of pit stops. Van der Zande comes in for the second time.

Lap 21: Coulthard pits for the second time.

Lap 22 : Final mandatory pit stop for Engel.

Lap 24: Spengler pits lying in sixth position.

Lap 26: Green comes in for his final pit stop in the lead.

Lap 29: The pit stop window has now closed. Green leads by 8.6 seconds.

Final lap (Lap 38): Jamie Green wins the 2011 DTM season finale at Hockenheim after 38 laps and a total race distance of 173.812 km. Gary Paffett climbs two positions from seventh place on the grid to finish P5.

Comments after the race:

Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Winner:

“I feel very proud to have won this race which is also the final outing for the AMG Mercedes C-Class, the most successful car in DTM history. My car was perfect and I’m so pleased to have won here at Hockenheim for the second time. Now I can start the winter break on a high as a race winner this year. Many thanks to my team for all their work today and throughout the season. I’m looking forward to the new DTM era which starts in 2012. I’m sure it will be just as exciting as the old one, if not more so…!”

Gary Paffett (AMG Mercedes C THOMAS SABO-Class) – Fifth:

“That was a good race – I started from seventh place, and moved up two positions to fifth. My C-Class ran really well and I would like to have got past Mike Rockenfeller, but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be. Nevertheless, it was a good finish to a difficult season. I’m already looking forward to 2012.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) – Ninth:

“Unfortunately, my bid to end the season as runner-up in the championship didn’t quite come off, but all the same, I take satisfaction from having won two races and having started from pole position in four. That’s much more important than finishing second in the standings. So all in all, this has been a good year for us. The team worked really hard and, right up to the final lap, we gave it everything. I was faster than Oliver Jarvis and Timo Scheider today, but they proved too difficult to overtake.”

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Eleventh:

“Congratulations to Jamie on his victory in our home round of the championship – he drove a great race. Unfortunately, I couldn’t manage a points finish today because I started from too far back on the grid. I’m satisfied with the way my season has gone, and from now on, I’ll be focusing all my attention on developing and testing the new DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé that we’ll be driving in 2012. You can be sure that we’ll be back on the attack then.” Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Twelfth:

“Twelfth place is a decent result for me. I was running really well today and was able to keep up with Ralf. The atmosphere in the stands was terrific – especially in the Motodrom and at the Mercedes grandstand. Overall, I’m pleased with my first DTM season, particularly since my form improved significantly towards the end of season.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 14th:

“I had obviously been hoping for better than P14 in the last race of the season, but I was boxed in by a lot of other cars on the first couple of laps, which cost me several positions. That was just bad luck. I’m very pleased for Jamie. It’s nice to have given the C-Class a fitting send-off in its last race.”

Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 15th:

“I had, of course, hoped to do better than 15th place in my first race as Susie Wolff, but it was tough to move up the field more than a couple of places from P17 on the grid. Like all the team, I’m pleased for Jamie and his victory – the 85th for the C-Class – I love this car!”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 17th:

“This was an unlucky race for me – my first pit stop wasn’t brilliant, unfortunately. After that my race was more or less over, since I had no chance to move up the field. I would of course have wished for a better result for the end of the season.”

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) – retired:

“Unfortunately, this wasn’t the end to the season that I had hoped for. My pit stop didn’t go as intended: the right front wheel wasn’t on properly, which can happen. Up until that point, I had been very satisfied with the way the race was going. I was the best driver of an old-model Mercedes-Benz and had good pace. Too bad that I didn’t finish the final race of the season.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“That was the final race to be contested under the current DTM regulations, and for Jamie Green to have won it in such a convincing manner today is a tremendous achievement. Well done to everyone who played their part in making it happen. This is a victory that will go down in the record books and Jamie showed his true calibre today. With our C-Class, we have now won 85 out of 159 races – more than half, in fact – which makes this car the most successful and victorious in DTM history. Since the DTM was revived in 2000, Mercedes-Benz has won 19 races out of 26 at Hockenheim – a fabulous win rate for our home race. Next year, the DTM will welcome a third competitor, BMW, and that affirms the good work done over the last six years by Audi, Mercedes-Benz, the ITR, the DMSB and all our sponsors and TV partners, who always believed in the success of this remarkable championship. At the end of an era, thank you to everybody who has made the third generation of the DTM possible from the start of 2012.”

New ‘Fintail’ from Mercedes-Benz Classic to Compete at the Nürburgring

A Mercedes Fintail will compete in the season final of the long-distance cup on October 22-23 at the Nürburgring

A ‘Fintail’ based on the Mercedes-Benz 220 SE model (W 111 series) will compete in the season final of the long-distance cup organised by Fahrergemeinschaft Historischer Rennsport e.V. (FHR) on 22 and 23 October 2011 at the Nürburgring. Its participation in this race reflects the commitment of Mercedes-Benz Classic to upholding the traditions of the brand, which itself has a remarkable history in motor racing, and encouraging private drivers to take part in historical motorsport events. Mercedes-Benz Classic is a partner of the FHR race series. The ‘Fintail’ will be driven by British journalist Andrew Frankel and former touring car driver Klaus Ludwig. The vehicle has been built by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in accordance with the regulations laid down in Appendix K of the international sports regulations of the FIA (Féderation Internationale de l’Automobile).

Founded in 1983, the FHR has been promoting historical motor racing for almost 30 years and has made a significant contribution to boosting the popularity of the current race series with historical competition cars. The FHR, which has been under the auspices of ADAC Nordrhein since 2000, currently has around 600 active members.

Events taking place during the 2011 season include the ‘FHR HTGT for the Dunlop Trophy’ held as a series of sprint races for pre-1971 GT and touring cars, and the ‘Dunlop FHR Long Distance Cup’, a series of long-distance races for pre-1971 GT vehicles and touring cars built before 1976. In addition, there will be two series for formula vehicles.

Through its involvement in this fascinating sport, Mercedes-Benz is not only demonstrating its commitment to the active historical motorsport scene, but is also paying tribute to an exciting chapter in its own history. When the era of Mercedes victories in Formula One World Championships and racing cars ended in 1955, Mercedes-Benz enjoyed great success for a number of years in international long-distance races and rallies. This period was characterised in particular in the early 1960s by the ”Fintail’ saloons with six-cylinder engines (220 SE and 300 SE models), which also served as a model for the new Mercedes-Benz 220 SE.

Typically, there was not much difference technically between competition cars and production models in the 1960s. The usual modifications included reinforcement of chassis elements and body components, a bigger fuel tank and adjustment of the engine characteristics to suit the specific purpose.

The principle of designing a powerful competition car that is closely based on stock technology is one that Mercedes-Benz Classic followed closely when building the 220 SE for the FHR Long Distance Cup. The modifications made to the production vehicle by the specialists at the Classic Center included equipping the interior with a safety cage with a safety quick-release lock for side impact protection elements such as cross door bars and protective side moulding (Fix Opening and Closure Security System, or FO-CS for short). In addition, the tail fin has been fitted with a fire extinguishing system and a 100-litre FT3 safety tank. In future, the car will also boast 5.5 x 15 wheels fitted with 6 x 15 tyres. Naturally, the W 111 also features the same classic light grey paint finish (shade DB 140) as used on vehicles between 1961 and 1964.


Mercedes-Benz 220 SE vehicle data

  • Engine: six-cylinder (in-line)
  • Bore x stroke: 80 x 72.8 mm
  • Cubic capacity: 2195 cc
  • Output: 120 bhp (88 kW) at 4800 rpm
  • Maximum torque: 19.3 mkg (189 Nm) at 3900 rpm
  • Front axle: double wishbone, coil springs, anti-roll bar, telescopic shock absorbers
  • Power transmission: via propshaft on rear axle
  • Rear axle: single-joint swing axle with compensating spring, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers
  • Brakes: hydraulic braking system with brake booster
  • Front brakes: disk brakes, diameter: 253 mm
  • Rear brakes: Duplex drum brakes with turbo-cooled Alfin drums, diameter:
  • 230 mm
  • Transmission: 4-speed manual transmission with floor shift
  • Clutch: single-plate dry clutch
  • Top speed: approx. 170 km/h

DTM Driver Gary Paffett Takes Top Mercedes Finish and Fourth Overall at Oschersleben

Bruno Spengler – in second place and on course to take the championship lead fails to finish race at at Oschersleben

Gary Paffett, driver of the THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class, placed the highest among all Mercedes-Benz drivers during the eighth race of the season at Oschersleben. Following technical problems in qualifying, the British driver started 18th on the grid, moving up 14 places during the race to finish in fourth place overall.

Christian Vietoris, Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class driver, took fifth place, scoring four points for the first time in his DTM career. After being moved back to 17th on the grid, he improved by twelve places to finish fifth.

Driver of the GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class, Maro Engel, finished seventh, and so was also in the points. David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished tenth and eleventh respectively.

Bruno Spengler, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class driver, retired on lap 43 with a technical problem. Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) also failed to finish his 40th DTM race. Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) were forced to retire during the race’s early stages.

Across the race weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), a total of 65,000 spectators visited the Oschersleben circuit to watch the DTM race.

Race summary

The start: Rain began to fall about an hour before the start of the race, so drivers posted two parade laps in order to adjust to the wet track conditions. The race distance has been shortened by one lap to 49 laps. Bruno Spengler moves into the lead from second place on the grid. Ralf Schumacher goes up three positions into P4.

Lap 3: Susie Stoddart retires after a spin.

Lap 4: Spengler leads the field. Schumacher in fourth place. Jamie Green, Renger van der Zande and Christian Vietoris currently in positions seven to nine.

Lap 5: Renger van der Zande forced to retire after an exit onto the grass as a result of a collision.

Lap 7: Mattias Ekström (Audi) overtakes Spengler and is in the lead.

Lap 10: Schumacher retires after a spin and a collision with Filipe Albuquerque (Audi).

Lap 12: The pit stop window is now open. Gary Paffett is the first C-Class driver to make a mandatory pit stop.

Lap 17: Jamie Green and Christian Vietoris come in for their first pit stop at the same time.

Lap 22: Gary Paffett moves up one position into eighth place. Vietoris, Paffett and Green in places seven to nine.

Lap 23: Green pits for his second mandatory pit stop.

Lap 26: First pit stop for Maro Engel.

Lap 27: Spengler pits for the first time and reemerges in P2.

Lap 30: Spengler pits for second time.

Lap 36: Gary Paffett comes in for his second mandatory pit stop and reemerges in fourth place.

Lap 43: Spengler retires due to a technical problem.

Final lap: After 45 laps and a total distance of 166.320 km, Gary Paffett is the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver in fourth position at the eighth race of the season in Oschersleben. The race was ended after the maximum duration of 70 minutes, because of the heavy rain. Christian Vietoris was fifth, securing his first DTM points. Maro Engel in P7 also finishes in the points.

Comments after the race:

Gary Paffett (AMG Mercedes C THOMAS SABO-Class) – fourth:

“I’m very satisfied with fourth place considering that I started from 18th position. Before the race, I hadn’t expected to be the best-placed C-Class driver. The conditions were very difficult, just like at Brands Hatch, and the race was very chaotic at times, which helped me to make good so many places. The car’s performance was also excellent. If I hadn’t spun on the first turn, I could possibly have come home before Martin Tomczyk. I’m very sorry for Bruno and his DNF, but all is not lost – the title race is not yet decided.”

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) – fifth:

“I’ve finally achieved my first points in the DTM. My team did a super job – they were faultless. We’ve had the speed plenty of times before, but today we were able to convert that into points. The rain suited me, because I like driving in challenging conditions. Now I’m hoping to rack up some more points in the last couple of races.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) – seventh:

“More would definitely have been possible than a seventh place. Oliver Jarvis gave Jamie a shove, which then made him drive into me. That caused me to spin – but for that I would certainly have finished further up the field. The car worked very well. The team have done a good job today, and our strategy was the right one.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 10th:

“It was an action-packed race here today, and the weather conditions were far from easy. One minute, I was making good progress up the field, then I dropped back again – in the end tenth place is a reasonable result.”

Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 11th:

“The first lap was very eventful – four cars spun in front of me. Oliver Jarvis forced me over to the outside, causing me to hit Maro. My C-Class was damaged slightly and I no longer had the speed to keep up with the race leaders. An error on the first turn cost me more time, but unfortunately, I simply wasn’t fast enough.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) – retired:

“It was just bad luck – nothing you can do. Unfortunately, something suddenly went wrong with the front of the car, and then it wasn’t as drivable as at the start. We don’t yet know exactly what the problem was. I tried to keep going, because there still might have been a chance of securing some points, but I had to retire. It’s unfortunate, but it’s not the end of the world. There are still two races to go and we’re certainly not about to give up. There’s still plenty to fight for.”

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) – retired:

“Conditions were very difficult. We had a problem with the rear axle, but at the same time, we had to drive on the limit in order not to drop too far back and lose connection with the rest of the field. The rear wheels locked up going into the first turn. That shouldn’t really happen, but sometimes does in these circumstances – too bad. Martin Tomczyk was generally a bit faster than me, but under normal circumstances wouldn’t have got past me. I don’t actually know what went on in the collision with Filipe Albuquerque. He made contact with my rear off-side, but I didn’t really notice, because I was focused on what was happening in front of me.”

Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) – retired:

“I’m very disappointed, because there was a real chance of some points today. I had a very good start and was lying seventh. Conditions were tricky, but the car felt good. After contact with another driver, I slid off onto the grass and crashed into the wall.”

Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) – retired:

“Sadly, my race was over far too soon. In the difficult conditions I misbraked, skidding off into the gravel. Overall, driving today wasn’t all that easy. Now I’m just looking forward to the next race.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“Bruno was on course to secure the championship lead when he was lying second. Had he finished in that position, he would’ve gone into the lead at the top of the table. But a problem with the front end of the car – which we still have to investigate – prevented him. We now have to make good a nine-point deficit in Valencia und Hockenheim.”

Mercedes-Benz Classic On Display at the Goodwood Revival 2011

Mercedes-Benz Classic celebrates 100 years since the birth of Juan Manuel Fangio at the Goodwood Revival

No other brand dominated the golden age of classic grand-prix racing in the mid-20th century in the same way as the Silver Arrows from Mercedes-Benz. Juan Manuel Fangio was the driver who best embodied the racing outfit’s strength after the Second World War. The Goodwood Revival 2011, near Chichester/West Sussex, in September will be reliving this heyday as it marks the centenary of Fangio’s birth.

The prestigious British festival, held over three days every autumn (September 16-18, 2011), recreates an epoch that stretched from the 1940s to the 1960s. It offers an exclusive, atmospheric setting for Mercedes-Benz Classic’s tribute to Juan Manuel Fangio (born June 24, 1911, died July 17, 1995), who would have turned 100 this year.

The highlights of the Revival will include demonstration laps by famous racing drivers in the Mercedes-Benz vehicles with which Fangio wrote motor sport history in the 1954 and 1955 seasons. Besides notching up major success in various sports car races, the Argentine became Formula 1 world champion in both those years.

Mercedes-Benz Classic has put together an illustrious field of drivers and vehicles for the event. Among the drivers taking to the classic track, where races were held between 1948 and 1966, will be Juan Manuel Fangio II. The nephew of the legendary world champion will be driving the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R, a Formula 1 racing car with a streamlined body from 1954.

Sir Stirling Moss and Hans Herrmann, team mates of Fangio during the Silver Arrows’ post-war era, will also be remembering the five-time Formula 1 champion, two times on Mercedes-Benz. At the Revival, Moss will take the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S) racing car from 1955. It was in this vehicle that Fangio won the Eifelrennen and the Swedish Grand Prix in 1955 as well as achieving second place in the Mille Miglia (without a co-driver) and in the Tourist Trophy and Targa Florio (both with Karl Kling). Stirling Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia together with co-driver Denis Jenkinson also in a W 196 S, in a minimum time unbeaten until today.

Herrmann will be driving a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R with open wheels. In 1954 and 1955, Fangio raced to nine victories in both versions of the W 196 R (including the Grand Prix of Buenos Aires with a three-litre engine), came second twice and took one third place, enabling him to win the world championship in both years.

The Goodwood Revival is the ideal occasion for Mercedes-Benz Classic to commemorate the charismatic driver Fangio. Charles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara, has been hosting the Goodwood Revival since 1998 – as ‘A time capsule of the golden era of motor racing’. According to British racing legend Sir Stirling Moss: ‘The Revival is an event which is unique in the world.’

The Revival naturally centres on the races, such as the celebrity races featuring well-known racing drivers from various classes of motor sport who will be driving various two- and four-wheeled vehicles. This category is made up of the St Mary’s Trophy, the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration and the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy. The sports car races consist of the Whitsun Trophy, the Fordwater Trophy, the Madgwick Cup, the Freddie March Memorial Trophy and the Sussex Trophy. Classic single seaters will line up for the Goodwood Trophy, the Earl of March Trophy, the Chichester Cup, the Richmond Trophy and the Glover Trophy.

An extensive, wide-ranging programme of accompanying events enables visitors to imagine themselves in the 1940s to 1960s. These include classic car auctions and exhibitions, an air show, a supermarket selling products harking back to decades long gone plus a traditional fairground. Race participants and most of the visitors to the Revival dress in period clothing, contributing to the extraordinary atmosphere of the weekend.

Goodwood Revival 2011: Driver Portrayals

Juan Manuel Fangio

  • born: 24 June 1911
  • died: 17 July 1995

Juan Manuel Fangio was the most important Mercedes-Benz racing driver in 1954 and 1955. Born in 1911 in Balcarce, the Argentinian’s initial experience of long-distance racing was in his home country and it was not until 1951 that he first sat at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz grand prix racing car. Yet his success was not confined to Formula 1 (world champion in 1951 and from 1954 to 1957 in succession), for Fangio also helped Mercedes-Benz to win the 1955 World Sportscar Championship, in which, driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, he finished second in the 1955 Mille Miglia behind his team colleague Stirling Moss. The exceptional thing about it was that Fangio drove the 1000 miles without a co-driver. Having ended his racing career, he became president of Mercedes-Benz Argentina S.A. He died in 1995 in Buenos Aires.

Juan Manuel Fangio II

  • born: 19 September 1956

Juan Manuel Fangio II bears a famous name. The nephew of five- time Formula 1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday in 2011, he inherited his uncle’s passion for motor sports. Fangio II grew up in close contact with several world-famous motor sports legends. Unlike his uncle, Fangio II spent the majority of his active racing career in North America. His successes included two wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring and victory in the IMSA GT Championship in 1992 and 1993, in the course of which he also set the record of 19 individual victories and won two manufacturers’ titles. In addition, Fangio raced in Formula 3000, the CART Championship and the American Le Mans Series. Juan Manuel Fangio II, whose career as a professional racing driver spanned the years from 1985 to 1997, lives in Balcarce (Argentina), the birthplace of his uncle. In 2011, he drove the Mille Miglia for Mercedes-Benz Classic, in team with Mika Häkkinen and in a type 300 SLR (W 196 S) in which his uncle in 1955 came on second place in that road race.

Hans Herrmann

  • born: 23 February 1928 in Stuttgart

After his motor sport debut, Mercedes-Benz racing manager Alfred Neubauer brought 25-year-old Hans Herrmann to the works team of Daimler-Benz AG at the start of the 1954 season. Herrmann finished in third place in the Swiss Grand Prix on 22 August 1954. Driving three W 196 Streamline racing cars, the Mercedes drivers finished the Avus race in Berlin on 19 September 1954 with a triple victory in the order Karl Kling, Juan Manuel Fangio, Hans Herrmann. During the 1955 racing season, Herrmann started a total of eight sports car races and ten Formula 1 races. In the Monaco Grand Prix he sat in for Kling and suffered serious injuries in an accident. Despite a full recovery he did not race for Mercedes-Benz again because the company withdrew from motor sport in October 1955. This marked the end of Herrmann’s engagement for Mercedes-Benz. In the following years he returned to racing car and sports car competitions. After racing in Formula 2 and Formula 1 he retired from racing in 1970 with a victory in the 24-hour race of Le Mans driving a Porsche. Herrmann continues to start for Mercedes-Benz in events with historical character to the present day.

Sir Stirling Moss

  • born: 17 September 1929 in London/England

His racing colleagues liked to refer to Sir Stirling Moss as an exceptional talent. Motor racing seems to have been something he was born with because motor cars accompanied him from his early childhood days through his parents, motor sport enthusiasts and themselves actively engaged in motor sport. At age 19 he won his first race, a few years later he was already racing in Formula 1. In 1955, he joined the Mercedes-Benz team and competed in all important events. Driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S) he won the Mille Miglia in May 1955 in a fabulous record time of 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, a record no one was ever able to break. He also won the Targa Florio driving the 300 SLR. In July he won the British Grand Prix in Aintree/England, just edging out Juan Manuel Fangio. It was his first Formula 1 victory and it was to remain his only one driving a Silver Arrow because Mercedes-Benz withdrew from motor sport at the end of the season. His string of successes continued in subsequent years, several times missing the world championship title by a hair’s breadth. A severe accident forced him to retire from racing in 1962. He still, however, has a connection with Mercedes-Benz because he repeatedly participates for the brand in classic events. Stirling Moss’s name at the same time stands for a move of the racing industry toward more professionalism: he was the first driver to have his own manager as far back as the early 1950s.

The vehicles from Mercedes-Benz at the Goodwood Revival 2011

  • Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S), 1955

Mercedes-Benz won the sports car world championship with the 300 SLR in 1955. This sports car is essentially a Formula 1 W 196 racing car provided with a two-seater racing car body – but with a three-litre eight-cylinder in-line engine in light alloy instead of the 2.5-litre Formula 1 engine with steel cylinders. Rated at 300 hp (221 kW), the 300 SLR outperformed its rivals, scooping double victories in the Mille Miglia, the Eifel Race, the Swedish Grand Prix and the Targa Florio. In winning the Mille Miglia, Stirling Moss and co-driver Denis Jenkinson clocked up an average speed of 157.65 km/h (97.96 mph) – a feat that remains unsurpassed to this day. A useful aid in this race was the ‘prayer book’ – a new type of itinerary with crucial notes which Jenkinson drew up to guide driver Moss around the course. Juan Manuel Fangio, competing without a co-driver, came in second. In Sweden and in the 24-hour Le Mans race, the 300 SLRs caused a surprise with the so-called air brake – a panel measuring 0.7 square metres in size which the driver could open up over the rear axle to boost the braking effect. In Le Mans, Mercedes-Benz withdrew the 300 SLR following an accident suffered by Belgian driver Pierre Levegh through no fault of his own while he was in the leading position.

  • Mercedes-Benz W 196 R, 1954/1955

The Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Formula 1 racing car built for the 1954 season met all the requirements of the new Grand Prix formula defined by the CSI (Commission Spor tive Inter na ti o na le): displacement 750 cc with or 2500 cc without compressor, any fuel composition, racing distance 300 kilometres but at least three hours. The streamlined version was the first to be produced, as the opening race in Reims permitted very high speeds. A variant with free-standing wheels was subsequently produced. For its second season in 1955, this classic grand prix car was also available with shorter wheelbases: in addition to the 2350 millimetre long car from 1954, there were also variants with a wheelbase of 2150 and 2210 millimetres. The shortest variant was ideal for the narrow, winding circuit through Monaco. The space frame was light and robust, the chassis with torsion bar suspension and a new single-joint swing axle at the rear plus giant turbo-cooled duplex disc brakes which were initially fitted in an inside central position was as accomplished as it was unconventional. The car was powered by an eight-cylinder in-line engine (2496 cc) with direct injection and desmodromic (positive-controlled, without valve springs) valves (1954: 256 hp/188 kW at 8260 rpm, 1955: 290 hp/213 kW at 8500 rpm). The engine unit was mounted in the latticework frame at an incline of 53 degrees to the right, in order to lower the centre of gravity and to reduce the size of the frontal area. The top speed was over 300 km/h (186.42 mph).

Mercedes-Benz DTM: Fourth Place Finish for Gary Paffett

Mercedes AMG DTM driver Bruno Spengler secures important championship points while Garry Paffett is top Mercedes-Benz finisher

Gary Paffett driver of the THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes-Benz C-Class, finished the seventh round of the 2011 DTM series at Brands Hatch, which was also a home race for Paffett, in 4th place after starting from second position. Paffett started and finished the race as the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver.

  • Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) scored points with P5 and P7
  • Eighth-placed Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) secured the final point at his 70th DTM race. Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) also finished in the Top 10
  • David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class), Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class), Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished in positions twelve to fifteen

Race summary

The start: The race begins in wet conditions. Because of the rain, the drivers complete two parade laps and the race distance is reduced by one lap to 97 laps. Gary Paffett finishes lap one in fifth place, while Ralf Schumacher maintains P6. Christian Vietoris moves up one place and is tenth. David Coulthard moved up three places to 13th.

Lap 4: Bruno Spengler overtakes Miguel Molina (Audi) and moves into eighth position. Vietoris also passes Molina to take ninth place.

Lap 10: Coulthard now in P11.

Lap 12: Spengler overtakes Jamie Green and is seventh.

Lap 16: Vietoris moves up into P9.

Lap 24: The pit stop window is now open, and both Green and Coulthard come in to make their first stops.

Lap 26 : Maro Engel makes his first mandatory pit stop.

Lap 32: Vietoris pits for the first time.

Lap 36: Susie Stoddart comes in for her first pit stop and draws up in front of her crew.

Lap 43: Schumacher makes his first pit stop lying in sixth place.

Lap 45: The rain is now falling heavier again. Paffett, currently in P4, comes in to make his first mandatory pit stop, and reemerges ahead of Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) and Schumacher.

Lap 46: Schumacher overtakes Rockenfeller. Green pits for the second time.

Lap 56: Third-placed Spengler comes into the pit lane to make his first mandatory pit stop.

Lap 70: Paffett, Schumacher and Coulthard come in for a second set of fresh tyres.

Lap 71: Spengler comes in for his second and final mandatory pit stop.

Lap 85: Green gets the better of Oliver Jarvis (Audi), moving up into eighth position.

Final lap: After 88 laps and a total distance of 169.752 km, Gary Paffett comes home as the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver in P4 at the seventh race of the season in Brands Hatch. Owing to heavy rain, the race ran to the 70-minute time limit rather than the full planned distance. Ralf Schumacher gained one position from sixth on the grid to finish in fifth place. David Coulthard gains four places in the course of the race to finish twelfth.

Comments after the race:

Gary Paffett (AMG Mercedes C THOMAS SABO-Class) – Fourth:

“Fourth place is obviously not ideal, but given the circumstances, it’s a decent result. I was fastest this morning in warm-up, so it could have gone better for us in the dry, but it was a tough race in the wet. I dropped down a couple of places at the start and after that, couldn’t initially keep up with the pace of the leaders. In the second half of the race we were more competitive, and I kept closing on Edoardo Mortara in third place, but unfortunately in the end it wasn’t enough.”

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Fifth:

“Although the rain made conditions tricky, this was a good race for me – I’m more than satisfied with fifth place. My C-Class was really quick today, and the crew did some excellent work – so a special thanks to them.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) – Seventh:

“Unfortunately the heavy rain really didn’t suit me – starting eighth on the grid, the spray meant I had very poor visibility out on track. That’s why I drove carefully in the beginning to avoid taking any risks, and not make any mistakes. Many thanks to my team for their quick work in the pits, which enabled me to move up a place – that won me two valuable points in the overall standings. I’ll be back on the attack over the next three races, aiming to score as many points as possible.”

Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Eighth:

“I’m of course not too happy with eighth place in the race, in view of starting from fourth position on the grid. It was an eventful race for me – on the first stint I went into the gravel, then I spun: both incidents cost me a lot of time. Still, I fought my way back into the points and I overtook Oliver Jarvis just before the finish for eighth place.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Tenth:

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get away well. Timo Scheider forced me over to the outside of the track in turn one, causing me to drop down the field a few places. My C-Class had plenty of speed after that and I moved up a couple of positions. Unfortunately, my car sustained some damage in a collision with Miguel Molina. It wasn’t easy to drive from that point onwards. My team did a great job and we had a good strategy – but today unfortunately, more just wasn’t possible.” David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Twelfth:

“I moved up four places during the race, but all in all I had a poor day. Racing in the wet is certainly more entertaining for the spectators, but I always prefer dry conditions. It’s a shame, because my C-Class was quick today.”

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 13th:

“Sadly, the race didn’t go according to plan for me – even though I’d hoped for rain. I got off to a decent start from eleventh on the grid and moved up a few places. Unfortunately, I lost some time in a pit stop and then later on I received a drive-through penalty – after that, 13th was the best I could achieve.”

Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 14th:

“The heavy rain meant this wasn’t an easy race for any of the drivers. The conditions were so bad that at times I had problems keeping the car on the track. At least I had an exciting duel with Renger van der Zande, but overall I’m afraid this wasn’t a good weekend for me.”

Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 15th:

“Unfortunately, I just wasn’t quick enough today. Actually, I fancied my chances more in the wet than yesterday in the dry, but unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way. We must now sit down together and analyse the data to find the cause.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“Our performance in the wet today wasn’t as strong as usual, but the points standings are now almost level at the top of the table with just three races to go this season. The battle for the title starts here and Bruno Spengler is in with an excellent chance. Congratulations to Audi on their one-two-three finish.”

DTM Driver Bruno Spengler Finishes Second at Nürburgring

Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class Driver, Bruno Spengler, was the best Mercedes-Benz driver in the sixth race of the season

Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class Driver, Bruno Spengler, was the best Mercedes-Benz driver in the sixth race of the season at the Nürburgring in second place. The Canadian driver extended his lead in the DTM drivers’ standings to 47 points, and leads the table by seven points.

Three AMG Mercedes C-Class drivers finished in the Top Ten: After 49 laps, Spengler’s team-mate Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) came home in sixth place, securing three championship points. Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class) moved up five positions from 13th place on the grid to finish the race in eighth place.

Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) missed the Top Ten by a whisker; the DTM rookie came home in eleventh place. Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class), Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished in P13, 14 and 15. David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) had to make an extra pit stop after a collision, and was 17th at the finish. Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired on the first lap of the race.

Coulthard posted the fastest lap, 1:25.588 minutes, his second in DTM and the 29th for Mercedes-Benz at the circuit in the Eifel. Since 2006, Mercedes-Benz drivers have secured the fastest race lap four times at the Nürburgring.

Across the race weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), a total of 86,500 spectators visited the Nürburgring circuit to watch the DTM race.

Race summary

The start: Bruno Spengler moves up one position to third place. Gary Paffett goes up from P13 to P9. Maro Engel up three places to finish the first lap in 14th place.

Lap 1: Ralf Schumacher retires after a collision.

Lap 5: David Coulthard pits for a new front engine cover after a collision.

Lap 9: Renger van der Zande wins an exciting scrap with fellow Mercedes-Benz driver, Paffett, and moves up into P10.

Lap 12: The pit stop window is now open. Paffett is the first Mercedes-Benz driver to pit. Van der Zande also comes in for fresh tyres.

Lap 13: Jamie Green and Susie Stoddart make their first mandatory pit stop.

Lap 15: Spengler comes into the pits in third place for his first stop. Fresh tyres also for Christian Vietoris.

Lap 20: Four Mercedes-Benz drivers in the Top Ten: Spengler third, Green seventh. Paffett and van der Zande in P9 and 10.

Lap 23: Green is the first driver to make his second and final pit stop of the race.

Lap 25: Van der Zande pits for a second time for fresh tyres. Coulthard also comes into the pit lane.

Lap 27: Vietoris pits for a second time and then overtakes Rahel Frey (Audi).

Lap 28: Gary Paffett and Stoddart pit for fresh tyres. Coulthard posts the fastest race lap so far.

Lap 30: Third-placed Spengler comes into the pit lane for the second time, and subsequently maintains his position in the race.

Lap 35: Coulthard makes his final mandatory pit stop.

Lap 39: Spengler reels in Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) in the fight for second place. The Mercedes-Benz driver is just 0.3 seconds down on Rockenfeller.

Lap 47: Rockenfeller misjudges his braking in the Mercedes Arena und Spengler sails past to secure second place two laps before the finish.

Finish (Lap 49): After 49 laps and a total distance of 177.821 km, Spengler is best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver, securing a podium place in P2. Green comes home in P6, Paffett in P8.

Comments after the race:

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) – Second:

“I’m happy with my second place. I overtook Mike Rockenfeller just two laps before the finish. My C-Class was very fast today, but I couldn’t use all the speed, as I couldn’t find a way past Mike for quite a time. Many thanks to the team for a great, consistent car.”

Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Sixth:

“I had intended to be challenging for victory today. I started the race from second on the grid but lost a couple of positions straightaway. Then, a less than perfect pit stop cost me additional time. It was a bit frustrating because I got stuck in heavy traffic for quite a while, which meant I wasn’t able to use the excellent pace of my C-Class to best advantage.”

Gary Paffett (AMG Mercedes C THOMAS SABO-Class) – Eighth:

“Considering I started from 13th on the grid, a P8 finish is quite an achievement. I made good five positions today – the field was so tightly bunched, that there was scope to have done even better. I really enjoyed the race. My C-Class was fast and I made good progress through the field.”

Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Eleventh:

“Unfortunately, I just missed out on the Top Ten. That’s annoying, because I know I could have done better today – my car had excellent pace. The target for this race was to get into a points position, but on the first couple of laps, I got into a few scrapes with other cars and sustained damage to my C-Class. Anyway, I’ll be pushing hard again in the next race and trying to score points.”

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 13th:

“Unfortunately, I was forced into a spin during the jockeying for position at the start and was placed last after the first round, so we had to change strategy a bit and adapt to conditions. I was nevertheless able to pass a few cars in the remaining part of the race and was very satisfied with lap times in my C-Class.”

Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 14th:

“That wasn’t an easy race for me. I got into a lot of scraps and made many attempts at overtaking on the first few laps. Oliver Jarvis collided with my C-Class just as he was exiting the pit lane. My car was damaged and proved difficult to drive afterwards, which probably prevented me from finishing higher up the field.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 15th:

“Of course, I’m not at all satisfied with 15th place. I hope that in future races, I can once again show the speed of my C-Class. The incident with Christian Vietoris was unfortunate – I think I just got a little too close to him.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 17th:

“I’d like to thank my team for delivering such a powerful C-Class for me to drive today. Sadly, I had an unfortunate collision right at the start of the race and then lost a lot of time on an unscheduled pit stop. From last in the field, it was difficult to make progress and get into a points-scoring position. I hope that things go better for me next time.”

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) – retired:

“It’s a pity that I had to retire early. I had a scrap with David, each of us seeing an opportunity. I braked a bit too late perhaps and made contact with him. It was a fair fight; we both wanted to maintain position. As fellow Mercedes drivers, we did everything we could, though, and gave no quarter, but it’s no big deal, in a close-run race, these things happen.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“The race result was decided by the grid positions from qualifying when the weather conditions kept changing. Bruno Spengler got the worst of it yesterday, but the main thing is finishing second in the race has increased his championship lead by a further four points. So from that aspect, he can claim to be one of the winners on the day.”

Black Falcon Team Finishes 24-hour Race in Spa-Francorchamps on the Podium

Black Falcon was the best of the Mercedes-AMG customer teams with the SLS AMG GT3 in the 24h race at Spa-Francorchamps

The Black Falcon was the best of the four Mercedes-AMG customer teams with the near-production SLS AMG GT3 in the 24h race at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium. After a full 24 hours, Kenneth Heyer/Thomas Jäger/Stéphane Lémeret finished third, a mere 10 laps behind the winners. After a total race distance of 545 laps and 2,371 miles, this is a gap of only 43 miles. British twins David and Godfrey Jones, both 58 years old, also underlined the excellent performance of the gullwing car, improving by 19 positions against strong competition and coming home seventh together with their “junior” partner Mike Jordan, 53.

After the 24h race over the legendary Nürburgring five weeks ago, this was another highlight of the Mercedes-AMG customer sports program. Seven gullwing cars based on the production Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG which had all been entered by private teams had started the race twice around the clock on Saturday at 4:00 pm. Graff Racing with Phillippe Haezebrouck/Massimo Vignali/Mike Parisy/Gilles Vennelet were the fastest qualifiers with the gullwing car in ninth place.

The podium finish of the Black Falcon car with starting number 35 was also a nice anniversary of the first success of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG. 40 years ago, Kenneth’s father Hans surprisingly drove that touring car to a class victory and second place overall in the 24h race at Spa which was the car’s first outing. The Black Falcon SLS AMG GT3 was coloured in the same red and had the same starting number.

Thomas Jäger: “We are very happy about our podium finish today after such a demanding race. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is not only one of the most beautiful, but also one of the most challenging circuits in the world. After a few incidents in the beginning, we drove a consistent race. Performance and reliability of the SLS AMG GT3 were the keys to today’s success. This is good also for the other three gullwing cars which saw the flag – they all improved significantly from the respective grid positions.” – In the course of the best possible support of Mercedes-AMG for their customer teams, test driver Thomas Jäger is racing alternately for the teams.

The results of the Mercedes-AMG customer teams in detail:

Black Falcon, start no. 35, Kenneth Heyer/Thomas Jäger/Stéphane Lémeret: 19th on the grid. Despite a few smaller incidents during the opening stages, the car improved continuously with consistent and fast lap times and finished the race on the podium in third position.

Team Preci-Spark, start no. 90, David Jones/Godfrey Jones/Mike Jordan: Grid position 26. The British twins with their partner moved up 19 positions and came home seventh, ending up second in the Pro-Am class. The Jones brothers’ car was the first SLS AMG GT3 which had been delieved to customers in March.

Black Falcon, start no. 38, Andrii Lebed/Bret Curtis/Peter van der Kolk/Jeroen van der Heuve: Grid position 40. The second Black Falcon SLS AMG GT3 finished the race in 12th place.

KRK-Racing Team Holland, start no. 16, Raf Vanthoor/Marius Ritkes/Bernhard van Oranje/Dennis Retera: No ranking in qualifying following an accident. After repairing the gullwing car, the Belgian team moved up from the back of the field to 16th at the chequered flag.

Graff Racing, start no. 55, Phillippe Haezebrouck/Massimo Vignali/Mike Parisy/Gilles Vennelet: Ninth on the grid and best gullwing car in qualifying. They retired after 367 laps.

Graff Racing, start no. 54, Olivier Panis/Eric Debard/Grégoire Demoustier/Nicolas Lapierre: 18th in qualifying. The team with former Formula One and McLaren Mercedes test driver Olivier Panis stopped after 364 laps.

KRK-Racing Team Holland, start no. 15, Mike Hezemenas/Anthony Kumpen/Koen Wauters: Position 12 in Qualifying. The faster of the two KRK SLS AMG GT3s retired after 151 laps due to an accident.

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix Results

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Driver Nico Rosberg scored 2 points by placing 9th in the Hungarian Grand Prix

On a damp afternoon at the Hungaroring, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver’s Nico Rosberg finished 1 lap behind McLaren-Mercedes driver and first place finisher Jenson Button, to place ninth at the Hungarian Grand Prix, scoring two points. Team-mate Michael Schumacher was forced to retire due to a gearbox problem on lap 26.

Both drivers had good starts with Nico gaining three places and Michael four positions. Nico completed four stops: on lap 12, 27, 50 and 54, running intermediate/option/prime/intermediate/prime. Michael completed two stops: on lap 13 for options and lap 26 for primes.

Nico Rosberg

“I had a decent start today and gained three positions which was encouraging. In the middle of the race, the prime tyres no longer had any grip in the increasingly damp conditions so we took the decision to put on intermediates. Unfortunately the rain shower proved not to be very strong and we had to switch to slicks which cost me a few positions. I pushed very hard to catch Buemi and Di Resta, and managed to close the gap, but it was impossible to overtake them in the last corners. So I collected just two points, but still more than last year. Now I’m looking forward to the next two races after the break. Spa and Monza are high-speed tracks where the Mercedes-Benz engine power in our car should be a benefit.”

Michael Schumacher

“An unfortunate end to my race today when we suffered a gearbox problem which forced my retirement. As far as we know, this had nothing to do with the spin I had when fighting with Felipe which was mainly caused by avoiding contact. At the start, we gambled a little with low tyre pressures as we were expecting the track to dry quite quickly, but that turned out to be very slippery to drive. I came in for dry tyres one lap too late, but we can only handle one car at a time obviously. From then onwards, the race developed normally, but I would not have been able to make a very big step forward from the position I was in when I retired.”

Ross Brawn

“Our race began well with good starts from both drivers and generally looked quite encouraging, particularly when we made the move to prime tyres at the right time. We were planning on a two-stop strategy, however the shower caught us out as we expected it to get much heavier, which didn’t happen. So that was clearly the wrong move and spoilt the race for Nico who had to try and recover from there. Michael unfortunately had a gearbox problem which forced the early retirement of his car. It’s not been a particularly auspicious weekend for us but we will take a lot of lessons from here for when we have a better car to work with.”

Norbert Haug

“In the end, it did not pay off to put Nico on intermediates when we were expecting more rain. He would have finished in seventh place which he missed by one and a half seconds after his four stops, rather than in ninth position. Nico showed good speed in the last part of the race, and the team will build on that after the summer break. Michael’s car suffered from a gearbox problem which we still have to investigate. Congratulations to Jenson Button and McLaren Mercedes for winning this dramatic race; well done and victory number 77 with Mercedes-Benz power since the start of the new era in 1997 and the 253 races since then. A well deserved summer break now for everybody and afterwards we are looking forward to the Belgian Grand Prix which will mark Michael’s 20th anniversary in Formula One.”

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Round

Saturday's qualifying round for the Hungarian Grand Prix saw Rosberg and Schumacher qualify in 7th and 9th

Saturday’s qualifying round for the Hungarian Grand Prix saw Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher qualify in seventh and ninth places. Nico’s tire usage was: Q3: New Prime/New Prime, Q2: New Option, Q1: New Option. Michael followed the same tire strategy, however he completed one extra New Option tyre run in Q2.

Both Rosberg and Schumacher will have the benefit of starting on the cleaner side of the grid for Sunday’s race at the Hungaroring. Michael Schumacher currenlty holds the tracks lap record with a time of 1:19.071. During Last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Rosberg retired while Schumacher finished the race in 11 position.

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Practice 3 Qualifying 1 Qualifying 2 Qualifying 3
Nico Rosberg 8 MGP W02 / 07 P6 P10 1:22.996 P7 1:21.243 P7 1:21.098
Michael Schumacher 7 MGP W02 / 09 P8 P8 1:22.876 P8 1:21.852 P9 1:21.907
Weather Sunny with some cloud cover
Temperatures Air: 22-23°C Track: 27-34°C

Nico Rosberg

“Qualifying in seventh place was ok today; we had a good set-up after this morning’s practice and I did a good lap in Q3. I’m pleased to have saved one set of new option tyres for the race which will hopefully help me to score some good points.”

Michael Schumacher

“The positive thing that I can take from qualifying today is that I will be starting from the better side of the grid in ninth place. However there are also things which we need to investigate further as the first two sectors did not work out well for us today. They were fine with the prime tyres, but not with the super softs, so we will have a close look into the reasons why. As always, we will try to do the best that we can in the race tomorrow.”

Ross Brawn

“A reasonable qualifying session for us today with Nico and Michael getting the most out of the car that we had. Our positions are about where we are at the moment. During this morning’s practice session, we focused on our race performance, and that should pay off for us tomorrow afternoon. It’s likely to be quite a tricky race with the tyres as the super softs are right on the limit, so we will have to look after them carefully and make the most of them.”

Norbert Haug

“Nico and the team did a good job today in getting the maximum from our current technical package and putting the car in seventh position behind the three top teams. The fact that Mark was on pole one week ago and now is in sixth place demonstrates how tough the battle in this group is, and how challenging it is to break into the top six this season. Michael had a more difficult Q3 and struggled slightly with the set-up of his car. By using primes in Q1 and doing only one outing in Q2 and Q3, Nico saved one set of fresh options for the race which will be very helpful tomorrow. It will be a challenging race for us and our aim is to come home where we are starting or slightly better.”

Twenty-Four Hour Race in Spa-Francorchamps Kicks Off July 30

The 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps is one of the classic events in the international long-distance racing calendar

On July 30, 2011 the private team Black Falcon will be at the starting line of the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. The Mercedes Gullwing with start number 35 has been given the same look as the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG that Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz drove when they achieved a class victory and second place at the race overall in 1971. Kenneth Heyer, Hans Heyer’s son, will be among the drivers of the SLS AMG GT3. In total, the Belgian long-distance race will see a total of seven gull-wings competeing.

The 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps is one of the classic events in the international long-distance racing calendar. The race was first held in 1924, and until 1978 the 14.8-kilometre course was used. Since 1979 the race has been held on the shorter, 7.0-kilometre course. This tradition-laden circuit in the Belgian Ardennes is the favourite racetrack of many drivers. 70 cars have been entered in this year’s 24-hour race, which comes under the FIA’s GT3 and GT4 rules. 250 drivers will be competing. The race starts at 4 p.m. on 30 July 2011.

During the 24-hour race this very special gullwing car will be driven by Kenneth Heyer (31, Wegberg), Thomas Jäger (34, Munich) and Stéphane Lémeret (37, Ophain-Bois-Seigneur-Isaac, Belgium). Kenneth Heyer has been an active racing driver since 2000, and on this 40th anniversary he is following in the footsteps of his father Hans Heyer, who achieved the sensational 1971 success for AMG with his team colleague Clemens Schickentanz on the same racetrack.

Kenneth Heyer: “It’s a great honour, exactly 40 years after my father’s success, for me to be bringing the Black Falcon SLS AMG GT3 to the starting line of the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps. Together with my team colleagues, I will be trying to achieve at least second place. The car will no doubt attract plenty of attention in the line-up with its look reminiscent of the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG, but naturally the focus will be on a good racing performance. The SLS AMG GT3 has the potential for a place on the winner’s rostrum, but as we all know, a 24-hour race obeys laws of its own.”

Hans Heyer: “40 years after our class victory and second overall place, I think it is a great idea to enter the Spa-Francorchamps race with the SLS AMG GT3 in the same look as “my” 300 SEL 6.8 AMG. Naturally I wish the Black Falcon team and my son Kenneth every success – and will be delighted if he wins at least second place!”

Ola Källenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “This project of entering an SLS AMG GT3 in the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps with the same look as the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG of 1971 deserves a round of applause. I wish Kenneth Heyer, his team colleagues and the Black Falcon customer team every success. Naturally we at Mercedes-AMG also have our fingers firmly crossed for the other private teams who are competing in the race with the SLS AMG GT3. The customer sport programme for the gull-wing, which commenced in 2010, has made a good start, and the SLS AMG GT3 has immediately shown itself to be a racing car with great potential. To date we have sold 35 examples to private teams all over the world.”

Hans Werner Aufrecht, founder of AMG and Chairman of the Supervisory Board at HWA AG: “For me this project is an outstanding example of how passionate commitment to motorsports can manifest itself. It is also impressive to see how AMG has developed 40 years after our second place in the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps in 1971. I have my fingers crossed for Kenneth Heyer, and of course also the other teams who will at the starting line with the SLS AMG GT3.”

In addition to Black Falcon with start number 35, six more SLS AMG GT3s will be competing in Spa-Francorchamps. The teams and drivers are as follows:

  • Koen Wauters (B)/Anthony Kumpen (B)/Mike Hezemans (NL), start number 15, KRK Racing Team Holland (Belgium). The driver duo Kumpen/Hezemans won the 24-hour race in 2009.
  • Raf Vanthoor (B)/Marius Ritskes (NL)/Bernhard Van Oranje (NL)/Dennis Retra (NL), start number 16, KRK-Racing Team Holland (Belgium)
  • Kenneth Heyer (D)/Thomas Jäger (D)/Stéphane Lémeret (B), start number 35, Black Falcon (Germany)
  • David Jones (GB)/Godfrey Jones (GB)/Mike Jordan (GB), start number 90, Preci Spark team (Great Britain)
  • Andrii Lebed (UA)/Bret Curtis (USA)/Peter van de Kolk (NL)/Jeroen van de Heuvel (NL), start number 46, Black Falcon (Germany)
  • Olivier Panis (F)/Nicolas Lapierre (F)/Eric Debard (F)/Grégoire Demoustier (F), start number 54, Graff Racing (France)
  • Philippe Haezebrouck (F)/Massimo Vignali (I)/Gilles Vannelet (F)/Mike Parisy (F), start number 55, Graff Racing (France)

Three show cars commemorate the historic 1971 success

AMG will commemorate the 1971 success with three show cars in the driver’s paddock in Spa-Francorchamps: the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG, the SLS AMG GT3 and, as an attraction, also the S 63 AMG “Thirty Five”. Right down to details, this high-performance saloon is modelled on the historic racing touring car of 1971, but under the bonnet is the AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo with direct petrol injection, spray-guided combustion and piezo injectors, which was introduced in 2010. In standard configuration in the S 63 AMG, this AMG powerpack develops up to 420 kW (571 hp) and is regarded as the most efficient engine in its segment.

Historic second place for AMG in 1971

In 1971 the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps was the first race that AMG, founded in 1967, had ever entered. Alternating behind the wheel of the AMG touring car were the two experienced drivers Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz. AMG was anything but the favourite in this classic Belgian long-distance race: mighty opponents at the time included the Ford Capri RS, BMW 2800 CS, Chevrolet Camaro, Opel Commodore and Alfa Romeo GTA. Nobody expected the large saloon from provincial Affalterbach in Swabia to hold its own against the well-established teams.

Surprising 5th place in the starting lineup for AMG

However, the red four-door saloon already demonstrated its potential in training, when Clemens Schickentanz delivered a surprise with the fifth-fastest training time. Nobody at AMG had expected 5th starting position in a field of 60 cars. 80,000 spectators were intrigued by the fast, red saloon with the long wheelbase – which was incidentally also the only Mercedes in the race. Pole position was occupied by the favourite, the Chevrolet Camaro driven by Ivo Grauls and Peter Hoffmann, followed by the Alpina-BMW 2800 CS of Niki Lauda/Gérard Larousse and next to it the first works Ford Capri with Dieter Glemser and Alex Soler-Roig plus the Schnitzer-BMW 2800 CS driven by Rauno Aaltonen and Helmut Kelleners. A total of 60 racing touring cars raced against the stopwatch on the then still 14.1-kilometre long course in the Ardennes, with illustrious names such as Hans-Joachim-Stuck, Jochen Mass, Toine Hezemans, Willy Kauhsen, Achim Warmbold and Rainer Braun behind the wheel.

On the first lap Hans Heyer, who was first to take the wheel of the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG, was able to position himself in third place right behind the Ford Capri (Glemser/Soler-Roig) and the Chevrolet Camaro (Grauls/Hoffmann). After a dramatic race which included a sudden rainstorm at midnight and numerous contestants withdrawing, the “35” crossed the finishing line in second place directly behind the works Capri driven by Glemser/Soler-Roig. In 24 hours the AMG saloon had absolved precisely 308 laps. Technical problems? None whatsoever. An absolute sensation.

Contrasts: 265 km/h and exotic wood trim in the cockpit

Hans Heyer has fond memories of this race: “We knew we could win, but the others didn’t know it yet!” The AMG saloon was unbeatable on the straight, but the braking system substantially adopted from the series production car was slightly underpowered for the weight of the car (1635 kilograms). “But on the old Spa course the brake discs had plenty of time to cool down, and nobody could catch us on the long straights,” the now 68 year-old reminisces. With a top speed of 265 km/h the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG was tailor-made for the fast Belgian circuit. The atmosphere in the interior was luxurious, with standard features such a power steering, air suspension, carpets, door panelling and a dashboard with exotic wood trim. The spectators lining the track loved this large car with its thrilling V8 sound. “The outsider quickly became the absolute darling of the public,” says Hans Heyer.

Luxury: the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 as the basis for a racing car

The AMG racing saloon was technically based on the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. With an output of 184 kW (250 hp) at 4000 rpm and a top speed of 220 km/h, this saloon was Germany’s fastest series-production car in its day. It was not only an increase in the overall displacement from 6330 to 6835 cc that raised the output to 315 kW (428 hp) at 5500 rpm and torque from 500 to 608 newton metres. AMG co-founder Erhard Melcher “tweaked” the eight-cylinder engine using classic methods: Precision-honed camshafts and modified rocker arms, lightweight connecting rods, new Mahle pistons, larger intake valves, modified combustion chambers, polished intake and exhaust ducts, a new intake tract with two throttle flaps and a racing exhaust system ensured an improved gasflow and allowed higher engine speeds. Durability was improved by installing an auxiliary oil cooler and a finely balanced crankshaft.

The wheel arches were flared to make room for the lightweight 10 x 15 and 12 x 15-inch magnesium wheels adopted from a C 111 test car. Aluminium doors helped to reduce weight from the original 1830 to 1635 kilograms. Larger control arms at the front axle, a more robust rear axle with a reinforced differential and smaller air suspension bellows with a harder setup made the saloon fit for the racetrack.

German TV news reports on the sensational achievement

The unexpected class victory and second overall place in the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps made AMG, founded in 1967, a household name overnight – and marked the start of an impressive success story. Even the German television news reported on this surprise achievement. “It was certainly a sensation at the time,” AMG founder Hans Werner Aufrecht remembers. The courage shown by Aufrecht and his partner Melcher in entering a modified luxury saloon for this classic 24-hour race paid off in full.

On 11 and 12 September 1971 the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG subsequently competed in the 2×6-hour Paul Ricard race, accompanied by a privately entered 300 SEL 6.3 with an AMG engine. Now repainted in yellow, the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG took part in the pre-trials for the Le Mans 24-hour race in March 1972, but was not at the starting line for the race itself in June. However it competed in the 24-hour race in Nürburgring in June 1972, and in the Nuremberg 200-mile race held at Norisring on 6 August 1972. Here Hans Heyer achieved victory with the four-door saloon – once again painted red – in the “Series and special touring cars above 2000 cc” class.

The 300 SEL 6.8 AMG was not to enjoy any further successes: a change in the race rules by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) put an end to its career, as only cars with an overall displacement of up to five litres were now allowed for the European Touring Car Trophy. AMG sold its racing saloon to the French conglomerate Matra, where it was converted for high-speed tests on aircraft tyres. Its subsequent fate is unknown. In spring 2006 Mercedes-AMG built a replica of the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG based on the original documentation, so that this unique success story would live on.

DTM Driver Bruno Spengler Takes Top Mercedes Honors and Second Overall

Bruno Spengler beat out Renger van der Zande in the semi-final round and emerged as the best of the Mercedes-Benz group

Bruno Spengler, driver of the Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class, beat out Renger van der Zande, driver of the Stern AMG Mercedes C-Class, in the semi-final round and emerged as the best of the Mercedes-Benz group. He then managed to finish runner-up in the first of two competitions held over the weekend as Audi driver Edoardo Mortara took top hornors.

For the first time ever, DTM racing was staged on a specially constructed circuit in a sports stadium. The 3,911 foot track has been laid out over an area of 18,000 square metres on top of 8,000 cubic metres of aggregate material in the arena of the Munich Olympic Stadium.

Race Mode: Saturday’s DTM proceedings began with two internal contests: Mercedes-Benz and Audi. The drivers were paired up for a series of eight three-lap stints. The eight fastest drivers from each marque then went through to the last sixteen. Qualification was based on times posted rather than the outcome of the individual bouts. Over the next three rounds (Last 16, Quarter-final and Semi-final), the fastest Audi driver and fastest Mercedes-Benz driver were identified. These two then battled it out in the final race over five laps, including a compulsory pit stop.

Prologue: Ralf Schumacher’s overall time 2:48.319 minutes was the fastest of all the Mercedes-Benz drivers. Bruno Spengler posted a fastest lap of 54.195 seconds. Because of a false start, however, he incurred a two-second penalty and ended the prologue in P5 behind David Coulthard. Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) was ninth fastest so just missed out on qualifying.

Eighth finals: Ralf Schumacher got through to the next round with a time of 2:47.908 in a three-lap stint ahead of Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class). Bruno Spengler won his duel with Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) by 0.355 seconds. Despite incurring a two-second penalty for jumping the lights, David Coulthard still prevailed against Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) to move into the last 16. Renger van der Zande won his knock-out encounter with Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class) by 0.629 seconds.

Quarter finals: After completing four laps and a compulsory pit stop, Bruno Spengler prevailed over Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) with an overall time of 3.49:100 minutes to go through to the semi-final. Renger van der Zande won his race against David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) by 1.658 seconds and joins Spengler in the next round.

Semi finals: Bruno Spengler won his race over a distance of four laps – including one mandatory pit stop – with an overall time of 3:52.885 minutes, 23.9 seconds faster than fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class). Spengler now goes into the final which will decide who takes the Saturday honours.

Final: In a hard-fought encounter, Bruno Spengler finished runner-up behind Edoardo Mortara (Audi). In two stints over a distance of ten laps, including two pit stops, Spengler posted an overall time of 9:26.205 minutes and a fastest lap of 53.603 seconds. He emerges from the first day of this special DTM weekend as the best of the Mercedes-Benz contingent.

Comments on Saturday:

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):

“What tremendous fun we had today. The final was really close – there were only thousandths of a second in it at the end. I gave it everything I’ve got, and for most of the race, we were neck and neck. I’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to my team. They did a great job and the pit stops went very smoothly. Now I’m looking forward to the second day of this show event here in Munich.”

Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“We had a bit of a communication problem during our pit stop. It was my own fault and it cost me a lot of time. Even so, we showed that we are competitive here. I’m aiming to make up for this mistake on Sunday.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“I think it’s great that the fans can experience DTM from so close up here. I’m familiar with this sort of event from the Race of Champions which I always enjoy immensely. Having said that, though, it is very difficult to drive on such a tight track. I’m looking forward to tomorrow but not making any forecasts.”

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“I’m happy with my result today. Unfortunately, I didn’t progress beyond the quarter-final because I made too many errors. But at least I didn’t damage my C-Class. This show event is turning out to be great fun. I’m really looking forward to Sunday.”

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“I was doing OK, but then, on the last lap, I made a mistake. I glanced against one of the barriers with my front right wheel and lost control of the car. That cost me a lot of time. I’m feeling quite optimistic about Sunday, though. This show event in Munich is a lot of fun.”

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“It’s a pity I didn’t progress any further. David was given a two-second penalty for a false start, but unfortunately, I was unable to exploit the advantage. I like the circuit and I’m looking forward to Day Two here in Munich on Sunday.”

Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“Although I was eliminated, I think that my performance was reasonable. I was just three-tenths of a second behind Bruno who was very fast in the prologue. I’m feeling upbeat about the race on Sunday. It all depends on which Audi driver I’m drawn against. I’m aiming to put on a good show for the fans.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“The atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium is fabulous. As Munich born and bred, I’m enjoying the experience here all the more. I’m finding the track layout quite demanding, especially as I only drove four laps in Friday’s free practice session. You get more confident with every lap you complete as you familiarise yourself with the braking points. That’s what I was missing today. ”

Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“I’m disappointed to have been knocked out at this early stage. I was at a slight disadvantage going out onto the track before anyone else. The surface was extremely greasy, and I had severe oversteering on a couple of occasions. I didn’t want to take too many chances, as the barriers are very close to the track here.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“The idea of bringing DTM racing to the Munich Olympic Stadium turned out to be a big success. The fans have had a great day out. As I walked around the grandstand, people kept coming up to me and telling me what a fabulous event we’ve laid on here. I think that a lot of the spectators who turned up today are watching DTM live for the very first time, and this will have whetted their appetite for the sport. Thanks to the munich organizers, the ITR and the DMSB who have made this event possible. And congratulations to Edorado Mortara and Audi for the first DTM finale victory in a stadium. Tomorrow it will go on and it will be thrilling.”

Mercedes GT5 Competition Presents Winner With an SLS AMG

The lucky winner of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is 24 year old student Marco Calvo from Spain

The Mercedes-Benz GT5 Driving Challenge took the world’s best GT5 drivers and tested them on a real track,. Of the 15 competitors, only one would win a real SLS AMG to take home. The lucky winner of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is 24 year old student Marco Calvo from Spain.

Taking the help of “Mr. DTM” Bernd Schneider, DTM driver and former F1 driver David Coulthard, the 15 participants from around the world were introduced to the technology and the characteristics of the SLS AMG at the Austrian Red Bull-Ring earlier this week. After numerous rounds of testing, the competitors drove the SLS  AMG on the track to decide the winner.

Congratulations Marco, enjoy your new Mercedes SLS AMG.

DTM Heads to Olympic Stadium in Munich for Race Event

DTM organisers selected Munich's Olympic Stadium for the very first show event in series history

DTM organisers selected Munich’s Olympic Stadium for the very first show event in series history (this is a non-points-scoring round). An exciting support program will see MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver Nico Rosberg run demo laps in his Silver Arrow Formula One car. After five out of ten rounds, Mercedes-Benz leads both the drivers’ (Bruno Spengler) and the constructors’ standings (THOMAS SABO/Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG).

DTM to rock Munich’s Olympic Stadium

1972 Summer Olympics, 1974 Football World Cup, 1988 Football European Cup, 2002 Track and Field Athletics World Championship and now 2011 DTM: having already staged numerous major sports events, Munich’s famous Olympic Stadium now will become the venue of one of the most spectacular motor-racing events of all times. On an extra built racetrack, the DTM drivers will battle it out in knockout duels. The unusual mix of race action in the tightest of quarters, the stadium atmosphere and the man-against-man duels promise to make for a memorable motor-racing event for the entire family. Never before, the motor-racing enthusiasts could get so close to the DTM action!

In summer 2011, Munich’s Olympic Stadium will be the venue of the DTM mega event. On the weekend 16th/17th July, 2011, DTM will go flat out for two days in the Bavarian capital. Witness all the DTM highlights as well as a stunning support programme featuring action, stars, music and more in the unique atmosphere of one of the most impressive stadiums of the world.

Secure one of the sought-after seats for the motor-racing highlight of the 2011 season in Munich’s Olympic Stadium as early as now.

Get ready for a completely new DTM experience: for two days, you will witness in and around the Olympic Stadium all the well-known racetrack features in the tightest of quarters – or, to cut a long story short: a new dimension of motor racing. No matter if on Saturday during the preliminary rounds or on Sunday in the finals: here, the spectators will get even closer to drivers, teams and racing cars. And the event will be contested not only by the DTM aces alone as the partner series also are going to battle it out for the win, in the stadium event.

In the arena, the drivers will battle it out man versus man in the knockout format to find the winner. Meanwhile, international top acts will rock on the stage and fire up the crowds. Altogether, a DTM event that is going to make the heart of every motor-racing enthusiast beat faster.

At the same time, the visitors also will find a lot of interesting action around the stadium: here they can dive into the hustle and bustle of the paddock and promenade through the ‘pit-lane’ to watch the team members during the final preparations for the races at close range. Or meet their favourite drivers to let them fulfil their autograph and photo wishes. Quite obviously, the DTM grid girls also will be on site, in this event.

Bruno Spengler (27, Canada, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):“Following my second win of the season at the Norisring, I’m now getting excited about the show event in the Olympic Stadium. Munich is a fabulous city and, for us drivers, it’s going to be a very new experience to race in a stadium – it’s certainly one that I’m looking forward to. I’ve already done a test in the Olympic Stadium and it was great fun, though we only went round in first and second gears. The track is short and slow, so we’ll have to change our driving style slightly to include plenty of drifting and more aggression than we’d normally display on the permanent circuits. The spectators are in for a real treat – it’s guaranteed to be very loud and the people will be much closer to the action than usual. We’ll do our very best to put on an entertaining show.”

Ralf Schumacher (36, Germany, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):“In DTM racing, getting close to the spectators is very important, so it’s good that we can offer our many fans this spectacular highlight halfway through the season. I’m convinced that the unique atmosphere of the Olympic Park will make a beautiful setting for the event. As a racing driver, the thing you always want most is to win. But on this weekend, the priority will be to adapt to the compact arena and generally have a great party to celebrate the DTM series.”

Jamie Green (29, England, AMG Mercedes C-Class):“The show event in Munich’s Olympic Stadium will certainly be a great occasion, and I’m looking forward to it a lot. For me, it’s going to be a new experience driving in a stadium. I think it’s a great setting for this kind of event, because the fans will be so close to all the action. But it’s going to be great fun for the drivers, too – there won’t be any points at stake, so essentially it’s all about personal prestige.”

Gary Paffett (30, England, THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class):“The DTM event in Munich makes a nice change for us midway through the DTM season. It will be interesting and different to anything we’ve experienced so far in DTM. I don’t know what to expect in sporting terms, but that’s not the main issue this weekend: the aim is to put on a good show for the fans and have fun together. I’m confident that it will be a huge success.”

David Coulthard (40, Scotland, Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class):“I like Munich as a city, and it’ll be interesting to find out what it’s like to drive the C-Class around the Olympic Stadium. I’ve already competed in the Race of Champions on five previous occasions, in big stadiums in Paris and London. In 2008, I even finished runner-up to Sebastien Loeb, so perhaps that gives me a slight advantage! But ultimately it is all about giving something back to our loyal fans and offering them a unique motor racing experience.”

Maro Engel (25, Germany, GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class): “Because I’m Munich born and bred, it’s obviously something very special to compete in my home city, let alone in the Olympic Stadium where I used to watch Bayern Munich play. In those days, I was sitting in the grandstands. This time, though, I’ll be racing around the arena, so it’s going to be a fantastic experience for me. As for the spectators, they can look forward to a great show. There may not be any points up for grabs, but this is a race that all of us drivers will want to win. Everyone will be going all out for victory.”

Nico Rosberg, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One driver:“I’m really looking forward to the atmosphere in Munich. Driving a Formula One car in an Olympic-size stadium is going to be a new experience for me. I’m curious about the noise factor – I’m sure it will be phenomenal. This is a nice addition to my Formula One routine.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:“DTM has always been innovative, trying out new things and making a success of them. The series is now venturing in a completely new direction by staging a show event in a stadium – and in no less special a venue than the Olympic Stadium in Munich. The fans over the weekend will not only see motor racing up close and personal but will also enjoy a first-class programme of music and see Nico Rosberg perform some demo laps in his Formula One Silver Arrow. We are all looking forward to this premiere in Munich. And even though there aren’t any championship points at stake, you can be sure that all the drivers will be going flat out, because I can’t think of a single one who doesn’t want to be the first DTM Indoor Champion.”

Mercedes-Benz Drivers Prepare for DTM Round 5 at Norisring

AMG Mercedes C-Class driver Jamie Green is looking to secure his 4th win at Norisring after winning the last 3 DTM races there

AMG Mercedes C-Class driver Jamie Green is looking to secure his fourth win at the July 3rd race at Norisring after winning the last three DTM races at the Norisring (2008, 2009 and 2010). Mercedes-Benz has won the last eight races in Nuremberg and Mercedes-Benz drivers have scored a total of 13 victories on this track.

Comments on the fifth race of the 2011 DTM season from:

Bruno Spengler (27, Canada, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):

  • has won twice at the Norisring (2006 and 2007)
  • scored his first DTM victory in Nuremberg at the age of 22 years and 334 days, which makes him one of the youngest winners in DTM history
  • started the 2007 and 2008 races in Nuremberg from pole position

“The Norisring is one of my favourite tracks – I’ve won here twice and had five podium finishes. That’s why I’m thrilled to be racing again in Nuremberg. As always, I’ll be preparing thoroughly for the weekend and going all out to get a good result. In the overall standings, I’m only one point behind Martin Tomczyk. With such a competitive field as we have in this year’s DTM, the situation at the top can turn around very quickly, so I don’t feel under any pressure. Instead, my team and I are focused on the job in hand and we’ll be on the attack again in Nuremberg.”

Ralf Schumacher (35, Germany, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):

  • claimed his first DTM pole position and his first DTM fastest lap in last year’s race at the Norisring
  • finished the 2009 race in Nuremberg in sixth position
  • celebrates his 36th birthday on Thursday 30th June in the run-up to the Norisring weekend

“I have fond memories of the Norisring which is always a highlight on the DTM calendar. Obviously, I had hoped for more in last year’s race, but in retrospect it was a good performance to get my first pole position and my first fastest race lap in DTM. So if I carry on making similar progress this year, it will be great. With my two podium finishes at Hockenheim and Spielberg, I’ve shown that I’m comfortable driving the C-Class and that I’ve made the adjustment to DTM racing. After my pole last year at this circuit, I want to be battling it out at the front again in this year’s race.”

Jamie Green (29, England, AMG Mercedes C-Class):

  • has won the last three races at the Norisring (2008, 2009 and 2010)
  • started the 2006 race in Nuremberg from pole position

“I always feel like I’m in my element at the Norisring – and my three wins in the last three seasons would seem to bear that out. This year, I’m no longer in the same C-Class which I won with from 2008 to 2010, but that shouldn’t make a difference. Now I’m aiming to celebrate a victory in my current AMG Mercedes C-Class. In the past eight seasons, a Mercedes-Benz driver has always won in Nuremberg, and that gives me the confidence that we’ll be competitive again this year. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Gary Paffett (30, England, THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class):

  • won the 2004 and 2005 races in Nuremberg
  • drove the fastest race lap on the Norisring in 2005
  • won both races in the 2002 German Formula 3 Championship at the Norisring

“In the last race at the Lausitzring, I got closer to the front than in the first three races of 2011. That’s a good sign for the rest of the season because it means we are heading in the right direction. This is a trend we want to continue at the Norisring, where I’m hoping for my first podium finish of the year. I like the street circuit in Nuremberg with its very special characteristics, and I’ve already won there twice. However, my two wins date back to 2004 and 2005, which was quite a while ago, so it would be great if I could add my first win of the 2011 season here. That would also be a nice way of saying ‘thank you’ to my sponsor THOMAS SABO in their home race, as their headquarters are located close to Nuremberg.”

David Coulthard (40, Scotland, Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class):

  • will compete at the Norisring for only the second time
  • has crossed the finish line in all four races of the 2011 season
  • won the Monaco GP in 2000 and 2002 (also staged on a street circuit)

“Even after one and a half seasons in DTM, the series still keeps springing surprises. I’m learning from one weekend to the next, and understanding more and more how to set up the C-Class for optimum performance. In Nuremberg, you especially need good brakes and a good front end to cope with all the cornering. The Norisring is quite unlike any other track we drive on – almost like a DTM version of Monaco. This brings back good memories for me, because after all, I won the Grand Prix there twice. But actually, I can’t think of a circuit that I don’t feel good at. If my team and I can find the right car balance, we’ll hope to reward the fans with a good result.”

Christian Vietoris (22, Germany, Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class):

  • is driving the AMG Mercedes C-Class that won the last three races at the Norisring
  • won the 2008 and 2009 Formula 3 Euro Series races in Nuremberg

“It’s nice to know that Jamie won each of the last three races at the Norisring driving the C-Class car that I’m in now. Of course, that doesn’t automatically mean that I’m set to continue the sequence this season, but maybe driving the legendary Norisring winner will bring me a bit of luck so that I can score my first DTM points. I know the Norisring from my time in the Formula 3 Euro Series – I’ve even won here twice. The track layout looks pretty straightforward, but as a street circuit, it has a bumpy surface, and the race is usually staged in very hot conditions. Anyone aiming to make their mark here needs to be fully focused and in top physical shape. I feel confident on both those points.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“The Norisring is one of the highlights on the DTM calendar. With the sheer quality of the current field, it may well be that the difference between the fastest and slowest lap times in Nuremberg this year is down to less than half a second. We have won at the Norisring eight times and, most recently, Jamie Green triumphed three times in succession, driving the same C-Class. That achievement is unique in the history of the DTM. This time, we’re trying for win number nine, but I’m sure that more than half a dozen of our competitors will be doing their best to prevent us from achieving it. They have a realistic chance of doing so, but that doesn’t diminish our chances at all.”

For those of you attending the race, here are a few tips:

The city: Nuremberg, the home of the legendary Norisring and the second-biggest city of Bavaria, is located in the heart of Franconia. A true must-see is the restored medieval city centre including the mighty ‘Kaiserburg’ (Emperor’s castle). Apropos: here, you also will find the planet’s oldest Bratwurst restaurant, established back in 1313 – the cradle of the famous ‘Nürnberger Bratwurst’ that was already enjoyed by Nuremberg’s most famous son, Albrecht Dürer.

The circuit: The only street circuit of the DTM calendar, built every year extra for the race, the shortest DTM circuit on German soil, a pedestrian tunnel below the circuit allows the spectators to get to the stone grandstand.

Grandstand tip: ‘S-Kurve’: Here, door-to-door battles are guaranteed. View of the chicane and the end of the home straight.

Culture tip: Most definitely, the medieval city centre with the castle, the Albrecht Dürer House as well as the Gothic churches St. Lorenz and St. Sebald represent the highlights of Nuremberg. The cosy atmosphere between frame houses and cobblestone pavement has inspired every visitor of Nuremberg, to date. At the same time, the city also features several culture highlights: the “Germanische National museum”, for instance, is the biggest culture-historic museum in the German speaking countries. The latest information on expositions, events and other places of interest is available in the World Wide Web at: http://go.nuernberg.de. A universal ticket for all the places of interest of Nuremberg as well as the city’s public transport is the ‘Nürnberg Card’.

A culinary must: The ‘Nürnberger Bratwurst’! These sausages that aren’t bigger than a finger are a protected trademark and mustn’t be produced anywhere else than in Nuremberg’s urban area. Everywhere in the historic city centre you will find Bratwurst kitchens that serve this specialty – usually as a dish comprising six sausages and sauerkraut. Nonetheless, you also can get them as triple in a bun. They are a true culinary delight!

For partiers: The major part of Nuremberg’s night life takes place in the historic city centre. There, particularly below the castle and in the ‘Weißgerbergasse’, you will find numerous pubs, bars and clubs. And in summer, enjoying the city ambience in one of the countless beer gardens is a really great experience. For a good overview of Nuremberg’s night life please visit http://go.nuernberg.de in the World Wide Web.

Shopping: Nuremberg has got one of Germany’s biggest and oldest pedestrian areas. Here, in the southern part of the medieval city centre, you can get anything your heart desires. One of Nuremberg’s attractions with a special ambience is the ‘Handwerkerhof’. Surrounded by towers and walls of the medieval city fortification, the ‘Little Town at the King’s Gate’ invites to enjoy an eventful shopping trip. It’s really amazing to see what is going on in the small workshops, shops and alleyways and what a great number of adorable special goods can be admired and purchased, here. Tradition-rich craftsmen such as pewterers, purse makers, pottery makers, gold and silver smiths, stained-glass artists, gingerbread bakers and puppet makers have established their workshops in gorgeous frame houses and demonstrate their skills.

Mercedes-Benz GT5 Competition Brings Drivers to Red Bull Ring

15 GT5 drivers from 11 different countries will come together at Austria's Red Bull Ring to drive for a real SLS AMG

Mercedes-Benz is taking 15 drivers, whom qualified by playing the Gran Turismo 5 driving game, and putting them to the test on a real racetrack.  15 GT5 drivers from 11 different countries will come together at Austria’s Red Bull Ring to drive for the ultimate prize, a real SLS AMG. The AMG Driving Academy will put the drivers through differnt obstacles while being judged by some of the best driver’s in the world.

Mercedes-Benz History – A Look at the W 196 Cockpit

Today's F1 driver sits virtually horizontal in his Silver Arrow, his 1950's counterpart would have sat upright behind the wheel

Steering, changing gear, pushing buttons – Nico and Michael had to make over 200 inputs per lap during the Monaco Grand Prix while negotiating their way through the narrow streets of the principality. But what did a Silver Arrow cockpit look like in the early years of the Formula One World Championship?

Back in 1955, as many as four Mercedes-Benz drivers took the wheel of the Mercedes W 196 for the Monaco Grand Prix. Alongside Juan Manuel Fangio were André Simon, Hans Herrmann and Stirling Moss. Fangio was the fastest man on the street circuit, taking pole position and setting the fastest lap of the race.

While today’s Formula One driver sits virtually horizontal in his Silver Arrow, his 1950s counterpart would have sat upright behind the wheel, pretty much as if on the living room sofa. His legs were spread wide to reach the pedals positioned on the far left (clutch) and far right (accelerator, brake) of the substantial transmission tunnel. The seat consisted of various upholstered elements which could be individually tailored to each driver – not quite the moulded carbon bucket they get now!

Initially, the fabric came in a blue, yellow and orange check pattern, but over the years, this gave way to green and red checks. Incidentally, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS revived the traditional check pattern for the 2010 team presentation in Stuttgart. Likewise the name – the ‘W’ in MGP W01 and MGP W02 stands for ‘Wagen’ (the German word for ‘car’) just as with previous Silver Arrows.

The W 196 had a compact steering gear with a Daimler-Benz worm-and-wheel unit. This was mounted on top of the frame. The lack of a push rod meant that the steering axis was relatively long. Steering motion was transferred in the ratio 12.65 to 1. The steering wheel had four spokes (only Stirling Moss used a three-spoke steering wheel, purpose built by Mercedes) and a wood-clad aluminium core.

The focal point of the dashboard (somewhat Spartan by modern standards) was the rev counter, where the red zone began at 8,750 revs. Apart from that, there were only two or three analogue displays to update the driver on the temperatures of the main systems – that was basically it. The W 196 had none of the 32 individual functions incorporated into the steering wheel of a modern MGP W02.

You would also look in vain for KERS, DRS and an adjustable differential in the W 196, but there were still some very clever systems: in those days, the driver could manually adjust his suspension halfway through the race to improve ride and handling. To do this, he would reduce oil pressure in the shock absorbers, thereby reducing the harshness of the ride as well as readjusting the wheel camber. This helped to keep the handling consistent as the fuel load became lighter.

Source: MERCEDES GP PETRONAS

Round Three of the 2011 DTM Season in Spielberg, Austria – Race Results

Ralf Schumacher, driver of the Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class, placed 2nd in the third round of the 2011 DTM season in Spielberg

Ralf Schumacher, driver of the Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class, placed second in the third round of the 2011 DTM season in Spielberg. Placing second made Schumacher the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver at the the race. After placing third place at the season opener in Hockenheim, it was Schumacher’s second podium finish in the DTM.

Six AMG Mercedes C-Class drivers finished in the Top 10: Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG Class) moved up from twelfth on the grid to take fourth place. Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) climbed from ninth to sixth. Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class), David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) took places eight to ten. This was the best result of his career so far for DTM rookie van der Zande. Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class), Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) crossed the line in positions 13 to 15.

After three rounds out of ten, Bruno Spengler leads the drivers’ standings with 23 points, and THOMAS SABO / Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG tops the team rankings. This means Mercedes-Benz has led both the drivers’ and teams’ standings since the 2010 DTM season opener at Hockenheim.

Spengler also set the fastest lap of the race in 1:26.298, for the twelfth time in his career. A Mercedes-Benz driver has scored fastest lap in every one of the four races in Spielberg, while Mercedes-Benz drivers won three of the four races.

Across the race weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), 48,000 spectators in total visited Spielberg to watch the DTM. Sunday’s race was sold out.

Race summary

The start: Ralf Schumacher defends his third place at the first corner. Jamie Green moves up from P9 to P6. Behind him, Gary Paffett, Bruno Spengler, Maro Engel and Renger van der Zande complete the first lap in positions seven to ten. Spengler has climbed four places – from twelfth to eighth.

Lap 5: Six C-Class drivers in the top 10: Schumacher in third place, Green, Paffett, Spengler, Engel and van der Zande in positions six to ten.

Lap 7 : Spengler overtakes Paffett for seventh place.

Lap 8: Engel completes a drive-through penalty for a collision with Edoardo Mortara (Audi) at the first corner.

Lap 10: The pit stop window is open, and Green, Vietoris, Stoddart are the first Mercedes-Benz drivers to come in for fresh tyres and fuel.

Lap 11: Van der Zande overtakes Paffett and moves into P6.

Lap 12: Van der Zande and David Coulthard complete their first mandatory pit stops.

Lap 14: Schumacher pits from the lead for his first stop and emerges ahead of Oliver Jarvis (Audi).

Lap 15: First mandatory pit stop for Engel.

Lap 18: Schumacher posts the fastest lap of the race so far.

Lap 21: Second pit stop for Coulthard.

Lap 22: Spengler is the last driver to complete his first mandatory stop and is in P4. Green comes in for his second stop.

Lap 23: Schumacher is the second driver to come in for his second stop.

Lap 27: Paffett makes his second stop.

Lap 28: Spengler pits from the lead to make his final stop and re-emerges in P4. Within 28 laps, he has moved up from P12 on the grid to P4.

Lap 30: Six C-Class drivers are in the top 10: Schumacher in second place, Spengler in fourth position, Green sixth and Paffett, Coulthard and van der Zande in positions eight to ten.

Final lap: After 38 laps and a total distance of 164.388 km, Ralf Schumacher finishes second, and is the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver the third round of the 2011 DTM season in Spielberg. Bruno Spengler battles his way up eight places to finish fourth. Jamie Green and Gary Paffett secure P6 and P8 respectively.

Comments after the race:

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Second:

“Second place and my second podium are a good result for me. I tried everything to get past Martin Tomczyk, but I couldn’t do it in the end. I was fast all weekend here in Spielberg and hope I can continue this form in the coming races.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) – Fourth:

“This was a great race. After starting from twelfth, I am very satisfied with fourth place. The set-up on my C-Class perfect and the car was really quick. I was able to do consistently quick lap times – that was the key to the race. Thanks to my team for a great strategy and a great job!”

Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Sixth:

“From my starting position, this wasn’t an easy race. I was stuck behind Mike Rockenfeller for a long time. I was faster in the corners and he was quicker down the straight, but I didn’t want to risk any dangerous manoeuvres. I was really happy with the speed and balance of the car.”

Gary Paffett (AMG Mercedes C THOMAS SABO-Class) – Eighth:

“I lost a lot of time at the start and then got stuck in traffic. When I was able to get into clear air, it was much better, but I couldn’t do better than eighth place. I am a bit disappointed, but that’s motor racing – DTM is always close and very hard-fought.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Ninth:

“I’m pleased with ninth place in Spielberg – it’s just too bad that it wasn’t enough for me to score a point today. I nearly did it but after pitting, I hit traffic and was unable to gain any more positions.”

Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Tenth:

“The weekend was good for my confidence and I was just a whisker behind David at the finish, which is a positive result for me. The test day before the weekend really helped. I’m getting on better with the car and it would be great to secure my first championship points soon.”

Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 13th:

“Starting from 15th didn’t make for an easy race, but I had a great battle with Maro – I enjoyed that a lot! Unfortunately, we just weren’t quick enough this weekend. Now I’m focusing on the next race at the Lausitzring.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 14th:

“My drive-through penalty cost me a good result. There was a car to my left on the run to the first corner, so I went right. I was up against the wall already and couldn’t go any wider. The car ran well, but my race was over after the penalty.”

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 15th:

“There was a communication problem at the beginning of the race, that’s why we made three pit stops. So that spoilt my afternoon early on. Naturally I’m disappointed, but at least my speed was good.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“Ralf Schumacher’s car had the speed to win today and after his third place at Hockenheim, he was able to secure second place here; he was just 0.4 seconds behind winner Martin Tomczyk for Audi, to whom I offer my warmest congratulations.

For me, Bruno was today’s man of the race and drove from 12th place to fourth, only just missing out on the podium. Our performance here in Spielberg was very strong – our C-Class drivers set the five fastest race laps, with Bruno Spengler doing a very impressive lap of 1:26.298 and David Coulthard close behind him.

Bruno leads the championship after three races, and Ralf is third. We are first and second in the team rankings, and our pace was good enough to win in all three races: it’s a solid foundation for the rest of the season.”

Round Three of the 2011 DTM Season in Spielberg, Austria – Race Preview

Bruno Spengler, driver of the Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class, leads the championship with 18 points after the first two races

The third race of the 2011 season sees the DTM make a welcome return to Austria after an eight-year absence. The DTM raced in Spielberg three times between 2001 and 2003. All three races were won by a Mercedes-Benz driver: in 2001, the victory went to DTM record breaker Bernd Schneider; in 2002 and 2003, the win went to Marcel Fässler.

The circuit at Spielberg was officially re-opened as Red Bull Ring in April 2011 and represents a combination of the most sophisticated standards and a legendary racetrack.

Currently, Bruno Spengler, driver of the Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class, leads the championship with 18 points after the first two races of the season.

Comments on the third race of the 2011 DTM season:

Bruno Spengler (27, Canada, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):

“One win and a second-place finish in the first two races – no matter which way you look at it, it’s been a good start to the season. Obviously, I would have preferred to win in Zandvoort, but the most important thing is that we were genuine contenders there. This is a good omen for the upcoming races and for the title chase. I’m looking forward to driving my C-class at Spielberg on a track that I know well from the past. I’m convinced that we’re going to have a lot of fun driving on this circuit and – who knows – maybe I can take another win here like I managed in the past. In any case, I’ll be giving it everything I’ve got.”

Ralf Schumacher (35, Germany, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“I live with my family in Salzburg, so the DTM race in Austria is like a home race for me. Spielberg is a really beautiful circuit that is in perfect harmony with the wonderful Styrian landscape. It has now been updated as a modern and safe track with generous run-off areas, and the pit complex has been completely rebuilt. The layout offers some good overtaking opportunities, so we can expect some wheel-to-wheel battles and overtaking, especially through the first few corners.”

Gary Paffett (30, England, THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“I have good memories of Spielberg from Formula 3 and from DTM. In 2003, which was my DTM debut season, I drove my best race of the year in Austria and finished in sixth place with a year-old car. That was a great result at the time. Spielberg is a track I really enjoy driving: the circuit is very close to the mountains and features lots of elevation changes. It also has a good mix of fast and slow corners, and the tight hairpins should offer overtaking opportunities. After a difficult start to the season, I would like to build on my good results from previous years and get on the podium for the first time this season – hopefully on the top step.”

David Coulthard (40, Scotland, Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“I’m very familiar with Spielberg from my time in Formula One. I competed in all seven Grands Prix there between 1997 and 2003, and I won the race in 2001 with McLaren-Mercedes. Because of my connections to Red Bull and the Wings for Life charity, the DTM race at the Red Bull ring is a sort of home race for me, which I’m really excited about. The test day on Thursday before the race is my chance to get the setup of my C-Class right for the track conditions, so that I can achieve the best possible result.”

Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Norbert Haug:

“It’s wonderful to see this circuit available for use again and to have it back on the DTM calendar. Following the renovation work, the whole venue is much improved, so the Red Bull Ring is certain to make its return to racing in front of a packed house. The races are more competitive in the 2011 DTM season, and the entire field is closer together than ever before. In the curtain-raiser at Hockenheim, the fastest laps posted by 17 of the 18 starters were within one second of each other – you won’t find that in any other racing series in the world, and it will be an equally close contest at the Red Bull Ring. We want to finish the first race at this modernised circuit in the same way that we finished the last DTM race staged at Spielberg in 2003 – with a win.”

Mercedes DTM Driver Bruno Spengler Runner Up at Zandvoort

Bruno Spengler, Mercedes-Benz AMG C-Class Driver, crossed the finish line in the second race of the DTM season at Zandvoort

Bruno Spengler, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class Driver, crossed the finish line in the second race of the DTM season at Zandvoort as best-performing Mercedes-Benz driver in second place and 1.4 seconds behind winner Mike Rockenfeller from Audi. This was the second podium of the 2011 season for Spengler after his victory in the opening race and the 24th of his DTM career.

Joining Spengler in the points today were Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) who finished fourth and seventh respectively. Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class) came ninth, while Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class), Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) took positions eleven to thirteen.

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) completed his second DTM race in P15 while David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) came 16th.

Across the race weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), a total of 29,000 spectators visited Zandvoort to watch the DTM season opener.

Race summary

The start: Bruno Spengler starts from pole position for the ninth time in his DTM career and successfully defends his lead. At the end of the first lap, Jamie Green, Gary Paffett and Ralf Schumacher are running third, sixth and seventh respectively.

Lap 5: Spengler has a lead of 0.7 seconds over Mike Rockenfeller (Audi). Renger van der Zande and Maro Engel, who started from eleventh and 13th on the grid, have moved up the field to ninth and tenth.

Lap 10: Spengler now leads Rockenfeller by 1.3 seconds and Green by 2.1 seconds.

Lap 11: The pit stop window opens (Lap 11 to Lap 31). David Coulthard and Susie Stoddart are the first Mercedes-Benz drivers to pit. Stoddart overtakes Coulthard as a result of the stop.

Lap 13 : Spengler makes his first pit stop as race leader, re-emerging in second place. Meanwhile Green turns into the pit lane.

Lap 14: Paffett and Schumacher enter the pit lane together. In a tight race between crews, Paffett manages to retain the lead over his team-mate.

Lap 18: Mattias Ekström (Audi) is the only driver not yet to have taken his compulsory pit stop and now leads the race. He is pursued by Rockenfeller, Spengler and Green in positions two to four.

Lap 20: Paffett and Stoddart pit for the second time.

Lap 21: Second pit stop for Schumacher and Vietoris. When Schumacher comes back onto the track, he is still behind Paffett.

Lap 22: Spengler and Green enter and leave the pit lane together, retaining their second and third positions.

Lap 23: Coulthard given drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

Lap 26: It starts to drizzle. Second pit stop for Engel who emerges in eighth position ahead of Paffett and Schumacher.

Lap 30: After completing the second of his two compulsory pit stops, Rockenfeller holds a 2.2 second lead over Spengler and Green. Engel is back in seventh, followed by Paffett and Schumacher in eighth and ninth.

Lap 34: In a battle for third place, Martin Tomczyk (Audi) prevails over Jamie Green who briefly runs off track.

Final lap: After 41 laps (total distance: 176.58 km), Bruno Spengler is the best of the Mercedes-Benz drivers, crossing the line in second position. Jamie Green takes fourth place while Maro Engel collects two championship points for finishing seventh.

Comments after the race:

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) – Second:

“Today just wasn’t our day. The race started well. I got off the line all right and my pace in the first stint was fast enough. I managed to shake Mike Rockenfeller off, but then at the first pit stop, there was a bit of confusion on the radio about whether I should come in or not, and that’s when Mike got past me. But hey, that’s motor racing. Even so, second is still a good result.”

Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Fourth:

“I’m a bit disappointed because my AMG Mercedes C-Class has been consistently fast all weekend. In the end, I had to settle for fourth, but at least I’ll be taking a few points away with me. It’s a step in the right direction

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Seventh:

“I have to say a big thank you to the team. Both the car and the strategy were fantastic today. That meant we were able to move up from 13th to seventh. Not bad considering this is a track where overtaking is virtually impossible”

Gary Paffett (AMG Mercedes C THOMAS SABO-Class) – Ninth:

“I am very disappointed because from P5 I was hoping to be in the points. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the speed today. I kept on pushing, but still couldn’t defend my position.”

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Eleventh:

“We had balance problems unfortunately – I slid around a lot and just couldn’t find any grip. We now need to look into why before the next race. My first pit stop was a close-run thing, but fortunately it went well. What ‘s important is that Bruno took valuable championship points.”

Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Twelfth:

“It was a good race from my point of view. Our strategy was sound and I got away well. In the end, it was a tight situation with Ralf. I tried to pass him but it didn’t work out.”

Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 13th:

“I’m delighted with all the support I received from my fans today. There were lots of flags and baseball caps with my name on. I’m satisfied with my result. I had a minor bump at the start of the race, but fortunately it didn’t damage the car.”

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 15th:

“Zandvoort is a track where overtaking is practically impossible – the race proved that. That makes qualifying doubly important. Unfortunately for me, starting from 17th place, I was totally out of contention. Anyway: My two pit stops were great – so many thanks to the guys!”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 16th:

“After a disappointing qualifying, I started from way back on the grid and immediately lost two positions. Also, the drive-through penalty cost me valuable time. The weekend didn’t exactly go to plan, but at least I have the opportunity to make up for it in two weeks’ time at Spielberg.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“Congratulations to Audi and to Mike Rockenfeller on his first DTM victory which was well deserved. Bruno’s car was having radio problems throughout the race, so he didn’t hear the call from the team in time for his first pit stop. If he’d stopped one lap earlier, he would have kept the lead, though we might have lost this on the second stop anyway. All in all, our race speed wasn’t quite up to the level we showed in qualifying. After a run of ten victories in the last 13 races, Bruno’s second place is still quite acceptable. We’ll try to make it better again at Spielberg.”

David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher Race for Mercedes-Benz in the 2011 DTM

This will be Schumacher’s 4th DTM season and his 3rd with the HWA team, Coulthard will be with Team Mücke Motorsport

The two former Formula One drivers David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher will once again be racing the AMG Mercedes C-Class for the 2011 season. They are the best-known members of the DTM Mercedes-Benz teams. Both drivers each have more than twenty years’ motor racing experience, and from a joint total of 426 Grand Prix starts they secured 19 Formula One wins between them. David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher have quickly become fan-favourites in the DTM.

David Coulthard, 40, Scotland, made his DTM debut in 2010. He marked the end of his first year by securing his best result of the season at the final race in Shangai (8th place) and by posting the fastest lap. In 2011, the Scotsman will line up on the grid once more for Team Mücke Motorsport in the Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class.

From 1994 to 2008, Coulthard contested 246 Formula One races, 150 of them for McLaren-Mercedes. Between 1996 and 2004, he posted twelve of his thirteen Grand Prix wins for the Silver Arrows team and, in 1997, gained the first victory for McLaren-Mercedes in Australia. Jointly with Mika Häkkinen, Formula One world champion in 1998 and 1999, (Mercedes-Benz DTM driver from 2005-2007), Coulthard won the constructors’ world championship for McLaren-Mercedes in 1998. In 2001, he was world championship runner-up.

As an ambassador of ‘Wings for Life’, David Coulthard is keen to make the public more aware of this charitable foundation for paraplegics. The Scotsman hopes that his efforts will help the charity with its research into treatment for people suffering from spinal injuries. By agreement with team sponsor Deutsche Post, Mercedes-Benz are also making display space available on the bodywork of Coulthard’s car to publicise ‘Wings for Life’ and the work that he does for the organisation.

Ralf Schumacher, 35, Germany, began his DTM career on 13th April 2008 in Hockenheim and quickly became one of the most popular drivers in the championship. 2011 will be his fourth DTM season and his first in the AMG Mercedes C-Class with his new title sponsor Salzgitter.

Schumacher concluded his Formula One career at the end of 2007 after eleven seasons and 180 Grand Prix races. Having secured six Grand Prix victories, he is the third most successful German Formula One driver in history after his brother, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver Michael Schumacher, and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel.

David Coulthard: “I’m very pleased to be contesting the DTM series once more in 2011 for Mercedes-Benz. My year of apprenticeship is over – now I’m looking to make some real progress. DTM motor racing is a close-fought championship and is characterised by the fans’ enthusiasm and the direct contact between drivers and spectators. That’s something that I wasn’t familiar with in Formula One. For me, DTM is also an excellent platform for raising public awareness of the ‘Wings for Life’ charity. I learnt a lot last year, and have laid good foundations for my second season. After gaining my first DTM point at the final race of the season in Shanghai in 2010, I would like to make my fans happier this season by scoring points more often.”

Ralf Schumacher: “I really like being a part of DTM and the Mercedes-Benz family. Subtle nuances are important in this hard-fought series. If you can just improve the car’s setup by a fraction, then you can reduce your lap times significantly. After three years in the DTM and two seasons with the HWA team, I feel at ease in the AMG Mercedes C-Class and I’m ready, together with my new sponsor Salzgitter, to make the next move in my fourth DTM season.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We’ve got two of the DTM fans’ favourites, David and Ralf, in our team again for 2011. David adjusted quickly to DTM racing and improved continually during his first season – finally securing his first point and posting the fastest lap time in Shanghai. I trust that he will continue to improve in his second DTM season. It’s Ralf’s fourth DTM year and he’s already got a lot of DTM experience, and I’m certain that he can do even better. Ralf’s pole position at the Norisring proves that he’s got the potential.”