Current Mercedes

Mercedes GP

FIA Entry: Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team
Car 7: Michael Schumacher
Car 8: Nico Rosberg
Engine: Mercedes V8
Team Principal: Ross Brawn
Technical Director: Bob Bell
Race Engineer Car 7: Mark Slade
Race Engineer Car 8: Tony Ross

Stats as of end 2010

First Entered 2010
Races Entered 19
Race Wins 0
Pole Positions 0
Fastest Laps 0
Driver World Championships 0
Constructor World Championships 0

Team History

The Mercedes team history splits into two parts. In 1954 the famous pre-war Silver Arrows entered the F1 world championship and recorded a 1-2 at their first race. Fangio went on to win the drivers championship that year and again in 1955. Mercedes withdrew at the end of the 1955 season after the accident which killed 80 spectators at Le Mans which involved one of their cars.

The current team entered F1 in 2010 after Mercedes bought Brawn Grand Prix. Brawn Grand Prix, winners of the Drivers Championship, with Jenson Button, and the constructor’s championship in 2009, grew out of the ashes of Honda’s F1 entry after Honda had withdrawn from F1 at the end of the 2008 season after only a single Grand Prix win for Button in Hungary 2006.

Prior to the Honda takeover in 2006 the team had raced under the name of British America racing which had acquired the assets and race entry of the Tyrrell F1 team in 1999. BAR competed in 118 races without a single victory. The high points for the team were 2 pole positions (both for Button – San Marino 2004 and Canada 2005) and 2nd in the constructors championship in 2004.

Tyrrell were amongst the most successful private F1 teams taking part in 463 Grands Prix, scoring 33 victories and 3 Drivers Championships, all with Jackie Stewart.

2010

Having replaced Button and Barrichello with Nico Rosberg and 7 times WDC Michael Schumacher many expected great things of the new Mercedes team in 2010 but they had an indifferent season.

Rosberg managed 3 podiums for the team but Schumacher, coming back from retirement, struggled with the new cars, tyres and limited testing under the revised regulations. The team finished 4th in the Constructors Championship.

2011

For 2011 Mercedes retain the same driver line up and are hoping for better things from their MGP W02 chassis.
 
I think that is called stating the bleeding obvious. A good pre-emptive strike to ward of negative fan and driver response and also a bit of a gee-up to both drivers.
 
If the Mercedes drivers qualified in fifth and sixth in Spain whom should they decide to favour? The British driver on with three wins or the German driver with only one win but more points?
 
Well the argument that we have a fight at the front between teammates will make this a better season to watch than the last four years, has gone flying straight out of the window then...
 
If the Mercedes drivers qualified in fifth and sixth in Spain whom should they decide to favour? The British driver on with three wins or the German driver with only one win but more points?
I'd say they favour neither unless threatened from behind( metaphorically speaking ;)) If threatened, they favour the driver in front on track at the point they call it........in my humble opinion.
 
A couple if points I'd be keen to get views on regarding the Merc. It's using the new nose in Spain, and they pin a lot on it. The car was designed around this nose and they've spent a fortune on it. It aids cornering I believe and also allows more air to get under the car.( simplified explanation sorry) . If it's as good as Merc are expecting it will be a woeful blow to other teams. Of course it has to be raced yet. Can anyone see any issues/ problems this nose could bring?

The other point is the tyres. Last year in Spain the Mercs chewed tyres like it was their last meal. The tyres are different this year, much better to go racing on, and Mercedes have addressed the issue. But does anyone expect any left over tyre chewing to manifest itself at this track?
 
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