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Jenson Button, and the constructor’s championship in 2009, grew out of the ashes of Honda’s F1 entry after Honda had withdrawn from F1 at the end of the 2008 season after only a single Grand Prix win for Button in Hungary 2006.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.

 

[racecub]

marksawatsky No Lewis doesn't have harder tyres, he has softer. He has one set of mediums in his choice, Rosberg has two. Neither of the Merc drivers have yet driven on the supersofts. It will be interesting.
I would imagine the choices would have been made between driver and engineer.

 

[FB]

Will have all be talked through with the team strategist anyways. Who is that for Merc these days?

He's moved over from McLaren...

 

[Hamberg]

I would imagine the choices would have been made between driver and engineer.

Or the strategists based on previous data.

 

[teabagyokel]

I imagine it's a team decision; they've no intention to run the white-walls, but they may as well test them on one car in case they turn out to be wrong.

 

[racecub]

Apparantly Mercedes have switched over the team of engineers and mechanics that work with Hamilton and Rosberg. Seems a strange thing to do. Not much written about it other than to say it keeps everyone fresh. Nico thinks it's a good idea, Lewis hasn't commented.

Mercedes swapped drivers mechanics for 2016

 

[Titch]

Can we expect Nicco to win this year then?

 

[cider_and_toast]

Erm, no.

 

[RasputinLives]

That's good news for Lewis right? judging on the end of last year

 

[racecub]

I don't know really. I'd have thought lack of continuity would impact badly on both drivers. I imagine it takes time to build up a way of working together, of knowing what is needed, what the driver likes, what he dislikes etc.

 

[KekeTheKing]

So Merc almost got to the point where they almost though about telling Rosberg to retire the car, almost.

I think this is called, "throwing the competition a bone"

Like, our car almost broke down guys, there's hope for you all yet!

 

[KekeTheKing]

Looking forward to eventual Mercedes battle this year. Plenty of races left.

 

[KekeTheKing]

So Rosberg was in the wrong engine mode, Hamilton was closing on him at 17km/h, and I guess everyone's just fine with him swerving across the track in this scenario. Pretty hard to understand.

It's one thing to defend when you're on equal terms. It's entirely another to swerve at your teammate when you're in an engine mode depriving you of 180 hp.

 

[RasputinLives]

KekeTheKing I'm really surprised you've come down so hard on Hamilton's side.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Have I said anything incorrect?

 

[RasputinLives]

I just think there are two sides to it and I can't lay the most blame on either driver. I understand what you're saying about Rosberg but turn 4 is not a passing place for the exact reason that drivers get squeezed like that.

I just can't help thinking that if had been Lewis in front in the wrong engine mode and Rosberg behind with the pace it would have played out exactly the same way. No way Lewis wouldn't't have squeezed to try and keep position. No way Rosberg wouldn't't have tried to overtake.

I just think its harsh to blame one over the other when it's prob the definition of half a dozen of one and half a dozen of the other.

I guess we live in a blame culture.

 

[KekeTheKing]

it's prob the definition of half a dozen of one and half a dozen of the other

I would call it more of a "Trying to close the barn-door after the horse has already bolted" situation. If I had to identify a similar scenario it would be India 2011 when Massa tried to shut the door way too late on Hamilton.

Will you at least acknowledge that it's difficult to have a true "racing incident" when one car is hobbled by a setting that was selected by the driver himself. It's really no different than if he had made a mistake or missed a gear (I know, not possible anymore) and after that the rules of engagement are quite different. The driver aggressively defending should be held to a higher standard.

 

[RasputinLives]

OK. I see your view point. Question though. If the situation had been reversed wouldn't Lewis have closed the door in the exact same way?

His car was not 'nobbled' by the way. He'd already changed the setting. If he had held the position there would have been no issue being on the same pace as Lewis. It's pretty much the modern equivalent of missing a gear. Let's not get into a situation where we make it a sin for a driver to defend his position after making a minor error.

 

[KekeTheKing]

If the situation had been reversed wouldn't Lewis have closed the door in the exact same way?

It's obvious that most people want to take this as a given, but Hamilton simply does not have a history of pushing people off while defending. I'm unaware of any such instances.

I am certainly aware of Lewis' propensity to use the entire circuit when completing an overtake, but that is an entirely different scenario to a high speed defensive swerve to the very edge of the track.

 

[RasputinLives]

I put it to you that the majority of F1 drivers would do the same chop as Rosberg. Especially the race winners and the champions.

Do you really think Senna/Schumacher/Lauda would have just accepted they would be overtaken? Not a chance. Hence why I think it's racing incident. I can't blame Lewis for trying and I can't blame Nico for defending. If both had 'played it safe' then both would have thought better of it. Playing it safe Isn't what makes a great driver though.

I understand Lewis is your favourite driver but I'm still surprised you're giving Nico so much of the blame.

 

[KekeTheKing]

I put it to you that the majority of F1 drivers would do the same chop as Rosberg.

Doubtful.

Do we have any similar incidents this year? Any examples at all?

That was not World Class driving, that was Junior Formulae stuff.