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Jenson Button, and the constructor’s championship in 2009, grew out of the ashes of Honda’s F1 entry after Honda had withdrawn from F1 at the end of the 2008 season after only a single Grand Prix win for Button in Hungary 2006.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

 

[KekeTheKing]

I like that optimism Ninja. They do seem to be somewhat reborn after Schumachers comeback fizzled out.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Yep. They have been relying on old heads under some old heads. We now have some new heads bringing in some new heads. In such a technically progressive sport, new heads seems a good approach.

I am coming to the thinking that Brawn IS actually part of their problem.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Trust in Ross

 

[Jos the Boss]

They won their first race with Ross! Rome wasn't built in a day, Ferrari wasn't built in a season!

 

[Brogan]

Brawn won't be there next season.

I said as much several months ago.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Jos the Boss

Might they have won more without him? I don't think that we can call the last three years a success off the back of a championship winning season. It's only now that they really look like they are getting it together and it is as the influence and power within the team is shifted away from Brawn. The revolution that is looking more likely to deliver success is not one of Brawn's making. That's the point I am making.

 

[Lewywo4]

Ninja....you may have a point that power maybe shifting away from Brawn, but his past history could be hard for some to forget and let go.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

It's not that hard when you are throwing hundreds of millions of pounds at him and he is not giving you back what you want.

 

[Lewywo4]

http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3213/8580512/Wolff-Merc-a-bit-better-this-year

Hope the tyres don't factor too much..........
Racing...not looking after tyres.

Edit.. taken out LH & McLaren reference

F1ang-o....Webber seems to agree with you, and truly believes that F1, is now being ruled too much by these tires....

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106233

 

[Lewywo4]

It's not that hard when you are throwing hundreds of millions of pounds at him and he is not giving you back what you want.

I surely didn't mean the Mercedes Board, Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff, but the general fans of F1...

 

[ExtremeNinja]

I know. Same could be said of Schumacher, though. No room for nostalgia in the competitive side of F1. That should certainly be the reserve of the fans and historians, as you say.

 

[Galahad]

I'll take your money, Ninja.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Good stuff. What odds are you giving? They had better be good ones. I'll measure them up against whatever else I find.

 

[Galahad]

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were confident!

How about 8-1?

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Nah. Not confident but worthy of a punt. It's difficult to be confident of anything in F1. I am, however, optimistic. I think optimistic's brother killed a cat once, though.

 

[Galahad]

Ah well, probably for the best. They're, what, the third most improved team this year? After Lotus and Force India?

Actually, I forgot Marussia and Caterham, so maybe fifth.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Hmm. Not sure about Lotus. I think their improvements have been over the past few seasons whilst Mercedes improvements have come over a single winter. I think Lotus were always pretty much there last year, where Mercedes were not. McLaren have jumped out of the way of both of them and so they have both moved up but it appears that Red Bull have stood still whilst Ferrari and Lotus have improved. In terms of performance I would say that Mercedes have made bigger steps than Lotus but that given where Lotus were in the first place, their progress is more rewarding.

Force India looked to be pretty much exactly where they were with the advantage of McLaren falling back. Sutil starting on the mediums and the fact that he is a very good and experienced driver looked to somewhat flatter the team last week.

Marrussia and Caterham's progress, I feel, is relative to their low starting point. Gains in F1 tend to be pretty much exponential and so their large gains at the back compare to small gains at the front.

I would still be tempted to say that, relatively, Mercedes are looking contenders for most improved team, but at this stage it is difficult to tell.

 

[Jos the Boss]

Caterham have fallen behind Marussia!

 

[Galahad]

I suppose it depends on whether you compare to Melbourne last year or Interlagos last year. Discounting the wet setup qualifying sessions, Mercedes haven't moved much at all have they? Whereas FI are much stronger than at this time last year.

We'll find out in a minute, maybe!

 

[ExtremeNinja]