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Jenson Button, and the constructor’s championship in 2009, grew out of the ashes of Honda’s F1 entry after Honda had withdrawn from F1 at the end of the 2008 season after only a single Grand Prix win for Button in Hungary 2006.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

Mercedes largest point haul ever? Ross might have had reason to protect that....

 

[Hamberg]

I have to say whether we agree with the choice or not, Mercedes had a clear edge over Red Bull in terms of leadership and clarity of instruction and reason.

I wonder if Horner got on the radio at any point instead of leaving it to Rocky.

 

[The Pits]

He did, he said "This is silly Seb"

Seb ignored him!!

 

[Hamberg]

Oh was that Horner? Still it's hardly great is it - 'negative', 'stay behind' and re explaining the situation like Brawn did may have led to a different result.

 

[The Pits]

Especially as team orders are now allowed.

I guess Seb will have his chocolate ration revoked, and spend 2 minutes on the naughty step. This will of course be counted as the time he spent on the podium top step.

 

[Brogan]

Very disappointed with the Sky team spreading crap and rumours about the contract situation at Mercedes.

Brawn, Rosberg and Hamilton have all gone on record numerous times stating that both drivers are equal and it is in the contracts.

For a professional organisation to effectively call them all liars is unacceptable.

It just provides ammunition for the haters.

 

[F1ang-o]

Just watched the race (mostly) again....
After the race RBR.Marko definately said " it's not like at Mercedes where they have a definite No1"
Stirring

 

[teabagyokel]

In other news, Ron Dennis accused Eddie Jordan of overusing technical English, Bernie Ecclestone accused Frank Williams of being in it for the money and Sakon Yamamoto accused Nick Heidfeld of being a pay driver.

 

[Il_leone]

3rd and 4th

It has been a long time since Mercedes were on the podium -- Valencia 2012 with Schumacher so Ross has every reason to tell them to stop racing

Hamilton is not definitive No 1 although many believe he is and he's been hired to be

Rosberg contract is up at the end of the season so this is a timely reminder to anyone interested..after today's performances and debacles with other teams he will probably be one of the drivers that is considered hot property

Brawn - we suspect will not be team principal so is under pressure to deliver
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the last thing Mercedes need now is to ruin a good start with two drivers taking themselves out

Despite what Hamilton said about Rosberg having better race pace for 3rd . Does anyone think Nico would have won the race

 

[RickD]

Good on Mercedes for the 2rd and 4th, but think it could have been better, especially as Nico obviously had enough fuel in the car to race to the finish. Funny how the equality question surfaces so quickly (only the second GP and Mercedes have already shown Nico his place). Why is it the Hamilton PR machine was so determined to stress that he wanted equality if only two races in, we see this to be a falsehood?

 

[FB]

I don't think we know that do we RickD. That may be your interpretation but other races this season may prove something different.

 

[RickD]

You don't know what FB ? That there is not equality at Mercedes? Did you not watch the GP today then?

 

[FB]

Yeah, but I've seen many teams insist on "formation flying" at the end of a race to preserve points and positions. Red Bull were trying to do the same, but Vettel didn't take any notice. I just think we should wait until the situation is reversed and see how Mercedes act before drawing any conclusions.

 

[RickD]

FB - I don't, especially as there was a chance for Nico to catch at least one of the Red Bulls.

Funnily enough, we have seen this behaviour before with regards to Lewis at Turkey and the team asked him to save fuel, it seems to definitely be one of his weak points. I will say that there is nowhere near the outcry at Nico as there was at Jenson for daring to try to overtake.

Oh well, will definitely be a "friendship" to watch. Just wish the PR machine wasn't so insistent..

 

[Fenderman]

Have no fear RickD the guys will do their real talking on the track and I know where my money is safe. And quietly put i might add.

 

[RickD]

Fenderman - I wish I could believe that, but after today, they obviously are not allowed to do their fighting on track..

 

[Josh]

If they weren't allowed to do their fighting on track then Rosberg would not have been allowed to overtake Hamilton a couple of times before he was told to hold his position. I dislike team orders (especially this early in the season, though i can understand it up to a point) but don't say that they're not allowed to fight when they clearly are.

 

[Fenderman]

RickD Personally I don't believe Ross Brawn wanted to see his drivers embroiled in the unnecessary fisticuff's that he was witnessing from the two up front. I also think it is way too early for Mercedes to have decided to renege on their promises to both drivers with regard to parity this early in the season. The Mercedes team demonstrated somewhat more maturity today than that. more than can be said for some of the remarks floating around the internet, i might add.

P.S. There is some right juicy stuff out there by the way. Makes this wee debate on CTA right now seem downright polite (though no less tense, heh, heh).

 

[RickD]

Fenderman - don't know where my previous post went, but it does seem that Mercedes have reneged on their promise and they have come down in favour of Hamilton even thoguh it was obvious Nico was faster and carrying more fuel to boot!

Josh - they clearly were not allowed to race on track today, Hamilton might have looked upset at the end, but if he was that upset, he could always have let Rosberg go.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Galahad.

Mercedes most improved team?