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Jenson Button, and the constructor’s championship in 2009, grew out of the ashes of Honda’s F1 entry after Honda had withdrawn from F1 at the end of the 2008 season after only a single Grand Prix win for Button in Hungary 2006.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

 

[Fenderman]

Just had a quick look for the term "gives you wings" as it's fairly common. It seems to have a Biblical origin as there are references to it in relation to Angels, although I haven't found the exact phrase. Red Bull did apparently try to Trademark it in the US but apparently failed. That's probably due to "fair use" issues.

Edit: The poster seems to be doing the rounds as a downloadable wallpaper, so KekeTheKing is spot on about it being out there for ever

From US trademark register:

Word Mark: GIVES YOU WINGS
Status: ABANDONED - NO STATEMENT OF USE FILED
Status Date: 8/26/2013
Serial Number: 77921459
Filing Date: 1/27/2010
Registration Number: NOT AVAILABLE
Registration Date: NOT AVAILABLE
Last Applicant/Owner: Red Bull GmbH, Fuschl am See A-5330

 

[siffert_fan]

Ninja

In a way, I would find it rather ironic if Lauda were whining about "his" corner being renamed for sponsorship money. People tend to forget that Lauda had a long-term contract with BRM (the only F1 team willing to take a chance on him), yet instantly broke it when Ferrari came courting and offering MORE MONEY.

Since he's old like I am, I guess he's entitled to a few cases of selective memory.

 

[RasputinLives]

Are you a bit dissapointed with the fact Merc are dominating F1 this year? Well blame Ferrari and Mclaren for designing SHIT cars

http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/9389530/Lauda-Lays-Into-McLaren-Ferrari

Not my words but the words of Niki Lauda.

 

[Road of Bones]

Nothing to do with Mercedes poaching the likes of Paddy Lowe then...?

 

[Greenlantern101]

Toto fell off his bike. Ouch.

“A bit of a carambolage during yesterday's bike ride resulted in a fractured shoulder, collar bone, elbow and wrist...,” a team source tweeted, “Half man, half machine: it's not just Arnie any more! The #Totonator has joined the club.”

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/207026/1/mercedes-boss-injured-in-cycle-crash.html

 

[Brogan]

Mercedes may rethink their strategy and allow both drivers to to do as they wish.

At the beginning of the season it is easy to say these are the rules and this is how we are going to do it. But now it is clear: these two are fighting for the world championship.

Maybe we have come to a point where what we had at the beginning of the season doesn't function anymore, because we cannot ask either driver to give up positions or jeopardise their own campaign and championship chances for the benefit of the team.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115184

 

[Il_leone]

Mercedes may rethink their strategy and allow both drivers to to do as they wish.




http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115184

is anyone surprised given what is at stake

 

[Fenderman]

I'd be surprised if anyone is surprised, although I am surprised that it took so long for Mercedes to come to that unsurprising conclusion. Having said that, it comes as no surprise to me that "the media" is surprised since they always seem to lag way behind the actual news which then surprises them. If they were ahead of the game nothing would surprise them but simple, obvious and predictable things do surprise them because they ("the media") are simple, obvious and predictable. One thing that does surprise me is, how unsurprising it is that the concept of the Mercedes drivers fighting for the WDC means situations like this will occur is actually news to them ("the media"). This leads to boring, obvious and predictable questions in Parc Ferme such as "Were you surprised that x ignored team orders?" and "Does today mean you aren't friends anymore?". That's because they ("the media") are, in the main, numpties and ... ahem, kof, kof ... seem to forget the chums are fighting each other for the WDC, an idea which suddenly pops up to surprise them all over again!

Surprising isn't it?

 

[Incubus]

To be fair and all things considered, Mercedes have so far handled the situation of two team-mates competing for the title rather better than what we saw at other teams over the past few decades or so...

 

[Galahad]

What surprises me is that teams in Mercedes' position never address team orders head on, in advance of races. If Toto has decided that the Constructors' is already won, and he's not bothered about 1-2s any more, he should really have let the rest of the team know in advance of Hungary. The drivers especially.

 

[marksawatsky]

I just watched the F1 show on Sky and I think it was Crofty who said that if Mercedes lets the drivers race and they take each other out, the journalists will be the first ones to say "Why didn't you have team orders?", but if Mercedes had team orders, those same journalists would be asking "Why not let them race?". I like the title fight between the two Merc drivers (so much better than the non-existent fight between the Red Bull drivers in recent years) but I wish they didn't have to share data with each other. Advantages are hard fought and well earned, they shouldn't just be handed over to teammates

 

[Jen]

I agree marksawatsky.

They may be one team, for the WCC, but there are two involved for WDC - for me the WDC is more important, and as such, each side of the garage should be allowed some degree of isolation.

If the WCC is more important, (and I know that is what helps the teams most), then all teams should have only one driver.

 

[marksawatsky]

There is so much money on the line for the Constructor Championship, which makes the teams act like it's the more important trophy. Maybe there should be some adjustment to the way the money is awarded?

 

[RasputinLives]

Can I just say that I would hate the idea of teams just running one car.

 

[Jen]

But what is the point of two cars if the WCC is the most important?

 

[Bill Boddy]

It's a team prize, a bit like team prizes in other sports such as the Ryder Cup.

 

[Josh]

What's the point of two cars if the WDC is the most important?

 

[Jen]

Perhaps to give as many talented drivers an opportunity to show their worth!

However, if there was only one driver per team, we would certainly see fewer pay drivers and lesser talented (but competent) 'slot-ins'. There would also be no debate on team orders! And, maybe, fewer regs designed to hamper true competition.

If F1 was a 'pure' sport and the idea was to showcase excellence in driver ability and technical innovation, then surely only one driver is necessary?

To coin a phrase, it is a conundrum wrapped in an enigma.

 

[FB]

I seem to recall when 1 car teams were allowed you got lots of rich, private entries and even more rent-a-drivers, Copersucar, Rebaque, Theodore, Ensign, are just a few examples which spring to mind.

 

[Bill Boddy]

If the grid were halved all but one would win points at every race. Most of the spectacle would go as well.