2010 team previews: Mercedes GP
Mercedes GP are in the perfect position on paper, taking over the World Champions, and having the 7 time champ Michael Schumacher, and young hot-prospect Nico Rosberg drive for them.
However, despite the team starting work on their 2010 car early on last season, Schumacher has admitted that all may not have been going to plan so far:
“Only the future will show if it’s a winner. We are working very hard and there is still a lot of work to do. I would not say that at the moment it is all going according to plan, but on the other hand I know that the car here in Barcelona is not the car that I will drive in Bahrain.”
Michael Schumacher
When asked if he thought the car would challenge for the victory at the opening race of the season, he replied simply; “Maybe not.” Despite this, promising signs of progress in the Barcelona test caused them to adjust their negative predictions.
William’s Rubens Barrichello – an ex-teammate of Michael Schumacher at Ferrari has recently told Mercedes’ other 2010 driver, Nico Rosberg:
“Get out of there, that’s the only thing I can tell him. Knowing what I know and seeing how fast Michael went today, it is going to be a tough job. I wish him [Rosberg] all the best because I think he is a talented boy who can be world champion.”
Rubens Barrichello
As Rubens is more or less suggesting, Michael Schumacher is likely going to be the number one at Mercedes, with his infamous partnership with Ross Brawn being re-ignited.
Rosberg has been given the nigh-on impossible task of being Schuey’s teammate, someone who has a history of dominating his team’s garage, and Nico is going to have to work incredibly hard to avoid being seen as just another one of his compatriot’s lapdogs.
Schumi will undoubtedly be quick too, but the whispers have already started about his neck not being able to hold up to the strain. If it can’t Mercedes have got a very capable reserve driver in Nick Heidfeld.
Mercedes appear to have one of the strongest teams on the grid on paper, and providing the car isn’t as bad as they made out early in the season, they should be right up there with the frontrunners.
Gallery & Video: Mercedes GP livery launch
Today in Stuttgart at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, the new Mercedes GP F1 livery was revealed, on last year’s Brawn GP car. Over 600 guests, including 200 media representatives and 200 Mercedes-Benz employees were present.
The new silver and green livery creates a true marriage between the heritage of the Silver Arrows and the team’s title partner PETRONAS. The legacy of the Silver Arrows goes back to the 1934 Eifel Race when, on the evening before the event, the white paint was sanded off the Mercedes W25 race car to fulfil weight regulations (750kg formula) and the silver colour of the aluminium surface of the car appeared. This season, with the return of the Silver Arrows, the MGP W01 will shine in silver combined with a flow of iridescent silver and green shading. On the nose and other parts of the car, traces of black carbon fibre visible are visible – a reminder of the first Silver Arrow of 1934.
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER:
“Finally the 2010 Formula One season is firing up! I have to say that I am totally committed to this new challenge. This season feels like a re-start for me and I am so motivated. We have a very exciting combination at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. We have a World Champion team in every sense of the word and I cannot wait to get into the car for the first time in Valencia. I am convinced that MERCEDES GP PETRONAS will be in a very good position to fight for the championships this season and I will definitely give it a go. Driving for Mercedes-Benz again is like the closing of a circle for me as I started my racing driver career with the three-pointed star on my helmet. This is another reason why I cannot wait for the competition to get underway.”
NICO ROSBERG:
“You can really feel the successful motorsport history of Mercedes-Benz here at the Museum in Stuttgart and to be part of the new Silver Arrows team and that racing heritage makes me feel extremely proud and motivated. Since joining the team in November, I have spent a lot of time at the factory in Brackley, at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth and here in Stuttgart, which has given me the opportunity to settle in and get to know everyone. I have seen how hard the team is working on the new car and I really can’t wait for the opportunity to drive it for the first time in Valencia next week. I am looking forward to working with everyone at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS and will give it my all to reward their fantastic efforts with good on-track results this season.”
ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS:
“It is a privilege to be here at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart today for the official presentation of the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team. With your first look around the Museum, you realise the fantastic racing heritage of Mercedes-Benz and we hope to be able to contribute to those successes going forward. Our team have been working extremely hard throughout last year and over the winter on the development of the MGP W01 and everyone at the team is looking forward to the start of testing in Valencia next week. We have two excellent drivers in Nico and Michael, who will form one of the most exciting and one of the best partnerships on the grid, and with the support of Mercedes-Benz, Aabar, our new title partner PETRONAS and all of our team partners, everyone is looking forward to the 2010 Formula One season with anticipation.”
NORBERT HAUG, VICE PRESIDENT MERCEDES-BENZ MOTORSPORT:
“With today’s presentation of our new MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team, a new and certainly the most important chapter of over 100 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsport history begins. The new Formula One season will offer challenges which will be bigger than ever before in over sixty years of the sport’s history. We look forward to the cooperation with our drivers Nico Rosberg who has enormous capabilities and perspectives, and with seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher who is no less motivated than at the time when he began his professional motor racing career with Mercedes-Benz and then made his first step into such a successful Formula One career with our support. Today I also cordially welcome our new title partner PETRONAS as well as our co-investor Aabar/IPIC together with all of our team partners. I warmly welcome all our colleagues from last year’s World Championship team Brawn GP headed by Ross Brawn and Nick Fry to the Mercedes family. There are challenging tasks ahead of us and we will tackle them with power, consistency and full motivation.”
Gallery
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- 2010 Merecedes GP Petronas Launch
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- 2010 Merecedes GP Petronas Launch
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- 2010 Merecedes GP Petronas Launch
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- 2010 Merecedes GP Petronas Launch
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- 2010 Merecedes GP Petronas Launch
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- MERCEDES GP PETRONAS
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- Michael Schumacher’s 2010 helmet
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- MERCEDES GP PETRONAS TEAM launch
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- Nico Rosberg’s 2010 helmet
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- Michael and Vitaly Klitschko, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS TEAM launch
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- MERCEDES GP PETRONAS TEAM launch
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- Nico and Michael, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS TEAM launch
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- Michael and Corinna Schumacher, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS TEAM launch
Images (C) www.hoch-zwei.net/LAT
Mercedes-Petronas RB1 launched on January 25?
According to the German newspaper Bild, Mercedes are going to launch their 2010 car on January 25th at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Unterturkheim, Stuttgart. It also says that the chassis will be named Mercedes-Petronas RB1, with RB being the initials of team boss Ross Brawn.
They also report that the returning Michael Schumacher will not drive the car until an official test on February 10 in Jerez, meaning Nico Rosberg will drive the car first.
Mercedes to launch car in late January
German newspaper Bild is reporting that Mercedes will launch its car at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Unterturkheim, Stuttgart.
They also report Schumacher would not drive the car until an official test on February 10 in Jerez, meaning Nico Rosberg will drive the car first.
Plans for a joint car launch were scrapped because it was thought certain teams would get more coverage than others, and some teams like Lotus said that they would not have a car ready by the time of the common launch. FOTA have said they will look into the concept for 2011.
Brawn: Jenson was not forced out for Michael
Ross Brawn has dismissed suggestions that Jenson Button was forced out of Mercedes GP to make way for Michael Schumacher – but has admitted talks with the two drivers ‘overlapped’.
Despite becoming World Champion and helping secure the Constructors Championship for Brawn GP, Button decided to join McLaren and form a British Dream Team with Lewis Hamilton. Soon after Button left rumors began to surface that Schumacher was going to replace him 4 years after he hung up his helmet.
The news was finally confirmed on Wednesday that the 40-year-old will team up with fellow German Nico Rosberg next year.
Schumacher will be reunited with team chief Ross Brawn, who helped him to his 7 drivers’ crowns with Benetton (1994 & ’95) and Ferrari (2000-04).
However, Brawn denied that Mercedes GP wanted to get rid of Button so that they could sign the 7-time World Champion.
Brawn said:
“I don’t think that is the case. We made a good effort to try to find a solution with Jenson and it didn’t work out. Jenson made his decision in the end not to stay. We made a big effort to keep him but it wasn’t possible in the end.
“It overlapped to be honest. I had a loyalty to Jenson but when that started to look difficult I started talking to Michael, and things developed from there.
“Michael and I kept very close over the years and I saw from his disappointment over the summer, when he couldn’t drive a Ferrari, how much passion he still has for the sport. We’re incredibly excited now about the prospect of Michael being part of the team”
So it’s Britain vs. Germany
Hamilton & Button vs. Schumacher & Rosberg
Who are you backing? Discuss it on our forum here.
Schumacher joins Mercedes: Quotes
Michael Schumacher:
“MERCEDES GP PETRONAS represents a new challenge for me both in a sporting and a personal context. It is a new chapter in my racing career and I am really looking forward to working with my old friend Ross Brawn and my companions from my days with the Mercedes Junior Programme. I am convinced that together we will be involved in the fight for the Formula 1 World Championship next year and I am already looking forward to getting back onto the race track. For me, this partnership closes the circle. Mercedes supported me for so many years when I began my Formula 1 career and now I can hopefully give something back to the brand with the star.”
Nico Rosberg:
“It is fantastic that Michael is returning to Formula One and will be my team-mate at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. It’s a great challenge for me to be up against one of the best drivers of all time. I’m sure that we will form a very strong partnership as he will have lost none of his speed! It is also great news for our sport and the fans.”
Ross Brawn, Team Principal of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS:
“I am delighted that we can confirm today that Michael will make his much-anticipated return to Formula One next year and drive for our MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team. As seven-time World Champion, Michael’s outstanding record in Formula One speaks for itself and I am looking forward to working with him again. With the completion of our driver line-up, I believe that we now have the most exciting partnership in Formula One with Michael and Nico, who provide the perfect mix of talent, experience, speed and youth. We can now turn our full attention to the preparations for the new season and everyone at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS is extremely excited about the challenge ahead. With the investment and support in our team provided by Daimler, Aabar and our new title partner Petronas, and with two such exciting drivers, we have all of the building blocks in place to have another successful season in 2010.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsports:
“In April 1991, when I had been in charge of the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport programme for just six months, Michael was standing beside me on the balcony one evening. Without the slightest doubt, he said in a low voice: “It’s about time that I got into Formula 1”. Michael had just turned 22 years of age and four months later, he made his debut at Spa in a Jordan. Mercedes-Benz helped him to this point and the rest is history: seven World Championship titles, more than any racing driver, 91 Grand Prix wins, more than any racing driver. Michael has more of everything than every other driver. As part of the Mercedes Junior Programme, Michael had raced in Group C sports cars and competed in a few DTM races. Ross Brawn, then our opponent at Jaguar, quickly realised Michael’s talent and they went on to win all seven of his Drivers’ World Championship titles together at Benetton and Ferrari. Our sporting ambition has always been that Michael should drive again where his professional career had started and Michael knew that. We often joked about it after the races and discussed the prospect seriously several times during the last 14 years in Formula 1. It didn’t happen in 1995, it didn’t happen in 1998 and it didn’t happen in 2005. I am delighted that it will now happen in 2010. I am very much looking forward to working with Michael and everybody at Mercedes-Benz and Daimler extends a very warm welcome to our ‘apprentice’ of 19 years ago. That apprentice is now the most successful racing driver of all time.”
Schumi back in F1!
It has been subject to speculation for a long time, but I can confirm it is now true: Michael Schumacher will race in Formula 1 in 2010 for the Mercedes team, after 3 years out.
The 7 time World Champion Schumacher has been in discussions with the Mercedes team for over a month, and has finally signed a 7mill euro, 3 year contract at the new team.
The 40-year-old German will race alongside Nico Rosberg at the new Mercedes team who have completed the German ‘Superteam’ they were looking for.
Schumacher said:
“After a three-year break, I have all the energy again that I was lacking.
“The plan is for me to drive for the next three years.
“My neck is no longer a problem. Over the summer it was too soon after the accident. Now everything has healed.”
Schumi was set to come back half way through last season to replace an injured Felipe Massa, before a neck injury sustained in a motorcycling accident kept him out, although he refused to rule out a future return at that point, saying:
“From now to the end of the year, my neck injury will be healed to the point where I could drive again. I have nothing to prove to anyone, not even myself. I still slightly regret having retired three years ago but there’s no reason whatsoever for me to definitively announce that I will not come back.”
The rumours of Schumi’s possible permanent return to F1 started when his manager Willi Weber confirmed that he had spoken to Mercedes motorsport bosses at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Weber said:
“I know that Michael spoke with Dieter Zetsche and Norbert Haug at the season’s finale in Abu Dhabi.”
Then the rumour strengthened earlier this month when various media sources claimed the deal bringing him to Merc was ‘as good as perfect’.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo more or less confirmed Schumi’s desire to race again in F1 for Mercedes last week, saying:
“The real Schumacher, the one I know, will always remain in the Ferrari family. Then there’s his totally identical twin brother who seems to have the idea in his head to go and race in Formula One with Mercedes.”
Schumacher – he will, won't he?
It’s the one question on everyone’s lips – will Michael Schumacher return in 2010 with Mercedes?
And while there has been no official announcement, the rumours just won’t go away.
Does Schumacher want to race in 2010? The answer has got to be a solid yes.
The seven-times champion was gutted not to be able to fill in for Massa last year, and his passion for racing is obviously burning as bright as ever. A simple no would have put an end to all the rumours, but as there has been none, he must want to return.
In fact, all his quotes point to a willingness to get back behind an F1 car. With comments like:
“Who knows? Anything can happen.”
and earlier this year he said:
“From now to the end of the year, my neck injury will be healed to the point where I could drive again. I have nothing to prove to anyone, not even myself. I still slightly regret having retired three years ago but there’s no reason whatsoever for me to definitively announce that I will not come back.”
The major stumbling block seems to be his ties to Ferrari and their sponsors. But Ferrari appear to have now cleared the way for Schumacher to join the Mercedes F1 team.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said Schumacher’s role was “not binding”. He added:
“If he takes another road our agreement will no longer be valid. You can’t work with a competitor and with us at the same time. I still haven’t spoken to him about it. He is only a dear friend, not a team member. He is a consultant for our road cars.”
Mercedes are wanting to create a German superteam, and with Rosberg already in place, there’s only one seat to fill.
Before the Schumacher rumours started, Nick Heidfeld was tipped for the seat after BMW announced they were leaving F1, before selling the team back to Peter Sauber.
And it seems Heidfeld had pinned his hopes on a drive with The Silver Arrows, and he’s admitted to turning down other deals. He said:
“I have already turned down concrete opportunities and we are continuing to give other possibilities a lesser priority.”
It’s been a frustrating time for Heidfeld, who after learning BMW were leaving the sport must have been buoyed by the news on Mercedes. And now he’s hoping Schumacher will decide to stay on the sidelines. He said:
“I am not shy of my opinion about the speculation surrounding Michael’s possible comeback.
However, there is still a spare seat at Renault, which would see Heidfeld back with Robert Kubica if that move came off.
And it’s been a bad day for Mercedes, however, after a row over 90m euros in sponsorship money has developed with German consumer products firm Henkel.
It is understood that the team, then Brawn GP, believed it had a deal with the company earlier this year. However, Henkel now claims that the contract was put together by an ex-member of staff who was acting without the company’s authorisation. Henkel filed a law suit over the issue in November.
And so back to Schumacher, although I’m not going to put my neck on the line, he will be back, won’t he?
Is Fisi after a Sauber seat?
Giancarlo Fisichella is not ruling out a return to racing – judging by his latest comments on the vacant seat at Sauber.
Fisi raced for the Swiss team alongside Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in 2004, and although he is contracted as Ferrari’s test driver for the 2010 season, the close ties between Ferrari and the Sauber team – powered by a Ferrari engine – may help his secure a drive.
Fisichella has said:
“First of all I’m happy that they (Sauber) can participate in the championship and I would like to be able to collaborate with a team I know – and I got on very well with them: together with Ferrari we’ll see if that will be possible.”
The return of Sauber to F1 could also be good news for former driver Nick Heidfeld, who has yet to be signed for next season.
Heidfeld raced for Peter Sauber’s team from 2001 to 2003 (alongside Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa and Heinz-Harald Frentzen) and could make a return, although he could go to the Mercedes Grand Prix team alongside Nico Rosberg, as the German outfit are reportedly keen on an all-German line-up.
Speaking earlier in the week, Heidfeld said:
“I am in promising talks with several teams … and confident of driving for a competitive racing team next season.”
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Rosberg signs for Mercedes.
Mercedes have today announced one half of their line up for the 2010 season – Nico Rosberg.
The 24-year-old German Rosberg, previously at Williams is the son of former F1 world champion Keke Rosberg. Nico has never won a race in his 70 Grand Prix starts, and has only ever scored 2 podiums, but he is a consistent points scorer with 75.5 career points. Mercedes could clearly see his potential – Team principal Ross Brawn said;
“We are delighted to welcome Nico Rosberg to our Mercedes team and are very much looking forward to working with him. Nico is a great talent, and with four years of experience in Formula 1, is a driver who will be able to make a valuable contribution to our team right from the outset. I had the pleasure of working with his father Keke during his Formula One career and it is great to see Nico following in his footsteps. 2009 was Nico’s best season in Formula 1 to date and we look forward to seeing his development continue with us at Mercedes next year.”
And Rosberg said;
“I am really happy to be a part of the Silver Arrows re-launch in 2010 as a driver for Mercedes. No other brand in Formula 1 can look back on such a long and successful tradition in motor racing. I am very proud that I will now drive for the new Mercedes team and work with Ross Brawn. I am more motivated than ever and can hardly wait to start testing with the new Silver Arrow and for the first race of the new season at Bahrain on 14 March 2010.”
Who will join Rosberg at Mercedes is still up for speculation, although it seems whoever joins the team will be German, with Mercedes wanting an all German ’super team’. Michael Schumacher or Nick Heidfeld seem likely candidates.