2012 Airtel Indian Grand Prix - Results

Nico Rosberg finished the Indian Grand Prix in 11th place today with team-mate Michael Schumacher classified in P22.

• Nico completed a one-stop strategy, running soft then hard tyres, and made his pit stop on lap 27
• Michael suffered a first lap right-rear puncture after contact with another car at the first corner
• He made two stops on laps one and 33, starting the race on the hard tyre, then running two sets of soft tyres

Nico Rosberg
Finishing just outside of the points is always tough, and it was a hard afternoon for us out there. Starting with new tyres, I hoped to be able to make up a couple of places but we just didn’t have the pace so I had to keep fighting off the cars coming from behind me. It’s a difficult time for us but we are learning for next year so that’s one positive thing.

Michael Schumacher
That was a pretty unsatisfactory race today. It was effectively over just after the start; I lost so much time getting back to the pits with the puncture that any hope of scoring points was gone. In the meantime, the pace was pretty good but I was too far behind to make up more than a few positions. In the end, we had to retire the car for technical reasons.

Ross Brawn
We are racing in a closely-matched field this season, where a few tenths of a second in lap time make a significant difference to your position. At the moment, we are on the wrong end of those precious tenths and that once again left us outside the points this afternoon. Nico made his one-stop strategy work well, looking after his tyres so that he still had reasonable speed at the end of both stints, but otherwise he had a relatively quiet race. As for Michael, the contact at the first corner made it an uphill battle for him from turn two onwards, and left him at the back of the field. However, by running two stints on the option tyre, he was able to show respectable speed at some points of the race. We brought his car in before the end of the race as a precaution after we became aware of some gearbox concerns.

Norbert Haug
Michael suffered contact on the opening lap, which caused a puncture and put him to the back of the field after his pit stop. He retired the car with a gearbox issue five laps before the finish. As for Nico, his car didn´t have the speed to score points after starting from 10th position. We have a lot of work to do and everybody in the team is well aware of it.

2012 Airtel Indian Grand Prix starts off this weekend

The 2012 Airtel Indian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 28 October at the Buddh International Circuit just outside New Delhi. Having made its Formula One debut last year, the 5.125 km circuit hosts Round 17 of this year’s championship.

• Nine of the ten corners between Turns 5 and 14 are taken at between 200 and 250 kph
• The maximum lateral force generated on the lap is 3.8 G in Turn 13
• The 230m run from pole to the apex of Turn 1 is the third shortest of the year after Monaco and Valencia
• The cars spend 8.2s cornering in the double right-hander at Turns 10 and 11

Michael Schumacher

The Formula One debut of India last year was certainly a success. There were a surprising amount of fans during the weekend, and the track itself really is cool. We drivers were given a very enthusiastic reception, and it will be interesting to see if this enthusiasm has remained as strong. After two races which have not been totally satisfying, we naturally wish for a more positive trend to come, and I can say that everybody in the team has put in a lot of effort to achieve it. Let's see what we can make out of it.

Nico Rosberg

The Buddh International Circuit is very challenging with an interesting combination of slow speed corners and long fast straights. The track also has one of the highest average speeds in Formula One and is good for overtaking. Last year I was really impressed by the passion and friendliness of the Indian people so I'm looking forward to visiting again and having some more interesting experiences. I hope that I will have a bit more luck than recently next weekend, and I will have the chance to achieve a good result.

Ross Brawn

Next week will see Formula One’s second visit to India following the inaugural Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in October 2011. This year, our team is very pleased to be partnering with Airtel, title sponsors of the race, and we look forward to sharing our Indian Grand Prix experience with them. It’s always a pleasure to welcome new fans to our sport, and Formula One certainly seemed to capture the imagination of those who came to the circuit last year. The facilities are very impressive, and the track proved a good challenge for the drivers.

 

Norbert Haug

After a successful inaugural race last year, we are all excited to return to the Buddh International Circuit for the second edition of the Indian Grand Prix. We received a warm welcome from a very enthusiastic public last year and it was impressive to see the prestige Formula One enjoyed with the people on its first visit to India. Following two long straights, and one shorter one, the circuit offers a challenging flow of corners from turns 5 to 15, especially the long right-hander at turns 10 and 11. This puts high loads through the front-left tyre, while the expected temperatures in excess of 30°C will also make for additional challenges.

Mercedes-Benz sharpens India focus

Mercedes-Benz sharpens India focus, announces start of local production of New M-Class; inaugurates state-of the-art Paint Shop at Chakan, Pune

•  India attains the elite status within Mercedes-Benz world to start local production of the M-Class outside its SUV plant in USA
• M-Class production sets benchmarks: New assembly lines, synchronised conveyor systems, latest technology roller tester, dynamic shower tester, etc.
• The state of art paint shop further bolsters Mercedes-Benz India’s production quality, flexibility and agility. Features fully equipped labs, intelligent conveyor systems and automated robotic painting among other highlights

Pune: Mercedes-Benz India announced a double whammy in the Indian luxury automobile industry by rolling out its first locally manufactured M-Class from its world-class facility in Chakan, Pune and also declared the start of operations of its state-of-the-art technologically advanced paint-shop, capable of environment friendly water based painting. The roll-out of the M-Class and the inauguration of the Paint shop were done by Mr. Peter Honegg, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, Mr. Ralf Mungenast, Director, International Productions, Daimler AG and Mr. Piyush Arora, Director, Technical, Mercedes-Benz India.

New M-Class 250 CDI:

The M-Class was one of the first luxury SUV in the world and pioneered the segment in India just like in other world markets. Till date an estimated 2000 units of the M-Class have been sold in the Indian market as Completely Built Units (CBU) since its launch in India. The M-Class remained the undisputed leader in the luxury full-size SUV segment by selling close to 600 units in January- December 2011 and also an equal number in the first nine months of 2012.

The new M-Class 250CDI production involves the use of latest technology in Mercedes-Benz India’s world class production facility. The production involves using synchronized conveyor systems, use of latest generation PLC control units for all equipments which provide adaptability with different models on common production lines, thus increasing the flexibility of the production. Standard processes from across the value chain right through the finished car production are followed under stringent quality environment. The use of technology enabled processes like EMS–Transfer, production lines with latest generation controllers, X-road–Dynamic testing and programming of cars, Frequency controlled measurements for accuracy, shower testing cabin–for simulation of real rain test, high pressure jets and dynamic movement of cars, etc are a benchmark and helps deliver the highest quality products that roll out of the assembly lines of the company’s plant at Chakan.

Product Details: The launch of the locally produced M-Class is expected to add a further boost to the popularity of the product. Available now in the 250 CDI variant, the new M-Class combines the characteristic aggressive looks, enhanced dimensions, refined performance and has a significant green footprint. The popular 2.2 litres W166 engine powers the new M-Class 250 CDI and boasts a maximum torque of 500 Nm at 1600-1800 rpm and a rated output of 151.5 kW at 4200 rpm. The M-Class accelerates from 0-100 km/h in mere 9.0 seconds before touching the top speed of 210 km/h. Two-stage turbocharging produces high torque even at low engine speeds and further enhances the driving dynamics.

The M-Class, now in its third generation, sets benchmarks in SUV design, technology and performance. The new M-Class sports powerful exterior and interior design featuring high–quality details, following the interpretation of a contemporary SUV.  The vehicle leads the field in safety, comfort, quality feel over its competitors. Its edgy design, the agile suspension and the aggressive dynamics makes the new M-Class an extremely nimble car both in appearance and performance. The new M-Class 250 CDI has Bi Xenon Head lamps with LED daytime running lamps, an Intelligent Light System (ILS) including cornering lights, headlamp washer and adaptive high beam assist. The Electric Sunroof, 18” ten spoke light alloy wheels and Aluminium Running boards gives the car a distinctly aggressive look. The plush interiors of the new M-Class 250 CDI with electric powered seats with 4 way lumbar support provides ample seating comfort for long drives.  The interior of the M-Class attracts with POPLAR wood trim, a soothing Ambient Lighting and the Storage Package further adds to the convenience.

 

A true off-roader having 7G- TRONIC PLUS transmission with 4WD,  the New M-Class 250 CDI combines the best of technologies for engine performance, automatic transmission, anti-lock braking system (ABS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP) Acceleration Skid Control, Brake Assist, etc. The new M-Class is packed with host of safety technology features. It has seven strategically located air–bags that ensure the safety of its passengers upon collision/accident. Additionally it is built with a PRE-SAFE technology that helps prevent such instances.

The vehicle comes with the ECO start-stop function, which reduces fuel consumption and emissions. The new M-Class boasts of the ATTENTION ASSIST, an Electric Parking Brake and Active Parking Assist that increases comfort and provides a real safety plus. The new M-Class sets the bar higher for a Luxury SUV in driver’s delight, passenger convenience and overall safety, a testimony of which is the prestigious EURO NCAP 5 Star rating awarded to the vehicle. The new M-Class also offers innovative assist feature like the Reverse Park Assist which enables the car to seek a parking space and parks itself automatically.

Peter Honegg, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India commented, “The luxury SUV is the fastest growing segment in the Indian automotive industry and the new M-Class is the leader in its category. The benefits of local production have been realized in the form of aggressive pricing, easier production availability and flexible production scheduling- each of these will benefit the discerning customers and ensure greater appeal of the M-Class in the high growth luxury SUV segment. The M-Class 250 CDI priced at Rs. 45.64 lakhs (ex-showroom Pune) is the first M-Class ever to be offered from a local production outside Mercedes-Benz’s SUV plant in Tuscaloosa, USA. India becomes the ‘first’ market in the world to enjoy this elite status and further highlights Daimler AG’s focus and commitment on the Indian market.”

Paint Shop Operational:

Mercedes-Benz India also announced the start of operations of its state of art technologically advanced paint-shop located within its Chakan facility. The Paint Shop is capable of water based painting using highly sophisticated and environment friendly water based painting technology. The paint shop of Mercedes-Benz India is fully automated and maintains identical painting standards in line with stringent global standards of Daimler. The key highlights of Mercedes-Benz’s technologically superior paint shop include the flow of cars with latest communication systems for conveyors and tracking of each and every car at every stage with RFID systems. The control of all the equipment are through a central server and automated feedback loops for equipment ensures optimum settings according to the process and environmental conditions.

The paint shop also boasts of sophisticated checking laboratories with the latest equipment. The automated selections of colors are enabled for robots and an online status of input and output offers flexibility and complete control in production sequencing.

Mr. Piyush Arora, Director, Technical, Mercedes-Benz India commented, “The new Paint Shop at Mercedes-Benz India Chakan facility now positions us as a global benchmark within Mercedes-Benz world. This underscores our bullish outlook for Indian market and we look forward to introducing more locally produced vehicles for the discerning Indian customers. The paint shop and the additional assembly lines will be the cornerstone in Mercedes-Benz’s product offensive for the foreseeable future.”

The paint shop has an annual capacity of 20,000 units which is extendable to 40,000 units annually. The level of refinement, implementation of advanced technology and flexible processes positions this amongst the most sophisticated in India. With an approximate total area of 17000 square meters, the new paint shop of Mercedes-Benz India was created within a record time of 16 months.

JAPANESE GRAND PRIX – RACE 2012

Michael Schumacher finished the Japanese Grand Prix in 11th place this afternoon, having started from 23rd on the grid. Team-mate Nico Rosberg was forced to retire on the first lap after being hit by another car.

• Michael ran a two-stop prime/option/option strategy, stopping on laps 17 and 36
• His strategy made full use of his two available new sets of option tyres to gain 12 positions
• In the final stint, he caught the cars ahead of him at over a second a lap but was unable to pass for P10
• Nico was eliminated by a collision in turn two when he was hit from behind by Bruno Senna´s Williams

Michael Schumacher

I have mixed feelings after the race here in Japan, because it´s obviously unfortunate to come so close to scoring points and not manage it, after a race which went better than we expected. In the final laps, I had a nice and interesting battle with Ricciardo, but in the end I couldn´t get past him because the Toro Rosso was so quick on the straights. That´s why we have to say we couldn´t have got much more out of it today. Now let´s see how things go in Korea.

Nico Rosberg

I had a good start to the race but unfortunately it ended fairly quickly today. In the first corner Grosjean spun into Webber and that also led to my accident. I began to brake but Senna crashed into me from behind which destroyed my rear tyre and meant that I had to retire. It’s a shame as I felt very comfortable with my car on the installation lap, and I was confident that we could score some decent points. I’ll now hope for a better weekend in Korea.

Ross Brawn

From where he started today, Michael drove a strong race, and it’s a shame that he didn’t get some points for his efforts. However starting from 23rd on the grid made that just too much of a challenge, despite a very good strategy and encouraging pace from the car in the lower temperatures. The accident which caused Nico’s retirement was a great shame as the car was in good shape and he could have scored decent points if he hadn’t been taken out. There were some encouraging signs in the race and we will take heart from that as we continue to work on improving the car.

Norbert Haug

A good performance and a good drive from Michael during the race, which saw us posting good lap times for the first time this weekend - and Michael setting the sixth fastest lap time around three-quarters of the way through the race. After starting P23 following his ten-place grid penalty, Michael came home in P11, chasing the car ahead during the last seven laps. He caught him quickly, setting better lap times in the final stint, but in the end he unfortunately could not overtake to score the last available point. Nico was eliminated during the first corner crash through no fault of his own, so no points today for him or our team. We are now looking forward to the race next weekend in Korea.