2012 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX – RACE

A thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos yesterday saw Michael Schumacher end his Formula One career with a battling seventh place finish, whilst Nico Rosberg came home in 15th position after a dramatic and rain-affected race.

• Both drivers suffered a puncture from debris in the early stages of the race which compromised their afternoons
• Michael stopped four times on laps 5, 8, 17 and 54, with a prime/prime/inter/prime/inter tyre usage
• Nico also came into the pits four times on laps 9, 18, 20 and 50, using option/inter/prime/prime/inter tyres

Michael Schumacher
What an exciting and eventful Grand Prix! Strangely enough, my last ever Formula One race began with a puncture which pushed me down the running order. But it’s always been my philosophy to never give up - there’s always a chance, you just have to keep going and seize it when it comes. It’s a strange sort of coincidence that I’ve ended my Formula One career now in P7, which was my first ever qualifying result at Spa-Francorchamps 308 races ago. It also occurs to me that I was driving with the number seven on my car yesterday and that I have seven world championship trophies in my cabinet. Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel on claiming his third world title in a row. I’m very proud of Sebastian and really thrilled for him. As early as the first lap, I suddenly found him blocking the track facing the wrong way, but then the two of us both staged great comebacks in the race. His performance also showed that you just have to keep plugging away. Even under these difficult conditions, my final Formula One race was tremendous fun, and I would once again like to thank the team and all my fans for their support over the past years. I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent together very much indeed.

Nico Rosberg
That was definitely the longest race of my life yesterday! The start was pretty good, and I was running in the top eight. After the puncture however, there was damage to the floor and I lost a lot of performance. So unfortunately I had no chance to fight back from there. It must have been a fantastic race for the fans here in Interlagos and watching on the TV and I hope they enjoyed the show. Congratulations to Sebastian on the world title which is very well deserved. For myself, I am now looking forward to next year and the chance to attack again. Many thanks to the team for all of their efforts this year which saw our first win together, and we can look forward to making further progress and a better 2013.

 

Ross Brawn 
We saw a very dramatic race yesterday and a fitting finale to a great season for Formula One. From our perspective, the two punctures early on put us in a difficult position with both cars. Nico’s car suffered a lot of damage and that made his race very difficult. Michael’s puncture wasn’t as severe and the team did a good job to recover, with some help from the safety car. Michael showed all of the skills that we know he has yesterday to salvage his race; considered overtaking, good decisions on tyre strategy, and he kept the car on the road to bring us home some points. It was a nice way to finish the season and his career with us. In terms of results, his second spell in Formula One hasn’t been as special but it has been so for all of us who have had the privilege of working with him. It has been a real honour for all of the boys and girls at our team, and working alongside Michael gives you a real understanding of why he is so special and has achieved seven world championships. He will be missed and we all wish him the very best for the future. Congratulations to Sebastian on achieving his third world title yesterday, a very impressive achievement.

Norbert Haug
What an incredibly dramatic way to round off a long championship season! Michael and Nico had to make unplanned stops for punctures caused by debris on the track, losing a lot of time in the process. Both cars sustained damage to their underbody as a result, which affected down force and pushed up lap times, with Nico’s car suffering more than Michael’s. In his final race, Michael mastered the difficult, damp conditions on the track in impressive style, battling his way through to seventh place. It was great to see Michael overcoming all these problems to finish among the points in his last ever Formula One race. We thank Michael not only for his tremendous dedication and his racing achievements for our team, but also for those great personal qualities that he manifested at all times. The three seasons he spent with us will always serve as a model of team play at its best. Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing on wrapping up the world championship hat-trick. To become world champion three years in succession is a remarkable feat that has been achieved by only two previous drivers - Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher.

United States Grand Prix - Race 2012

Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished the United States Grand Prix in 13th and 16th places respectively yesterday.

• Nico followed a one-stop prime/option strategy in the race yesterday, stopping on lap 34
• Michael’s race was converted from one to two stops when it became clear his first set of tyres were struggling
• He stopped twice on laps 14 and 39, with a option/prime/prime strategy

Nico Rosberg

It was a difficult weekend for us and unfortunately we weren’t able to score any points yesterday. However we have learned some important lessons for next year and that’s what counts at the moment. I hope we can be more successful next year here in Austin as I have enjoyed our visit. The track, the people and the city are absolutely fantastic. So I look forward to coming back here in 2013 and we will work hard next weekend to finish the season on a positive note. 

Michael Schumacher

I can’t find any words other than ironic ones for the race yesterday - there was a lot of action around me but unfortunately in the wrong direction. To say that the race was a real struggle would be an understatement. I couldn’t get any grip from my first set of tyres, and there must have been some kind of damage for them to perform so badly. We had to change our strategy to two stops which then compromised our race even further. All in all, it was much worse than expected yesterday, especially considering that things did not look that bad yesterday and Friday.

Ross Brawn

After a good qualifying result, Michael’s first set of tyres performed very badly yesterday and we decided to convert his strategy to a two-stop race. Once we got onto another set, the lap times came back up to what we expected but having such a poor first stint made it very difficult for him. Nico started a long way back and conserved his tyres well as we knew that we wanted to make a one-stop strategy work. He actually had a pretty good race with respectable lap times, and if we had managed to qualify better, he would have been in a reasonable place. Whilst it is disappointing not to score any points, we have learnt a lot about the car and tyres this weekend which will be useful for the future. Despite our result, this has been a great weekend for Formula One in the United States, and it was very pleasing to see so many fans here for the first race in Austin. Our thanks for the organisers for putting on such a good show.

Norbert Haug

Nico’s speed was not too bad but from 17th on the grid, he could not improve further. His one-stop strategy worked as planned which was not the case for Michael who, after a respectable place on the grid, did not have the speed in his car to defend his position after the start of the race. The team brought him in early and switched to a two-stop strategy. Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes for winning the inaugural Grand Prix here at this great race track, after having won the last United States Grand Prix in 2007. Thank you to the organizers for making this race happen here in Austin. We will come back stronger next year. Congratulations to Red Bull Racing for securing the Constructors’ World Championship yesterday.

Another Podium Finish for Nico!

Nico Rosberg converted second place on the grid into a second-place finish this afternoon at the 70th Monaco Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher retired from seventh position following a fuel pressure problem.

• Nico ran a one-stop strategy from P2 on the grid, starting on super-soft tyres and changing to softs on lap 27

• Michael was forced to retire on lap 64, owing to a fuel pressure problem that began to slow him on lap 58

• Nico has scored 59 points in the last four races, the most of any driver in the field

Drivers	Car No.	Chassis No.	Race Result / Fastest Lap
Nico Rosberg	8	F1 W03 / 03	P2 1:18.977
Michael Schumacher	7	F1 W03 / 05	DNF 1:18.904

Weather	Sunny
Temperatures	Air: 21-22°C	Track: 31-38°C

Nico Rosberg

It’s a fantastic feeling to be on the podium at my home race in Monaco today in front of all my family and friends. The team have done a really good job this weekend to get the car working so well. Although we thought this track would suit our car, it’s been better than we expected. I had a clean start but Mark drove a very controlled race today. I could keep in touch with him but we all know how difficult it is to overtake around the streets here and there just wasn’t a way past. Still I’m more than happy with second place, and it’s great to get another podium for the boys here, and everyone back at Brackley and Brixworth. I can’t wait to get to Canada now and keep the momentum going.

Michael Schumacher

What can I say? It was simply a pity to end the race in this way. In any case, the fuel pressure problem had nothing to do with the incident at the start. But it made it doubly disappointing because I had secretly been hoping for a podium finish today. I will take the boost from the high points of this weekend with me to Canada. The track should suit us and I’m hoping to have a normal, clean race.

Ross Brawn

Nico ran a very good race today and did all he needed to do. I think we made the right calls but nothing opened up for us. It was a race that was about managing gaps and finding the right windows in the traffic; the team did a great job on that. Nico was the first of the front-runners to stop, but the harder tyre took a lap or two to come in and it wasn’t enough to jump Mark. As for Michael, he was hit on the run to the opening corner which cost him positions, but was very quick when a fuel pressure problem started to slow him later in the race. We tried to continue but it was costing him too much time, dropped him out of the points and forced us to retire the car. It was very disappointing because he put in a great performance this weekend and he was still on course to score useful points. We need to make sure we eliminate the problems for him, starting in Canada.

Norbert Haug

It was a strong race for Nico and our team, and we were in with a chance of winning until the chequered flag, but Mark did not put a foot wrong all afternoon ahead of Nico. Looking at the results today, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton – who lead Nico in the championship– all finished behind him, and this helped him close the gap at the top of the standings to 17 points. That translates to an average of fewer than three points a race separating Nico from the championship lead after six rounds. It was a pity for Michael: he clearly demonstrated this weekend that he has the speed to win races but his time will come again, like yesterday when he posted the pole position time.

Nico Rosberg rides home to a commanding win at the UBS Chinese GP

Nico Rosberg took a commanding victory at an action packed Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai yesterday. Starting from pole position, he took the chequered flag with a comfortable 20 second margin over his closest rival, achieving his first win in Formula One.

Nico ran a two-stop option/prime/prime strategy to win by 20.626 seconds over Jenson Button´s McLaren-Mercedes. Teammate Michael was forced to retire on lap 13 after his right front wheel was not properly attached at his first pit stop. This was Nico´s 111th Formula One start, and comes 111 years after Mercedes´ first win at the 1901 Nice Speed Weeks.

What makes this particular win special is that it’s the first win for a works Silver Arrow since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix, on 11 September in Monza - 25,671 days ago! The victory is the tenth in Formula One for a works Silver Arrow, and brings the total number of Mercedes-Benz F1 victories to 90. Mercedes-Benz powered cars filled the podium for the second time in three years at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg

“This is a very special moment for me. The whole weekend went perfectly. My first pole position, now my first win in Formula One - it really is fantastic. But it´s not only this; it´s the first win for the new Silver Arrow and for this great team. That is really special for me. Thanks to everybody in the team, here in China and in our factories in Brackley and Brixworth. It makes me very proud that we have improved the car so quickly. I will never forget this race, and the last 20 laps felt as long as if I was racing in the Le Mans 24 Hours! But then crossing the line was so intense. We will enjoy this success, but our feet are still on the ground. We are still not where we want to be, we are still working hard to understand the car and the tyres in all conditions, and we will keep pushing to improve our race pace even further. We will see how that works out in Bahrain.”

Michael Schumacher

“First of all, congratulations to the whole team, to Mercedes-Benz and of course to Nico who achieved a perfect victory from start to finish. He did a great job today and yesterday, and I am happy for him. As for my race, my right front tyre got loose following my first pit stop. As I did not want to cause any bigger damage to the car, I stopped on the grass. I felt there was something wrong immediately and especially in turn three, when I put pressure on the right side of the car. Up until then I had a controlled race I´d say, keeping the others behind me and the tyres together. Of course, this was an unfortunate ending to what could have been a nice race, and I feel sorry for the guys, who always work so hard and give their best. But we all know that´s part of the game.”

Ross Brawn

“This is a truly special and historic day. I am so delighted for Nico, he has deserved to take his first victory several times, and has now done so by driving a perfectly judged race from pole position. I am excited to see how he develops now he has that win under his belt. Commiserations to Michael, who was driving a controlled race in second position, but was forced to retire after his pit stop. However, he is the first man to say that we win and lose as a team, and his performances this year prove that he is equally capable of climbing to the top step of the podium. 

Heartfelt congratulations to all our team here at the track, in Brackley and in Brixworth; they have put tremendous effort into this project, and we are now starting to see the rewards for their dedication and expertise. Finally, I must thank all our colleagues at Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart and around the world - their support has been unstinting, and we are proud to deliver the first victory for a works Silver Arrow car in 57 years. I was just one year old when Juan Manuel Fangio won in Monza in 1955 - but this victory is something I will remember, and savour, for a very long time indeed!”

Norbert Haug

“What a sensational victory from Nico and our team! It was unbelievable how Nico drove and controlled the race from lap one to 56. A big thank you to everybody in Brackley, Brixworth, Stuttgart, Fellbach, Untertürkheim and Möhringen for all their relentless work and their belief in our capabilities and that we can make it. Nico´s performance was superb today, the team executed a great two-stop strategy, and Nico and his car managed the tyres very well. It was a shame for Michael, who dropped out after his first pit stop because of a problem with the right front wheel; he missed out on a possible very good podium result. It was particularly sweet to see Jenson and Lewis on the podium - Mercedes Power to the power of three!”

A Day without Speed Limits

Watching a Formula 1 car zip down the race track is one of the most thrilling moments that an auto enthusiast might experience. The sound of engines roaring at unimaginable RPMs, the blurring of colors as cars skim by like bullets - truly a rush! One wonders what it must feel like to be in the midst of something so high octane that pushes man and machine to their limits. Would a seat in the cockpit make for an auto enthusiast’s ultimate exhilaration?
 

The Mercedes-Benz Track Day Experience was an event that put most of these questions to rest. Hosted at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), Sahara Force India’s Mercedes drivers Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg took to the wheel with a single motive - to push their cars to the very edge while giving media personnel, our YEO customers and auto enthusiasts a feel of how it is to race in a GP!

A stack of papers to be signed as an acceptance of indemnity clauses, a briefon driving dynamics and rules by Mr. Hari Singh and the lucky Track Day participants were ready to shut the visors on their helmets. What followed was a gut wrenching blast as they zipped across the BIC at speeds at excessive speeds of 200kmph in the C63 AMG one of the most powerful cars in its league and Mercedes-Benz's official car for the DTM circuit! Auto enthusiasts and young entrepreneurs alike were treated to the ‘the drive of their lives’. Post racing, it took them a while to get over the hair-raising speeds that they had travelled at. The enthralled look on all faces at the end of the day served as a testament to the fascination that the Mercedes-Benz Track Day Experience had delivered.

Mercedes-Benz has always been a strong advocate of motorsports & so have its initiatives in the country:

• In the F1 arena, Mercedes-Benz today has the distinction of having three teams, and their six cars, running on Mercedes-Benz engines.

• Sahara Force India's showcase in F1 is woven around engines manufactured by Mercedes-Benz, and the continuous podium appearances across different race tracks and varied conditions are a testimony to the technological prowess of the engines.

• Sahara Force India as the 'only Indian' F1 team on the circuit, along with Mercedes-Benz will be striving with newer initiatives to popularize motorsports in the country.

• The initiation of such collaboration together with Mercedes-Benz will go a long way in sculpting the future of motorsports in India, with the active help of our partner JPSI.

• The AMGs have been revered in the motoring circuit with high esteem ever since its inception and each race reaffirms the belief in the amazing performance capabilities of this beautiful racing machine.

• In India, just like the other part of the world, the AMGs have won hearts of all motoring enthusiasts and is synonymous with performance motoring.

• The entire range of AMG from Mercedes-Benz's stable are offered for sale in India for customers and enthusiasts who are passionate about performance motoring.

Mercedes Track Day Contest!

Fans all over the world love two things about Formula 1 – the speed of the sport and the superb racing cars! Mercedes-Benz is offering you a unique opportunity to experience the thrill & fascination of the Formula 1 Race Track.

On 27th March 2012 the Sahara Force India Mercedes drivers Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg, will be visiting India to drive one lucky fan around the Buddh International Circuit in a C63 AMG.

To participate in the contest, all you’ve got to do is:

• Tweet your wildest Mercedes-Benz F1 fascinating moment using the hashtag #Fascination and mention @mercedesbenzind along with your tweets.

• For Example your Tweet: My moment of #fascination is when i hear the sound of the roaring Mercedes-Benz engines @mercedesbenzind

Contest Starts 23rd March Friday – 12.00 P.M and ends on 25th March Sunday – 06.00 P.M

One Lucky Participant will grab the amazing opportunity to be driven around the Buddh International Circuit by Sahara Force India Mercedes drivers.

Terms & Conditions - This contest is only open to resident citizens of India 18 years & above in age. The winner will be chosen at the sole discretion of Mercedes-Benz India and will be final and binding.

Karl Wendlinger

Racing driver Karl Wendlinger (Austria) is now part of the Mercedes-AMG team. The 43 year-old will be on hand at AMG events as a new AMG brand ambassador, alongside DTM championship record holder Bernd Schneider and David Coulthard. Karl Wendlinger will also be bolstering the team at the AMG Driving Academy as an instructor and supporting the SLS AMG GT3 Customer Sport teams.

Karl Wendlinger

SLS AMG GT3 customer teams can book Karl Wendlinger for test or racing sessions as part of the driver support programme from AMG Customer Sports and draw on his great knowledge as a sports car expert. The 43 year-old will be supporting his colleagues Bernd Schneider and Thomas Jäger, who have accompanied the SLS AMG GT3 throughout its entire development and testing programme. Jäger has been working as a coordinator for AMG Customer Sports since 2010.

In his new role for Mercedes-AMG, Karl Wendlinger will be on hand as a point of contact at press and customer events. As a new member of the AMG Driving Academy's team of instructors, he will also be on location at race tracks. Here too, he will join forces with Bernd Schneider and Thomas Jäger, who belong to the AMG Driving Academy's core team, along with Bernd Mayländer (driver of the official F1™ Safety Car).

Return to the Mercedes fold

For Karl Wendlinger, this collaboration marks a return to the Mercedes fold: from 1990 to 1991 the Austrian was a member of the Mercedes junior team competing in the sports car world championship along with Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. In 1991 he switched to Formula 1. In 1994, Wendlinger raced for the Sauber-Mercedes team alongside Heinz-Harald Frentzen. "I'm happy to be returning to the Mercedes family," says Karl Wendlinger. "I'm looking forward to many joint projects with AMG. I'm relishing the opportunity to work alongside Bernd Schneider, Thomas Jäger and David Coulthard at selected AMG events."

"We are proud to welcome such a successful racing driver as Karl Wendlinger to the AMG team," says Ola Källenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. "Karl Wendlinger is the likeable sort of character with whom people are keen to talk at our AMG events. His comprehensive technical knowledge and driving expertise will also be a boon to the AMG Driving Academy and the SLS AMG GT3 customer teams."

Successful career in sports car racing

Karl Wendlinger's motor sport career began in go-carting at the age of 14. In 1989 he won the German Formula 3 Championship. He subsequently competed in the DTM, Formula 3000 and the 24-hour Le Mansrace. After retiring from Formula 1, Karl Wendlinger raced in various touring and sports car series. His most outstanding successes on the race track include winning the FIA GT Championship (1999), 1st place in the 24-hour Le Mans race in the GTS-Class (in the same year), overall victory in the 24-hour Daytona racein 2000 and 2nd place in the 24-hour Nürburgring race (2003). Karl Wendlinger raced for various teams in the FIA GT Championship from 2004 to 2011. In 2007 he was runner-up with Jetalliance Racing.

JEREZ TEST - DAY ONE

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS began its 2012 testing programme in Jerez today, using the team's 2011 car, the MGP W02.

• Nico tested during the morning while Michael was in the car for the afternoon
• Both drivers completed a set-up programme which focused on learning about the behaviour of the 2012 Pirelli tyres
• The reliable 2011 car also allowed the team to accumulate valuable mileage on a number of test items for the 2012 season

Michael will continue the test programme tomorrow, with Nico in action again on Thursday.

Nico Rosberg

“We made a very good start to our testing programme today and completed 56 laps this morning. I was driving the 2011 car, so it felt comfortable straightaway. We tested some different things in perfect weather conditions and started learning about the 2012 Pirelli tyres and how they work. I was really happy to be out on track in my Mercedes and I know that, back at the factory, our development of the new car is running according to our plan.”

Michael Schumacher

“After a long break, it feels terrific being back in the car and hitting the circuit again. Our main job was to get a first impression of the tyres for 2012 and to start understanding them. They feel like a step forward, more consistent and comfortable to drive, and the biggest difference is with the rear tyre. Thanks to everybody at Pirelli for their good job this winter. Let's see what we can learn tomorrow.”

TIMES
Pos Driver Car Time Laps 

1. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1:19.670 75
2. Paul Di Resta Force India 1:19.772 101
3. Nico Rosberg MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS 1:20.219 56 

4. Mark Webber Red Bull 1:20.496 53
5. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1:20.694 57
6. Michael Schumacher MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS 1:20.794 42

7. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1:21.353 105
8. Jenson Button McLaren 1:21.530 62
9. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:22.815 69
10. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham 1:23.178 28
11. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1:23.371 25
12. Pedro de la Rosa HRT 1:23.676 44