Both you and I couldn’t be there at the Mercedes GP Petronas team race car livery unveiling at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, but with the wonders of the internet you can watch a recording unveiling right here, right now, after the jump. There’s much more from the drivers in this video compared to the one posted earlier today, so enjoy! Click here to read the rest of Mercedes GP Petronas racecar livery launch video
With the arrival of Michael Schumacher at Mercedes, many expect him to jump straight into the role as the number one driver for the Silver Arrows. But not so, according to Schumi’s old accomplice and team boss Ross Brawn.
“I would dispute this title of the number one driver – the number one driver is the fastest one,” he said. “Whoever is the fastest driver and winning the most races, you can argue is the number one driver. We will give maximum support to both drivers. It will be absolutely evenly split and I think we demonstrated this past season that we gave both Jenson and Rubens absolute equal support,” the Brit said.
“Of course if a championship starts to develop, where one driver has a greater chance of winning the championship, or it becomes numerically possible only for that driver to win the championship, then there may be different priorities. That will be the case this year and it is there for both drivers to establish their positions, beat each other, compete with each other but do it in the correct fashion in a constructive way. That will be the strength of the team to achieve that. We don’t have a number one driver and we don’t intend to have a number one driver,” Brawn told Autosport.
By the way, superstitious Schumi has requested for number three on his car, which was originally going Rosberg’s way. The man only wants odd numbers, and number four isn’t. Looks like Michael has something in common with the Chinese!
Mercedes GP Petronas has released a new video where Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg talk a little about the new Mercedes GP Petronas team – and Mercedes took the opportunity to put in a little promo for the new SLS AMG in the video as well towards the end. The video reveals that Nico will get first dibs at the wheel of the new 2010 F1 car at the start of February 2010. Check the video out after the jump! Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Drivers Michael and Nico talk about the new Mercedes GP Petronas team
We’ve been waiting for this! The Mercedes GP Petronas team has revealed its 2010 livery at a launch ceremony at the Shining Silver Star’s museum in Stuttgart, also showing off the team drivers in their new outfit. We’re of course talking about seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and compatriot Nico Rosberg. Another German, ex-Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld is reported to be the reserve and test driver.
Compared to the official renderings shown when the Petronas deal was signed, the real design features less of the green accents which I thought looked good as a contrast to the silver/black theme. There’s sort of an “unfinished metal” look going on, which I think is quite unusual but cool.
Beneath the livery is a 2009 Brawn BGP001 racer. The proper MGP W01 2010 car with the new livery will break cover once official pre-season testing starts next month.
More images after the jump! Click here to read the rest of F1: Mercedes GP Petronas reveals 2010 livery!
The 2010 Formula 1 season opener in Bahrain is coming up fast, and there are just four race seats remaining after Sauber announced Pedro de la Rosa as its second signing. The Sauber team will be a mix of experience and youth, as 38-year old de la Rosa’s teammate will be impressive Japanese youngster Kamui Kobayashi, 23.
Spaniard de la Rosa started his F1 career as a test driver for Jordan in 1998. He then drove for Arrows and Jaguar before going to McLaren, with whom he stayed as a test driver from 2003 through 2009, filling in for Juan Pablo Montoya in 2005 and 2006. He has 71 Grands Prix under his belt. “Pedro has spent many years working for a top team at the highest technical level. We as a team stand to gain from his experience, and the same goes for young Kamui,” pointed out Team Principal Peter Sauber.
As mentioned, four seats remain empty: two at USF1, one at Campos (teammate to Bruno Senna) and one at Renault (racing with Robert Kubica). Some of you must be wondering why our title spelled “BMW Sauber” when Munich had already pulled out of F1. The team’s 2010 entry was submitted last season with BMW in the title, and it cannot amend the name without the approval of the Formula 1 Commission. Plenty of red tape involved.
Lotus F1 Racing Team Principal Tony Fernandes has officially confirmed today that the Lotus F1 Racing racecar will be officially launched on 12th February 2010 – that’s just under one month away!
No official word on WHERE the car will be revealed yet though, it might not even be in Malaysia. Earlier this month, Mike Gascoyne told Autosport that the car would be unveiled at a test session in Jerez, Spain.
Here are some updates on the Lotus F1 Team. The Malaysian-backed outfit will join the final two F1 test sessions before the 2010 season starts in Bahrain. The race car is set to be driven for the first time at Jerez, Spain in mid February.
“We are actually a week ahead of schedule. When we got the entry on September 12, our schedule said we would fire up on February 12 – and we are now scheduled to fire up on February 5. After that, we will be at the second Jerez test and then the final one at Barcelona. That will be the first time the world will see the car in action,” chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne told Autosport.
Speaking on the development progress, he said: “We started wind-tunnel testing in October so by the time we are at the first race, we have had five or six months of wind tunnel testing. We have made pretty rapid progress, and if we can maintain that then we will be in pretty good shape come Barcelona mid-season – and that is really where you have to target where you’ve got to be.
“Now it is about where are you mid-season, where are you end of season, and I want to end the season beating Force Indias and Toro Rossos and whoever is struggling – maybe Saubers. I want to be picking them off,” said a bullish Gascoyne.
A French court has overturned the indefinite ban from Formula 1 placed on former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore by the FIA. Briatore was handed the penalty last September for his role in the 2008 Singapore GP “Crashgate” scandal.
Investigations concluded that Briatore, driver Nelson Piquet and technical boss Pat Symonds conspired for Piquet to deliberately crash to help Renault’s lead driver Fernando Alonso, who went on to win the race
An FIA enquiry then saw Briatore barred from FIA-sanctioned motorsport indefinitely. However, the Italian challenged the methods used in the FIA’s case, leading to this ruling by the Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris, which also overturned the five-year ban given to Symonds. Piquet was granted immunity by the FIA for his cooperation.
After a rollercoaster 2009, which saw the Renault F1 Team struggle with an uncompetitive car and the Crashgate scandal which saw team principal Flavio Briatore and technical chief Pat Symonds leave, paddock and fans were relieved to see Renault remain in the sport after selling a big stake in the team to Genii Capital.
With all that behind the back, Renault aims to be back fighting for the championship by 2011, the team’s acting principal Bob Bell told Autosport. “The real target for us is to build for 2011 and a championship campaign. But we have realistic expectations for 2010. We are not going to produce a car that catapults us to the front because F1 is very competitive. But our 2010 expectations are to run towards the front and challenge for the top three.”
Bell said that work on Renault’s 2010 car never stalled amidst the uncertainty, but added that the Genii deal has boosted staff morale. “This is nothing but positive for the team,” he said. “It has ended all of the concerns that the staff had and gives a secure base for the future. There is a multi-year commitment and a very sensible strategy. It’s a win-win situation for both Renault and its partners, and is a big step forward.”
There are many of us who hunger for more insight into the Lotus F1 Team, after all this is a team billed as “1Malaysia” which means that we have a stake in it. But good info is hard to come by – those given out by the mainstream media tend to be come with PR gloss from the team bosses or even strong nationalistic sentiment.
Here’s an interview of Lotus F1’s Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne done by www.formula1.com, the official F1 website. In it, the fiery technical man nicknamed “The Rottweiler” explains the rationale behind driver selection and how he plans to manage “the hopes of a whole nation” among other topics. He also shares about his topsy turvy life in Formula 1 so far, admitting that “no one wanted to employ me”. Good stuff.
Read the full interview after the jump!
Looks like the rumor is true after all! Mercedes GP, the team that recently got Petronas as its title sponsor has officially signed up 7-times World Champion Michael Schumacher as its driver for the 2010 season. Schumacher will join Nico Rosberg behind the wheel of the Silver Arrows racer, which helps give an indication that Nick Heidfeld will stay at Sauber. Schumacher was racing for Mercedes before joining the pinnacle of motorsport in 1991 with Jordan. Mercedes even backed Schuey’s jump into Formula 1.
The German who will turn 41 this January will reunite with team principal Ross Brawn as the duo worked together for all of Schumacher’s seven titles, two achieved with Benetton and the rest with Ferrari. Schumacher’s move should also mark his official relationship with Ferrari to an end. The deal with Mercedes is said to be worth £6.2 million and is valid for a year, although I won’t be surprised if both Schumacher and Mercedes decide to extend it.
“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,” said Schumacher.
“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,” he added.
Team principal Ross Brawn said, “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,” he added. This is definitely the biggest come back news in Formula 1 history and it looks like Schumacher is set to increase his career statistics of 250 races, 91 wins and 68 pole positions! Look out for Petronas ads with Schumacher on board!
UPDATE: Look after the jump for a video interview with Schumacher. Click here to read the rest of Official! Michael Schumacher signs with Mercedes GP Petronas!
We picked up these renderings of the Mercedes GP Formula 1 car complete with Petronas livery from the Brawn GP official website (Brawn GP is the 2009 Constructors Champion, bought by Daimler and renamed as Mercedes GP). We’ll have to wait for pre-season testing in February to see the car for real, but here’s a teaser of how it could look.
The based colour is silver (of course) but there are streaks of Petronas green to break the monotony – previously BMW Sauber didn’t allow any of it on its car. The Petronas name is prominently displayed on the rear wing, front wing and side pods; the latter location has ‘Malaysia’ below the brand, just like on the BMW. There’s also a Petronas Syntium logo on the engine cover. Other sponsors such as Henri Lloyd, MIG and Graham are carried over from Brawn GP.
Look out for one more picture and downloadable hi-res files after the jump.
UPDATE: It’s official! Mercedes GP has unveiled latest signing Michael Schumacher at its Brackley HQ. About the condition of his neck, the seven-time champ has this to say: “It wasn’t OK in the summer, but it’s had the time to heal completely, there is no further issue with the neck – 100%,” he told BBC.
Click here to read the rest of Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team official renderings
Word that seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher will make his Formula 1 comeback via Mercedes GP has been circulating for quite some time, but he has finally signed for the Silver Arrows, according to an AFP report which quotes Bild.de.
The report says that Schumacher, who will turn 41 in January, signed a one-year deal for the 2010 season worth seven million euros, adding that the contract was signed on Tuesday at Mercedes’ headquarters in Brackley, England.
Schumi, who retired in 2006, will join compatriot Nico Rosberg in an all-German line-up for Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team. He will also be reunited with Ross Brawn, the mastermind behind his seven titles at Ferrari and Benetton. Michael has competed in 250 Grand Prix races, winning 91 of them, and started in pole on 68 occasions.
UPDATE: It’s official! Mercedes GP has unveiled their star driver at its Brackley HQ. About the condition of his neck, Schumacher has this to say: “It wasn’t OK in the summer, but it’s had the time to heal completely, there is no further issue with the neck – 100%,” he told BBC.
Staying on the topic of Formula 1, there’s more for fans to look forward to as rights holder Bernie Ecclestone has agreed a deal that would bring the F1 circus to the streets of Rome. The street race has been in planning for over a year and a half, added course planner Maurizio Flammini.
“The agreement with Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone to give life to the Rome Grand Prix has already been done and signed,” he told Sky Italia. “The appropriate course still has to be defined.”
Should it happen, Italy will join Spain in playing host to two GPs, as the Monza circuit is already a permanent fixture in the F1 calendar. Rome will join Monaco, Singapore and Valencia in the street race club.
I can already imagine the Scuderia’s scarlet car zoom past the Colosseum!
UPDATE: Organisers are targetting a 2012 entry into the F1 calendar.
Following yesterday’s shock announcement that Petronas has signed up as the title sponsor of Mercedes GP, Malaysia’s ex-Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong has showed disappointment at the snub towards Lotus F1. Yoong is now head of driver development for the Malaysian backed Lotus F1 team.
“Petronas signs with Mercedes GP,” he wrote. “Words fail me. Mercedes is a good team, no doubt, but what Lotus is doing is completely ground-breaking and brave and Petronas not seeing that fills me with shame,” he posted on his Twitter account.
Lotus F1 boss Tony Fernandes has been courting the national oil company as a sponsor after the latter ended its deal with BMW Sauber, and was quoted before as saying: “We would love Petronas to sponsor us”
