Barcelona F1 Test 2012: DAY 1 Report (MBAMGF1*)

The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W03 made its official debut today at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. After an early morning unveiling in the pit lane by Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, Michael then took the wheel for the day’s running.


- A smooth morning session enabled the team to begin set-up comparisons with the new chassis
- A hydraulic problem identified during the afternoon session brought an early end to the planned programme
- Michael completed 51 laps today, taking the F1 W03’s total mileage to 782 km to date

Nico will take over the programme tomorrow, with Michael back in the car on Thursday, and Nico concluding the test on Friday.

Michael Schumacher
“My initial feelings with our new car are certainly good. I’m happy with the different evaluations that we have done over the last week, but obviously with the rule changes, we won’t know more until later. It’s certainly an improvement and we have worked hard on the areas we had defined last year. The aerodynamics figures look good so I’m not worried about the shape of the nose! Even though we had the hydraulic problem today, I’m pleased with all the mileage we have achieved so far with the new car.”

TIMES

Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS
* Note: As former MERCEDES GP PETRONAS F1 TEAM changed the official title to MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 TEAM after the 2011 season, the new acronym for our F1 articles related to the German-British team shifts from MGP to MBAMGF1.

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