Vodafone McLaren Mercedes had a productive session at Barcelona in the last round of tests before the start of the 2012 season. As all the other competitors, the Brits focused on doing the essential preparations and getting the car ready for the first real race of this year. Both the team staff and drivers were happy with the general performance of the MP4-27 and concluded the engineers managed to find the right balance as to offer a competitive package that can be victorious right from the first grand prix. Check out the full action report of the last three days spent on the Barcelona track after the break!
DAY 2
- Driver: Lewis Hamilton
- Location: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona
- Track Length: 4.655km
- Weather: Foggy and overcast at dawn, clearing by mid-morning to remain warm and sunny for the rest of the day. Maximum ambient temperature 18.9°C, maximum track temperature 37.2°C
- Laps completed: 65
- Kilometres Covered: 303km
- Best Lap Time: 1m24.111s at 12:50
Programme
Second day of testing at Barcelona, and Lewis jumped into the car today. When early-morning fog kept the circuit closed, the team continued rehearsing full-race-crew pitstops in the pitlane.
However, the majority of the day was spent making lengthy adjustments to set-up in order to more fully understand the effects of change on the car. This meant the day was centred more around development, and less on headline-making laptimes.
The day also saw the expected conclusion of our evaluation of our launch-spec aero package. For Saturday and Sunday, we plan to introduce a suite of new components for evaluation ahead of the opening race in Australia in a fortnight’s time.
At the end of the day, a satisfied Lewis said:
“Today was all about testing set-up. It was a good day: we learned quite a lot and improved a few things. We didn’t get a lot of mileage, as we had a lot of downtime inbetween changes.
“Our car feels better set-up wise, we still haven’t added the new aero package – so I think we’ll get a better picture of what the car will be like in Australia over the next two days. But I definitely feel like we have a competitive car.
“This year’s winter testing has been way better than last year. I’ve not had any problems, we’ve ironed out a lot of issues and I feel very comfortable. I’m fit and ready for Melbourne.”
DAY 3
- Driver: Jenson Button
- Location: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona
- Track Length: 4.655km
- Weather: Warm and sunny in the morning, before growing increasingly overcast. A brief rainshower hit the track at 4pm. Maximum ambient temperature 15.9°C, maximum track temperature 32.2°C
- Laps completed: 44
- Kilometres Covered: 204km
- Best Lap Time: 1m22.103s at 14:58
Programme
Today was Jenson’s last day in the car before Melbourne and, appropriately, he spent it evaluating the new race package we intend to race in Australia later this month.
The morning was spent successfully installing and understanding the suite of new aero components, but this was interrupted by a hydraulics issue which kept the car in the garage until after the lunch break.
The day was further disturbed by a mid-afternoon rainshower – so today’s proposed set-up, tyre-comparison work and a long run were postponed, and will be conducted by Lewis tomorrow.
Jenson said:
“When you get new parts, you want to go out and put lots of laps on it in order to compare it to what you had previously – but we weren’t able to do that today. We had a hydraulics issue in the morning, which meant we didn’t do much running.
“So it wasn’t the easiest morning – and then we didn’t do much running in the afternoon either because of the rain. We put a couple of good laps in but didn’t get any set-up work done – because of the rain.
“It was nice to drive the new package, and I have a good feeling about it, but I need to work with it for a bit longer to find the right balance for it.
“Hopefully, Lewis will put some more laps on the car tomorrow.”
DAY 4
- Driver: Lewis Hamilton
- Location: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona
- Track Length: 4.655km
- Weather: Bright and sunny in the morning, eventually clouding over before an end-of-day shower just before the chequered flag.
- Laps completed: 115
- Kilometres Covered: 535km
- Best Lap Time: 1m22.430s
Programme
Final day of 2012 pre-season testing and Lewis resumed testing duties of the team’s proposed race-one aerodynamic upgrade.
The aim of today’s programme was to continue the analysis started yesterday by Jenson – and the team successfully spent the morning running through a suite of set-up and balance changes and a number of tyre comparison runs.
Into the afternoon, the aim was to put further miles on the new aero package over a simulated race distance. The programme was slightly knocked-back by a small hydraulic leak at the end of the day, but the leak fortuitously coincided with a late-afternoon rainshower, meaning the team lost little significant running.
At the end of the day, Lewis and the engineers declared themselves happy with progress, particularly over the course of a long-run.
Now, our focus turns to Melbourne…
Official photos and report courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The last pre-season tests ahead of the 2012 show brought the F1 cars to Barcelona, for the second time in a row. MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team concentrated on evaluating crucial components and tyre set-up, accumulating sufficient mileage and trying out various race scenarios, in order to get a better picture of the new F1 W03 single-seater in advance of the Australian Grand Prix, happening at Melbourne in a fortnight (16-18 March 2012). Check out the full action report of the last three days spent at Circuit de Catalunya after the break!
DAY 2
Michael Schumacher was at the wheel of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W03 today for the second day of the test.
- Michael completed 19 laps this morning, with a late start and red flags, including two caused by the team, interrupting running
- The afternoon session proved more productive as Michael and the team worked through a series of set-up evaluations
- Michael’s lap tally by the end of running, which was extended by 30 minutes due to the morning fog, was 79 laps, equal to 368 km
Nico will be back in the F1 W03 tomorrow for the third day of the test, with Michael concluding the programme on Sunday.
Michael Schumacher
“The start of our day was something of a struggle this morning, partly down to me as well, and it seemed as if the afternoon might start that way also. Fortunately the session turned out well, and we achieved all of the test items that we wanted. So in the end, it was a positive day, but we will only see later how we stand compared to the other teams.”
TIMES
DAY 3
Nico Rosberg was back in the F1 W03 today for his second day, and the team’s third day, of testing this week in Barcelona.
- Nico completed a series of medium length runs in the morning session to evaluate different set-up and aerodynamic options
- He continued to achieve good mileage over longer runs this afternoon before a rain shower briefly interrupted proceedings
- This gave Nico the chance to drive the F1 W03 on intermediate tyres for the first time during the final hour of the day
- Nico completed 129 laps today, equivalent to 600 km, taking his pre-season mileage in the F1 W03 to over 2500 km
Michael Schumacher will drive for the fourth and final day of the test tomorrow to conclude our pre-season testing programme.
Nico Rosberg
“I’m happy with my pre-season testing programme, and I believe that we have made a step forward from last year. I have been able to achieve a lot of mileage which shows that the car is very reliable, and as a driver, I feel ready now for the first race in Melbourne. Unbelievably in the last hours of my test today, it was raining! So I have also been able to experience the car in the wet. Now it’s exciting to go to the first race and see where we are compared to the others. Finally all the talking stops and the racing starts when we get to Australia.”
TIMES
DAY 4
Michael Schumacher concluded the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team’s pre-season testing programme today in Barcelona.
- Over 56 laps in the morning session, Michael worked through a series of set-up runs on the hard and soft compound Pirelli tyres
- He continued a similar programme this afternoon with further set-up and aerodynamic evaluations
- Michael completed 100 laps and 466 km today, his final day in the F1 W03 before the 2012 season begins
Since its debut, the F1 W03 has completed 4450 km of pre-season mileage over eight group test days, one private test day and two 100 km filming days. The team will now return to its factories in Brackley and Brixworth to complete the final preparations before departing for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Michael Schumacher
“After four intensive days of testing this week, we are soon heading to Australia and it’s really time for the season to start. We are very happy with all the work we have been able to achieve, covering a lot of kilometres and learning a lot about our car which gives us a good basis to work from. The car felt good from the very beginning, and we have managed to improve it over the test days, so I think we can say that we are very well prepared. Again, what this means compared to our competitors is something I want only to go into after some races, as we all know that testing does not show everything. What we can say though is that the field is tighter than it has been, so we are looking forward to an exciting season.”
Ross Brawn
“As we reach the end of an intense two weeks of testing with our new car, the F1 W03, firstly I would like to thank all of our team members at Brackley and Brixworth for their hard work and dedication. It has been a demanding period for everyone involved, and I am very pleased with the work that we have achieved and the progress that we have seen. Over nine days of testing, Michael and Nico have put 4250 km on the F1 W03, and we have accomplished the majority of items on a very demanding test programme. There is a lot of hard work ahead back at base next week to analyse the results, however I am confident that we are in good shape for the start of the season. As usual, it would be unwise to make any judgement on our competitiveness at this stage, and I will certainly refrain from doing so! It is going to be fascinating to see how it all turns out and I’m sure that this is going to be a very exciting season for the teams and fans. We are all looking forward to the action getting underway in Australia in a fortnight.”
TIMES
Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
- Driver: Jenson Button
- Location: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona
- Track Length: 4.655km
- Weather: Warm and sunny. Maximum ambient temperature 19.4°C
- Laps completed: 64
- Kilometres Covered: 298km
- Best Lap Time: 1m23.510s at 11:16
Programme
First day of the final pre-season test and the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team continues preparations ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, running Jenson (Thur/Sat) and Lewis (Fri/Sun) at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
The team is planning on gradually introducing a suite of new components to the MP4-27 during this test. Focus for the opening two days will primarily be on pitstop practice with a full race crew and further race prove-outs – including some more time-consuming set-up work. The back-end of the test will be spent focusing on analysing and learning about our race-one aerodynamic package.
Team manager David Redding said:
“Having completed more than 2000km at Barcelona last week, today was always going to be more about quality than quantity. We wanted to drill a little deeper into our understanding of the car, and that meant undertaking some bigger set-up changes that wouldn’t ordinarily be available to us during a grand prix weekend.
“We made good progress and we’re satisfied with today’s results.”
Official photo and report courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Nico Rosberg began the final pre-season test for MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS today at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.
- Nico completed 128 laps, equivalent to 596 km, over the course of a very productive first day of running
- The team focused on set-up evaluations with the F1 W03 this morning, with Nico covering 56 laps over 10 runs
- Nico’s afternoon programme saw longer runs with further set-up work aimed at optimising race performance
Michael Schumacher will take over the car tomorrow, with Nico driving on Saturday, and Michael concluding the test on Sunday.
Nico Rosberg
“I´m very happy with the first day of our test programme today. We were able to complete a lot of laps and tried a few different things which worked out well. Some of the evaluations were really interesting which makes the day good fun for me, and it’s nice to find out what the car can do. We had no reliability problems which is good as it’s important to get mileage on the car. We are making progress, but we don´t know really where we are compared to the others. It will be interesting to find out at the first race.”
TIMES
Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
In today's Bathurst 12 Hour Race in Australia, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 has finished in the second place. The Australian customer team of Erebus Racing with its drivers Peter Hackett (AUS), Tim Slade (AUS), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) and Bret Curtis (USA) came home second after having driven 270 race laps. Having started from 6th place on the grid, starting number 20 took over the lead for the first time in the third hour of the race on a wet track. In an exciting battle against other GT3 cars, the gullwing car of the customer sports team of Erebus was able to constantly hold on to a position no lower than the top three. The Bathurst 12 Hour remained a narrow decision until the very end. The two leading cars remained in the same lap and the time difference with which they crossed the finish line was only 1.13 minutes.
The endurance race on Circuit Mount Panorama, which is 6,213 kilometres long, was marked by the difficult weather conditions, a large number of incidents and many safety car phases. The traditional hilly track is located in the State of New South Wales, with a distance of approximately 200 kilometres west of Sydney, the biggest city in Australia.
Peter Hackett (AUS): "I am very happy about the second place. Our SLS AMG GT3 delivered a convincing top performance facing the wet conditions on the track. The car ran like clockwork and was completely reliable. We did not get involved in any of the incidents and drove a constant race with a great race strategy and fantastic pit stops. The co-operation with Black Falcon from Germany worked very well since both teams complemented each other perfectly."
Tim Slade (AUS): "It was a great challenge with a narrow finish here on Circuit Mount Panorama in Bathurst. During the entire race we competed with the other GT3 cars on a high level. I want to thank the whole team for this cohesive performance."
Black Falcon’s SLS AMG GT3 retired from race after accident
The second SLS AMG GT3 of the customer team Black Falcon with Rob Wilson (NZ), Sean Patrick Breslin (GB), Sean Paul Breslin (GB) and Vimal Mehta (TZA) started from 9th place on the grid and had no difficulties in claiming one of the top positions among the fastest cars in the race. After an hour, starting number 21 had to make a pit stop because of a problem with the rear suspension. After having been repaired successfully, the gullwing car of Black Falcon carried on driving. However, due to an accident in the 52nd lap, the race came to an end after three hours. Thanks to the exemplary safety level, which is currently not reached by any other GT3 car, the driver Sean Patrick Breslin was unharmed.
Most successful newcomer in the 2011 motor sport season
The Bathurst 12 Hour was the second podium position in a row for the AMG Customer Sports programme. In the Dubai 24 Hours race (12th to 14th January 2012) the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT3 scored a commanding 1-2-3 with Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon at the top.
In its debut year of 2011, the Gullwing became probably the most successful newcomer in the 2011 motorsport season: from March 2011 on 40 race cars were delivered to international customer teams that took part in races on four continents and won a total of 26 races. The success story was crowned by the team title of the FIA GT3 European Championship for HEICO Motorsport and its two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 – the first title for the Gullwing in its first full racing season.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
An economical all-rounder
The Tourismo owes its success to a consistent focus on producing a particularly economical and safe coach. Its contemporary styling, typical of the brand, and especially the Mercedes-Benz quality is appreciated by customers such as Hauser-Reisen. For Hauser, the Tourismo fully reflects the typical Mercedes-Benz brand values. "We can fit out the Tourismo to suit our individual requirements and operating needs. Whether it's as an all-round coach for excursions and short trips or as a luxuriously equipped 5-star coach for demanding long-distance travel, our Tourismo is always professionally and smartly turned out. Drivers, tour guides and passengers are all of the same opinion", said Hans Keller, touching on Hauser's own concept for the interior equipment of its Tourismo fleet.
Fittings to satisfy sophisticated demands
Hauser has adapted the Tourismo M bearing the serial number 5,000 to suit the range of tours it offers. The vehicle's interior is dominated by the high-quality seating with 5-star space between seats. 42 Travel Star Xtra (TSX), Luxline upholstered seats create a luxurious and generously-proportioned ambience, re-affirmed by the fully-integrated, high-grade galley occupying the entire rear area. In addition to overhead and floor-level cupboards and two refrigerators, each of 120 litre capacity, the galley also contains a fan oven for ready meals, pretzels and rolls, a microwave, a hot water boiler, a sink, an instant hot water geyser, a hotplate and an espresso and large coffee machine. Velour carpeting covers the entire floor area including below the passenger seats.
On-board entertainment is provided by a radio and video system, including CD/DVD player, plus a selectable navigation display and iPod interface. This allows passengers to receive up-to-date news from faraway Germany on two 19-inch TFT screens. A powerful 39 kW roof-mounted air-conditioning system plus additional driver's station air-conditioning make the Tourismo the ideal vehicle for travel in southern climes. The on-board toilet is optionally available as either a water-flushed or chemically-flushed version proving that Hauser's Tourismo can even operate in minus temperatures when the summer season is over.
Powerful, environmentally-friendly drive system
Hauser-Reisen has opted for the powerful OM 457 LA series 12 litre six-cylinder in-line turbodiesel engine capable of generating 315 kW (428 bhp). Producing maximum torque of 2,100 Nm, the engine meets the environmentally-friendly EEV exhaust emissions standard without particulate filter.
Power is transmitted to the familiar, well-proven Mercedes Benz HO6 hypoid drive axle via the Mercedes GO 240-8 PowerShift automated eight-speed transmission. It is the only specially designed coach transmission in its power category and contributes significantly to reducing fuel consumption. The transmission's eight graduated gears easily cope with different load requirements, from the varied topography experienced on intercity routes to even-surfaced, long-distance motorway journeys. The transmission ensures consistently precise, smooth and rapid gearshifting.
Hauser-Reisen
Based in the South German town of Rottweil, Hauser-Reisen is focused entirely on travel and transport. What began as a bus company pure and simple in 1948 has now grown into a group of companies including a travel agency, an advertising agency and a classic local public transport company. However, the coach side of the business remains particularly important. Hauser-Reisen operates 29 Mercedes-Benz coaches: 13 Tourismos and 16 Citaros. Quality, more than anything else, underpins the coach operation's business strategy. Passengers are looked after by escorts who accompany every coach tour. Drivers receive excellent training and are justifiably referred to as coach chauffeurs. Every season, over 20,000 passengers take up one of the tours on offer. In addition to coach tours to Morocco, Turkey, Greece and northern Spain, Hauser also operates tours to more northerly destinations such as Ireland, England, Scotland, Leningrad and the North Cape. The Mercedes-Benz Tourismo's design has proven to be the ideal match for Hauser-Reisen's varied tour program. As such, this 5,000th coach will be seen on the road throughout the length and breadth of Europe.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Today, the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt plant celebrates the production of the 1,000,000th unit of the second generation A-Class (W 169). The milestone vehicle, an A 180 CDI model in metallic black paint job, will arrive at a customer in Landshut, Germany. Peter Wesp, manager of the Rastatt facility, is confident that the successful story of the current A-Class series will be continued upon the arrival of the all new W 176 generation in spring next year. At the moment, extensive work is delivered at Rastatt to prepare the assembly line for the start of production of the upcoming A-Class.
Mercedes-Benz entered the MPV segment back in 1997, with the release of the first generation A-Class. After seven years of service, it was replaced by a new model in 2004, which brought the German constructor the prize for the best premium compact car one year later. Various ingenious systems were developed specially for the A-Class through time, which helped Mercedes-Benz acquire worldwide recognition as trendsetter and innovation leader in the compact class. Moreover, the A-Class was the first automobile in its segment to receive a valid international environmental certificate. The year 2005 also marked the premiere of the all new B-Class sports tourer, which combined the proven practicality of its little brother with decent dynamic capabilities.
The new compact lineup from Mercedes-Benz will comprise, along with the recently revealed B-Class (W 246), the new A-Class hatchback and three new sports-oriented niche models including a 4-door coupe (the CLC) and a SUV (the GLC). Assembly will take place at Rastatt, where the W 246 series is already being produced, and at the new location in Kecskemét, Hungary.
Since 1992, when it was founded, the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt facility has been the prime site and competence center for the production of compact-sized models under the Three Pointed Star. Last year, a number of 238.351 finished examples rolled off the factory.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
