DTM at Hockenheim: Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher to drive classic and modern Silver Arrows

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS driver Nico Rosberg’s first Formula 1 win in the Chinese Grand Prix one week ago was also the first for a works Silver Arrow since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix. The victory in Shanghai came precisely 20,671 days after five-time Formula 1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio won the world championship at Monza in his Mercedes-Benz W196. In the 55 years between 1955 and 2010, there was no such thing as a thoroughbred works Silver Arrow in Formula 1. Rosberg's win came in the 41st Grand Prix of the new era.

To thank his German fans for their incredible support, Rosberg will be performing demonstration laps around the Hockenheimring in Juan Manuel Fangio’s race-winning Silver Arrow from the 1955 season.

This will be Rosberg’s second visit to the DTM season opener at Hockenheim: last year, he volunteered his services as a DTM ‘taxi driver’ at the wheel of the THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C‑Class. Rosberg’s involvement in last season’s DTM extended to the first ever Show Event in Munich: on that occasion, he drove a Formula 1 Silver Arrow around the temporary circuit in the Olympic Stadium.

Nico will not be the only prominent guest at Hockenheim; his MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team-mate Michael Schumacher is also keen to be present for the opening race of the world’s most popular touring car series and will be in Hockenheim on Sunday 29th April. Like Rosberg, the seven-time Formula 1 champion will be bringing a Silver Arrow to the event, namely the 2011 MGP W02 in which he will complete a sequence of demonstration laps.

Nico Rosberg: “I have great memories of the DTM. The earliest date back to when my father was still racing. Then I started competing in the various junior classes that are staged as part of the DTM race weekend as I started out on my own motorsport career. A lot has happened in the meantime, and the highlight so far was obviously my win in China one week ago. I am absolutely delighted to be returning to Hockenheim as a Grand Prix winner. Last year, I was able to drive a classic Silver Arrow on the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife, so now I’m really looking forward to climbing into the cockpit of Juan Manuel Fangio’s phenomenal W196 streamliner from Monza in 1955 and driving a few laps at Hockenheim. It means a lot to me that we have written a new chapter in the wonderful history of Mercedes in motorsport – and that there is plenty more still to come.”

Michael Schumacher: “After a busy start to the Formula 1 season with four flyaway races in succession, it will be nice to come back to Germany for the DTM season opener at Hockenheim on Sunday. I’m especially looking forward to the chance to give the fans a taste of a Formula 1 Silver Arrow in action. This will be my first visit to a DTM race in 20 years, and I hope that my brother and his fellow Mercedes-Benz drivers will get their season off to a great start.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “DTM begins a new era this weekend in Hockenheim, with a brand-new and exciting generation of cars. To mark the occasion, we wanted to give the spectators at the circuit something extra, and both our F1 drivers were immediately right behind the idea. Following his victory at the Chinese Grand Prix ten days ago, Nico Rosberg will complete demonstration laps in the Silver Arrow W 196 streamliner, with which Juan Manuel Fangio won at Monza in 1955. On Sunday, just before the start of the race, Michael Schumacher will complete a demonstration run in last year’s F1 Silver Arrow. It’s a throwback to the start of the DTM, which now features three premium manufacturers, and a way of saying thank you to the loyal DTM fans and to our Mercedes colleagues, thousands of whom will be in the Motodrom this weekend, accounting for a high proportion of the 55,000 pre-sold tickets. We are delighted to be able to offer the fans these additional attractions and Nico and Michael are excited to be attending on one of their few free weekends, for which I sincerely thank both of them.”

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

A new chapter in the history of the Silver Arrows

In motorsport, there are days when the stars simply seem to align and everything comes together perfectly. Sunday in Shanghai was one of those days. Nico Rosberg won his first Grand Prix at his 111th attempt - 111 years (and three weeks) after the first ever Mercedes took victory at the 1901 Nice Speed Weeks. What’s more, this year marks exactly three decades since Nico’s father Keke became world champion - in a season that, just like 2012, saw three different winners of the first three races (on the road, at least, before the first two finishers in Brazil were disqualified for technical irregularities…).

Yesterday, Nico also became a member of a very select club: drivers who have won a Grand Prix in a Silver Arrow. The story of the silver Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix cars stretches back to June 1934, and the debut of the Mercedes-Benz W 25 at the Eifelrennen, held on the Nürburgring. The winner that day was Manfred von Brauchitsch, and Nico has now written a new chapter in that proud 78-year tradition.

In total, eight drivers have now won Grands Prix at the wheel of a works Mercedes-Benz: Manfred von Brauchitsch, Rudolf Caracciola, Luigi Fagioli, Juan Manuel Fangio, Hermann Lang, Stirling Moss and Richard Seaman. Since Formula One began in 1950, just three men have this honour: Fangio, Moss and Rosberg. Nico’s win was the 10th for a works Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow in F1. What’s more, it was the first victory for a German driver at the wheel of a Silver Arrow since Hermann Lang triumphed in the 1939 Swiss Grand Prix - with the two successes separated by 26,537 days.

Indeed, as Nico became a winning Mercedes-Benz works driver - and one of just two men still living to have this distinction - so, too, the Mercedes AMG F1 W03 joined an even smaller club, becoming the sixth Silver Arrow car to take Grand Prix victory. It follows the tradition of the W 25 (used through 1934, 35 and 36), the W 125 (1937), W 154 (1938, 39), the W 165 voiturette (1939 Tripolis Grand Prix) and the W 196 (1954, 55).

However, the success on Sunday was not just limited to the top step of the podium. With McLaren-Mercedes drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finishing second and third, it was the second time in three years that Mercedes power had filled the podium in China - and just the third time in Formula One history.

Indeed, Nico’s win was the 90th for Mercedes-Benz engines in Formula One and made him the 12th driver to win in Formula One with Mercedes-Benz power. Since David Coulthard took the company’s first victory of the modern era at the 1997 Australian GP with McLaren-Mercedes, Mercedes has won 81 times from 264 starts - a winning percentage of just over 30%. With three all-Mercedes front rows in three races this season, the Brixworth-built V8 is justifying its status as the sport’s unofficial world champion engine, having scored more points than any other in the past three seasons.

Q&A with Norbert Haug, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

Yesterday’s victory was an historic moment, and the first for a works Silver Arrow in 57 years. What does it mean?
“It’s a reward for all our colleagues who have put in so much work and who never let themselves be distracted from their dream of winning races in Formula One. It’s also the perfect example that you can achieve what you want to when the right conditions are put in place and you are totally committed to the direction you are heading in. Nico showed great class yesterday: it was a composed win, with an advantage of more than 20 seconds.”

What were your emotions during the race and when Nico crossed the line?
“I was actually pretty calm - I had a good feeling and after a few laps, I was already thinking that we could get the job done. It was unfortunate that Michael retired because of an incorrectly attached wheel nut after his pit-stop - he had been running second and we could maybe even have scored a one-two. It was a great feeling as Nico took the flag - just pure joy for all the people who have worked so hard for this win.”

And it wasn’t just Nico - there were three Mercedes-powered drivers on the podium…
“Three out of three was like the cherry on top of the cake - you can’t get any better than that. We have worked long enough with McLaren and also played our part in helping McLaren-Mercedes become what it is today. We raced and beat them fair and square - and they were the very first people to come and congratulate us.”

Nico joined a very select club of drivers who have won a Grand Prix with a Silver Arrow. What can we expect from him now?
“Nico will be as good as we allow him to be. He showed as much yesterday. And Michael is driving to that level too, when his car allows him to.”

And what thoughts did you have for Michael as he watched the race from the garage?
“It was a real shame for Michael - he had earned his place on the podium. But it will come, and now everybody who at some point criticised the decision can see how important, and how right, it is to have Michael Schumacher in our team. Michael has out-qualified Nico at two of three races this year, and Nico won yesterday. What’s more, there’s a nice trend to his grid positions so far in 2012: fourth in Australia, third in Malaysia, second in China.”

You are a pure racer, Norbert. What do you make of the season far, with three winners from three races, and 17 drivers having already scored points?
“I think this could be one of the best Formula One seasons of all time and harder fought than ever - and that makes our win even more special. The reigning world champion was little more than three tenths slower than the fastest car in second qualifying - and he had to start 11th. Rosberg started from pole with Vettel outside the top ten - it just goes to show F1’s power to surprise.”

Does the result change the team´s objectives for this year?
“We want to continue improving, keep our feet on the ground and avoid making any unnecessary waves - there are already more than enough of those in Formula One. What I particularly liked was that the whole world joined us in celebrating the first win for our young team. Daimler spends less than half the sum on Formula One than it did five years ago and we have nevertheless managed to build a winning team. The victory on Sunday will only push us to get even better.”

~ Official photos and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Yesterday and now: Nico Rosberg's maiden F1 win has historical ties, statistics say

Formula 1 and statistics always go beautifully together. After MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS broke the ice in the Chinese Grand Prix 2012, it was discovered that Nico's first victory is related to some historic Mercedes-Benz racing achievements. His successful 111th start in F1 comes 111 years after the first-ever win of a Mercedes racing car in 1901 at Nice Speed Weeks in France. In addition, today's performance for the Mercedes-Benz works team also comes almost 57 years after the 1955 Italian Grand Prix held on 11th September at Monza, Italy. We thought it would be nice for you to bring back to light those glorious days. Enjoy reading!

March 1901: "We have entered the Mercedes era!"

The first new 35 hp car was delivered to Jellinek on 22 December 1900. This new "Mercedes" developed by Wilhelm Maybach caused a sensation at the start of the century: it was the world's first modern car. One of its numerous technical innovations was the honeycomb radiator, which needed far less water than before to cool the engine. As to the name change to Mercedes, Jellinek is quoted as having said this in 1906: "For non-Germans the good old name Daimler was hard to digest. But a name sometimes means everything. It must be easy to pronounce for any tongue, must be catchy and stick in people's mind."

Jellinek at any rate was very good at promoting the new type of automobile. As early as 4 January 1901, just a few days after the arrival of the first Mercedes in Nice, the L'Automobile-Revue du Littoral published an article which stated: "There is nothing new to see in Paris right now – but in Nice. The first Mercedes car built in the workshops of Cannstatt has arrived in Nice, and thanks to the cooperativeness of its owner, Mr. Jellinek, all car drivers were able to have a close look at it. We make no secret of our opinion: the Mercedes car is very, very interesting. This remarkable vehicle will be a fearsome competitor in the races of 1901."

At the Nice racing week in late March 1901 the cars with the name Mercedes demonstrated to a large audience just what they were capable of: with four first-place and five second-place finishes the Daimler cars were in a class of their own – both in the long-distance run, the hillclimb and the mile race. The French manufacturer Panhard & Levassor, who had captured first place in all races of the previous year, withdrew its vehicles before the start.

"We were victorious all down the line: the Mercedes car has been launched. Mercedes was the car of the day," Emil Jellinek said for the record. Paul Meyan, general secretary of the French Automobile Club, coined the phrase: "We have entered the Mercedes era!" For until then, although the Germans Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler were regarded as the inventors of the automobile, the French were considered the better carmakers. The cream of society was enthusiastic about the new vehicle. In 1901 the American billionaires Rockefeller, Astor, Morgan and Taylor were among the buyers of the powerful Mercedes cars of DMG. Wilhelm Maybach, of whom Jellinek was convinced that he could "invent on command", and who was celebrated by the French as the king of constructors, developed the new method of building automobiles further. But Maybach shared the kudos with Jellinek: "You and I are the inventors of the Mercedes car," he wrote later on in a letter.

Monza 1955: the W 196 R waves goodbye

The Italian Grand Prix on September 11 brought the curtain down on the W 196 R Silver Arrows. With four events already cancelled that season and all the other races contested by open monoposto cars, Italy also represented the first outing of the season for the streamlined models. A comprehensive re-fit meant that Monza was now something of a high-speed track, and one which took the field past the main grandstand twice every lap. Acknowledging the circuit’s high average speeds, Neubauer sent Fangio and Moss out in long-wheelbase streamlined cars. Kling, meanwhile, was handed an open monoposto with medium wheelbase and Taruffi lined up with a likewise open, short-wheelbase car. The four Mercedes-Benz drivers dominated the race over the opening laps, before Moss was forced to retire on lap 19 and drive shaft damage ended Kling’s afternoon on lap 33. That left Fangio to complete a relatively untroubled last win at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz, with Piero Taruffi following him home only 0.7 seconds behind. At the end of the season, the Argentinean legend was crowned Formula One World Champion for the third time, with Stirling Moss 17 points adrift in second place.

The second of the motor sport department’s goals for 1955, however, was still far from being fulfilled, as Neubauer recalled: “There was only one fly in the ointment: the Sports Car World Championship, also known as the “constructors’ title”, was as good as lost. The constructors’ title was awarded for the first time in 1953 – not to the best driver but to the manufacturer who ran the most successful cars. Ferrari had a clear lead and was almost out of sight. It was going to take a miracle to turn the situation around.” The 300 SLR racers had already demonstrated their prowess on several occasions, but neither the Eifel Race nor the Grand Prix of Sweden counted towards the World Championship.

The Mercedes-Benz team had decided to miss out the season-opening Buenos Aires 1000-kilometer race on January 23 and the Sebring 12-hour race on March 13, preferring to wait until the SLR was totally ready before giving the new car its debut. Moss and Fangio’s 1-2 finish in the Mille Miglia appeared to vindicate Neubauer’s strategy, but then came the tragic events of the Le Mans24-hour race. The 300 SLRs had taken the lead, but were pulled from the race by the Mercedes-Benz management as a mark of sadness and respect after the accident. And that meant no points to add to their championship total.

Baron de Rothschild’s Mercedes racing car at the Nice Week, on 25 March 1901. A memorable picture of the international long-distance motor race, with the 35 hp Mercedes (Continental Reifen). The scene: at the finishing line of the Nice – Salon – Nice race. Wilhelm Werner won the race (a distance of 392 km) in 6 hours 45 min.

Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft’s Mercedes 35 hp of 1901, designed by Wilhelm Maybach.

Italian Grand Prix in Monza, September 11, 1955. Juan Manuel Fangio (start number 18) at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Formula One racer with streamlined bodywork was the first to receive the checkered flag, with Piero Taruffi driving a Mercedes-Benz W 196 R open-wheel racer hot on his heels.

Juan Manuel Fangio at the Italian Grand Prix on 11 September 1955. Fangio wins the race ahead of Piero Taruffi.

Fast trio: Fangio, Moss and Kling in the Italian Grand Prix, 1955.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.