OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
Stuttgart/Brackley, Germany/United Kingdom, Apr 29, 2011
After three flyaway races, Formula One’s European season begins next weekend with Round Four of the 2011 World Championship, the Turkish Grand Prix, at Istanbul Park on Sunday 8 May.
• Of six Turkish Grands Prix held since 2005, three were won with Mercedes-Benz power (‘05, ‘09, ‘10)
• The Turkish Grand Prix has been won from pole four times and never from lower than P2 on the grid
• The 120m run from the grid to the first corner is the joint shortest of the season with Monaco
Michael Schumacher
“It is always exciting when the calendar returns to Europe and the racing schedule becomes more intense. After returning from the first three races, I have enjoyed spending some time with my family in the short break, and I am now really looking forward to the action getting underway again. The venue for our next race, Istanbul Park, is a great track and provides a good challenge for the drivers. It’s anti-clockwise, has a lot of gradient changes and different corner layouts, so it’s quite nice to drive. I know that the team have been working very hard to continue the progress that we made during the last race weekend in China and, with the help of some developments planned for Istanbul, I am confident that we can enjoy an equally positive weekend.”
Nico Rosberg
“We had a more difficult start to 2011 than we had expected, and the first three races felt a little like a rollercoaster of emotions. We were all disappointed in Melbourne and Malaysia but, after leading the race in Shanghai, we have confirmed the potential of our car. The team did a very good job to take a step forward and we learned a lot from the weekend. Hopefully we can now make a further step for Turkey and produce another positive performance. After spending time with my family during Easter, I am really looking forward to the race at Istanbul Park. Turn Eight is one of the most challenging corners of the year: it’s taken at full throttle for over eight seconds, with forces of up to 5G. If I had to create a fantasy Formula One circuit, this corner would definitely be included.”
Ross Brawn, Team Principal
“The team and drivers have worked extremely hard in the short break before the European season begins to ensure that we continue to move forward. We have a fundamentally good car and we need to achieve its full potential in the races to come. The Chinese Grand Prix reminded everyone at the team what it is like to fight for a race. We didn’t succeed on that occasion but it’s a feeling that we would like to experience more often. When the car is working properly, we can be more competitive and the solutions we are bringing to Turkey will help us achieve this level more consistently. However, we also know that we need to push for more performance if we want to fight regularly at the front. The first three races have been a challenge but we have pulled together and will continue working hard to make progress.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“The Turkish Grand Prix is the first race of the European season in the 2011 Formula One World Championship. It is a demanding circuit for both cars and drivers, and Turn Eight is the longest corner of the entire season. Nearly 70% of the 5.338 km lap is spent at wide open throttle which means that, in addition to the chassis and tyres, the engine is under considerable load. At the last race in China, our team took a step up in competitiveness relative to the first races in Australia and Malaysia. Our aim is to consolidate this level of performance in Turkey before building on it.”
* Official details courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
• Mercedes-Benz will be using high-performance Syntium engine oils supplied by PETRONAS during the 2011 DTM campaign
• The PETRONAS logo will feature on the racing overalls and helmets worn by all Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers and on the bodywork of all DTM AMG Mercedes C-Class cars
• The 2011 DTM season commences on 1st May in Hockenheim
Stuttgart, Germany, Apr 29, 2011 – Mercedes-Benz today announced an extension of its motorsport partnership with PETRONAS from Formula One to the German Touring Car Masters (DTM). Already title sponsor of the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One team, the Malaysian national oil and gas corporation will now have a prominent profile in DTM as team sponsor of Mercedes-Benz when the new season begins on 1st May in Hockenheim.
All nine Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers will race this season with the PETRONAS logo on their racing overalls and helmets, as well as on their AMG Mercedes C-Class cars. The Mercedes-Benz Formula 3 partner teams Mücke Motorsport and Prema Powerteam will likewise feature PETRONAS branding on their Dallara Mercedes Formula 3 racing cars.
The partnership between PETRONAS and Mercedes-Benz now extends from discovering and nurturing young talent in Formula 3 to the senior categories of DTM and Formula One.
In all three race series, Mercedes-Benz relies on high-performance motor oil and lubricants supplied by PETRONAS under the Syntium brand name.
As is the case for Formula One, PETRONAS motor oils have been specially formulated to meet the unique demands of DTM racing. With piston velocities of over 35m/s and valve pressures of over 9,000kg/cm², DTM engines are subject to immense physical forces. It is only when all moving parts, operating at gap sizes of a few micrometres, are optimally lubricated for these extreme conditions that the engine can deliver sustained peak performance. The specially formulated Syntium motor oil with its integrated additives ensures that the engine is able to perform consistently well throughout the season.
PETRONAS has been involved in motor racing since 1988, becoming a Formula One team sponsor in 1995. When the Malaysian Grand Prix made its debut at the Sepang International Circuit in 1999, PETRONAS secured the F1 Grand Prix title sponsorship rights to the event. Since the start of the 2010 season, PETRONAS has been title sponsor of the Silver Arrows team – MERCEDES GP PETRONAS – with its driver pairing of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher.
Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We are delighted to welcome PETRONAS as our new DTM partner. Our existing partnership in Formula One is characterised by a spirit of constructive cooperation, coupled with the ongoing desire to improve performance. The fact that PETRONAS has extended its involvement from Formula One, with our Silver Arrows team, to the DTM emphasises the growing importance of this series. Just as in Formula One, the research and development work done by our partners at PETRONAS makes an invaluable contribution to the competitiveness of our cars.”
Anita Azrina Abdul Aziz, General Manager, PETRONAS Motorsports: "We are extremely proud to extend our partnership with Mercedes-Benz. Building on our partnership in Formula One, this new relationship takes us to yet another level with our involvement in arguably the most competitive touring car series, the DTM, as well as the important single-seater category, the Formula 3 Euro Series. More importantly, this is a significant step forward for PETRONAS as we continue to pursue our commercial business objectives particularly in growing our lubricant businesses and extending our technical involvement globally."
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
Affalterbach, Germany, Apr 28, 2011 – The new C 63 AMG is being used as the Safety Car for the 2011 DTM season. Following the DTM presentation in Wiesbaden on 10 April 2011, the new Safety Car will make its debut on 1 May 2011 at the opening race of the German Touring Car Masters season at the Hockenheimring in Baden-Württemberg. The V8 Sports Saloon only had to be modified slightly for its demanding DTM task. Responsibility for development and production of the C 63 AMG Safety Car was entrusted to the specialists in the AMG Overall Vehicle Development department and the AMG Performance Studio.
Decisions regarding the deployment of the Safety Car are taken by the Deutsche Motorsportbund (DMSB) – German motor racing's governing body – which assumes responsibility for safety implementation and compliance as well as performing official sports functions in accordance with the DTM regulations. Piloted by racing driver Jürgen Kastenholz (43), the C 63 AMG Safety Car has the job of ensuring maximum safety for the racing drivers and spectators in the event of dangerous situations such as extreme weather conditions, accidents or other incidents. When radioed by Race Control, the Safety Car positions itself at the head of the DTM field and leads the cars around the circuit until normal racing can be resumed.
The new C 63 AMG being used for the 2011 DTM season scales new heights in terms of design and technology: the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine has an exceptionally high output of 358 kW (487 hp) and a peak torque of 600 Nm. The increase in output versus the standard 336 kW (457 hp) engine is due to the AMG Performance Package, which is optionally available for any C 63 AMG model and enables the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds (Estate 4.4 seconds). For the AMG Performance Package the engine specialists have placed their trust in a technology transfer from the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: the forged pistons, connecting rods and lightweight crankshaft have been adopted from the gull-wing model. The lower inertia of the three-kilogram lighter components allows the naturally aspirated eight-cylinder engine to rev freely and respond even more promptly. Distinguishing features of the Performance Package include the variable intake manifold painted in titanium grey and the AMG high-performance braking system with compound brake discs at the front axle.
AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission on board
New equipment includes the innovative AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission, which incorporates a wet start-up clutch and four transmission modes as well as double-declutching and RACE START functions for optimum driving dynamics. Distinguishing features of the current model include the aluminium bonnet with modified powerdomes, the new radiator grille, the new headlamps, the new AMG rear apron with a distinctive black diffuser insert and active rear-axle cooling. To optimise radiator inflow, the AMG front apron on the DTM Safety Car features enlarged openings and side air outlets, while the AMG carbon-fibre spoiler lip on the boot lid reduces lift at high track speeds. In keeping with this design, the DTM Safety Car also sports AMG carbon-fibre exterior mirrors.
Outstanding grip thanks to differential lock and 3-stage ESP®
The adjustable coil-over suspension together with the differential lock and the 3-stage ESP® ensures a high level of agility and outstanding grip on the race track. The C 63 AMG Safety Car is shod with multi-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels painted in matt black with a high-sheen rim flange, 235/35 R 19 front tyres and 255/30 R 19 rear tyres.
The AMG high-performance braking system has been optimised for the race track: compound brake discs with six-piston brake callipers at the front axle and steel brake discs with four-piston brake callipers at the rear axle; all of the discs are internally ventilated and perforated. Meanwhile, the AMG sports exhaust system with special rear silencers produces an unmistakable AMG V8 sound.
Distinguishing features of the DTM Safety Car compared to the standard C 63 AMG include distinctive DTM Safety Car logos, the LED light bar on the roof and the stroboscopic flashing LED lights at the front and rear. A number plate illuminated with LEDs and the words "Safety Car" on the boot lid make the car easier to see in poor weather conditions. To facilitate communication with Race Control, the Safety Car is fitted with a radio system and a TV monitor. Two AMG sports bucket seats with four-point seat belts provide ideal lateral support for the driver and co-driver, while the AMG performance steering wheel in nappa leather/Alcantara with steering-wheel shift paddles assures optimum vehicle control.
DTM Safety Car from Mercedes-AMG since 2000
Mercedes-AMG has provided the Safety Car ever since the "new" DTM's inception in 2000 and alternates with Audi from race to race. The flagship V8 C-Class model from AMG has been used in DTM since its launch in 2008. To help ensure safety on the race track in the Formula-1 World Championship, the SLS AMG is used as the Official F1TM Safety Car, while the Official F1TM Medical Car is a C 63 AMG Estate.
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
Stuttgart, Germany, Apr 28, 2011
Preview: Opening race of the 2011 DTM season at Hockenheim
• The 2011 DTM season starts on 1st May at the Hockenheimring
• New season, new tyre partner after three successive Hockenheim victories for Mercedes
• ‘Home’ circuit traditionally a happy hunting ground for Mercedes-Benz: 17 wins from 24 races since the DTM series was revived in 2000
Comments on the opening race of the DTM season at Hockenheim from:
Gary Paffett (30, England, THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- won the opening race of the 2010 season at Hockenheim
- triumphed no fewer than three times at Hockenheim (2004, 2009, 2010)
- DTM champion in 2005 and runner-up in 2004, 2009 and 2010
“I’ve had three wins – two of them in the last three races – at Hockenheim, so this has been a happy hunting ground for me. Winning the opening race last year was a perfect springboard for the rest of the season, and I’d like to repeat the performance this time round. After finishing runner-up in the 2010 championship, I have a clear objective for this season – to win my second DTM title. I just can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class and for the start lights to go out on the gantry.”
Bruno Spengler (27, Canada, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):
- won the 2006 season finale at Hockenheim
- took second podium spot in the 2010 season opener (the first four places went to Mercedes-Benz drivers)
- DTM runner-up in 2006 and 2007, third overall in 2010
“The start of the season in Hockenheim is always something special. After the long break and all the test kilometres that we’ve driven this winter, I’m very pleased that the DTM season is getting underway again. Last year, I started the season with five podium finishes in a row. It would be great if I could build on these statistics, because you have to go rather a long way back to 2006 for my last victory at Hockenheim. It’s high time I won there again.”
Ralf Schumacher (35, Germany, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- starting his fourth DTM season
- won the 2001 F1 German GP at Hockenheim
“We have worked hard and to good effect during the winter tests. I feel comfortable driving the Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class and am determined to raise my level of performance this season. Hockenheim is the perfect place to start; it’s a track that I know very well, and every year there is a great atmosphere in the Mercedes-Benz grandstand and the Motodrom. This should be motivation enough for me to post a decent result in the season opener.”
David Coulthard (40, Scotland, Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- about to embark on his second DTM season
- raced at Hockenheim 14 times in Formula One and now for the third time in DTM
“After my DTM rookie year, I’m aiming to raise my game for Season Two. I would like to lay down a marker in the opening race at Hockenheim and take up from where I left off in the Shanghai season finale, which is where I had my first points finish. I’m already looking forward to the first race of the season and the tremendous enthusiasm of the DTM fans at Hockenheim.“
Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“With the start of a new DTM season we are seeing a complete reshuffle of the pack, even if the cars are the same as they were last year. The arrival of Hankook as the new DTM tyre partner confronts the teams and drivers with new challenges; whoever masters them best will finish ahead. That Mercedes won the most races last season, secured the top three positions in the drivers’ standings and clinched the constructors’ title is now in the past, and another chapter in the long and illustrious motorsport history of the Silver Arrows.
But this weekend at Hockenheim, we all start with a clean slate. No-one has any bonus points or penalties from last season and, as I see it, around half of the drivers lining up in this year’s championship have a genuine chance of taking the title. We want to make the most of our opportunities and hopefully secure a result that is as good as the last three races we contested at Hockenheim.”
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
