Sunday 26 October 2014

1200 days from taking over Brawn GP to 2014 Constructors champions

(Mercedes AMG F1 Team)

The Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team project began in in 2010 when Daimler Benz bought world champions Brawn GP at the end of the 2009 season having powered the Brackley based outfit during the 2009 season. 

The 2010 season saw the team re-branded as Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team with Ross Brawn remaining at the outfit as team boss. The team had a brand new line-up for the 2010 season with Nico Rosberg joining the outfit from the Williams F1 Team while seven time world champion Michael Schumacher coming out of retirement to race for the team.

The team finished the 2010 season in fourth place with a total of 214 points. Nico Rosberg picked up the teams very first podium finish at the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix wher he finished the race in third place. He followed this up with another podium in the very next race in China where he finished in third place aswell.

Rosberg also picked a third place finish at the 2010 British Grand Prix in Silverstone and finished the season in 7th place on 142 points while Michael Schumacher completed his first season back in Formula One in 9th place on 72 points with a best race result of 4th place in both the Spanish and Korean Grand Prix.

In 2011 the team once again finished the season in 4th place in the championship with Nico Rosberg finishing the season in seventh place and Michael Schumacher finishing in 8th place respectively in the drivers championship. Rosberg's best result was a back to back fourth place finishes in China and Turkey while Schumacher's best result was a fourth place finish in Canada.

In 2012 the team finished the season in fifth place in the championship with Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finishing the season in 9th and 13th place respectively in the championship. Rosberg's best result was a breakthrough victory for the Silver Arrows when the German won the Chinese Grand Prix.

Michael Schumacher's best result was a third place finish at the European Grand Prix. The Chinese Grand Prix also saw the team pick up their fist pole position since their return to Formula One as a 'works' team.

The 2013 season saw big changes at the Brackley based outfit with Toto Wolff joining the team as Mercedes Motorsport boss while former world champion Niki Lauda joined the team as non executive chairman. Lewis Hamilton also joined the team following six season's with McLaren Mercedes having first joined the Woking based outfit as a teenager. Of of the 3 June 2013, Paddy Lowe also joined the team as executive director (technical) having jumped ship from McLaren.

Mercedes had their best season in Formula One since their return as they finished the season in 2nd place in the Constructors championship. Lewis Hamilton ended the season in fourth place taking five pole positions along with five podium finishes which included taking victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix. 

Nico Rosberg finished the season in sixth place in the championship taking three pole positions and three podium finishes which included two victories in Monaco and at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone.

And so to 2014, Ross Brawn officially left the Brackley based outfit in December last year with Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe sharing the role of team principal with Wolff taking up the role of Executive Director (Business) and Lowe remaining in his role of Executive Director (Technical). The Silver Arrows have dominated the first year of the new era of Formula One with the sport switching from 2.4 litre V8 engines to 1.6 litre turbocharged V6 power units. 

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have between them won all but three Grand Prix this season with Infiniti Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo taking victory in Canada, Hungary and at the Belgian Grand Prix. 

The pair wrapped up the Constructors championship for Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team last time out at the inaugural Russian Grand Prix with three Grand Prix remaining this season such has been the dominance of this year's W05 chassis. 

The Mercedes duo head to the United Sates Grand Prix in Austin Texas next weekend in first and second place in the championship with Lewis Hamilton holding a 17 point advantage over Nico Rosberg in race for the 2014 world championship.

Did you know?

  • Mercedes have a workforce of 500 employees at the Brackley HQ who work in shifts 24 hours a day seven days a week working everyday with the exception of the two week mandatory Summer shut down and Christmas day.
  • Mercedes race team have conducted 61 LIVE pit-stops so far this season
  • The Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team have lead 91% of the 952 laps raced so far in 2014
  • Mercedes powered cars have scored 65% of all the championship points this season
  • The Brackley based outfit have taken 13 wins
  • Mercedes powered teams have scored 35 podium finishes
  • Mercedes powered teams have been on pole position 16 times this season which is all of the races so far this season. (15 for Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team) (1 for the Williams Martini Racing Team - Austria)
© Ben Johnston 2014





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