Mercedes GP debuts Their Team F1 Car

Photo Credit: Mercedes GP

Guaranteed to be Formula 1's most watched team with being built from the foundation of last year's F1 Constructor Champion, Mercedes GP has been catching major headlines through luring 7-time World Driving Champion Michael Schumacher from retirement. At a January 25th event inside the Mercedes-Benz Museum located in Stuttgart, Germany the Mercedes GP team introduced a vehicle which they intend to honour the automotive history within the building's walls.

The first Formula 1 team to unveil their competition car for the 2010 grand prix season, Mercedes GP team drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg joined a Silver Arrow-inspired Petronas-sponsored MGP-W01 race machine. In front of a crowd of selected 600 guests consisting of 200 media members and 200 Mercedes-Benz Employees, driver Nico Rosberg brought light to the atmosphere stating "You can really feel the successful motorsport history of Mercedes-Benz here at the Museum in Stuttgart and to be part of the new Silver Arrows team and that racing heritage makes me feel extremely proud and motivated." Mercedes GP team principal and minority team owner Ross Brawn was also taken aback by the event. "With your first look around the Museum, you realise the fantastic racing heritage of Mercedes-Benz and we hope to be able to contribute to those successes going forward." This time last year Brawn, having bought the assets of the former Honda F1 team, showed off his one and only Brawn GP entry in much less fanfare.

Racing legend Michael Schumacher, looking forward to his first year of Formula 1 competition since 2006, sums up his motivation for driving a race vehicle with the famous tri-star badge. "I am convinced that MERCEDES GP PETRONAS will be in a very good position to fight for the championships this season and I will definitely give it a go. Driving for Mercedes-Benz again is like the closing of a circle for me as I started my racing driver career with the three-pointed star on my helmet. This is another reason why I cannot wait for the competition to get underway.”


Photo Credit: Mercedes GP

Following a previous article, I must apologize that I might have misled readers to believe that the Mercedes GP team were going to introduce their car in Valencia, Spain. In truth, the Mercedes GP car will be tested for the first time.

Involved in Formula 1 since 1993, The German car company maintained largely an engine supply role. Mercedes-Benz did acquire a 40 percent stake in McLaren, an ownership sum that will be sold back to the team for 2011. In the 2010 Formula 1 season Mercedes-Benz makes a return as an engine and chassis combination after a 55-year absence.

2009 F1 Champion Button Driving for McLaren in 2010

Photo Provided by Brawn GP/Mercedes Grand Prix

As the 2009 Formula 1 season ended just under a month ago, some radical off-season deals for the 2010 tour is already set to reform the grand prix starting grid. With the surprising announcement that Brawn GP operation morphing into Mercedes Grand Prix last Monday, indications pointed that the 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button would be housed under the new Silver Arrows banner for 2010. However, two days later, broadcasts proclaimed the reigning Formula 1 champion Button would be driving for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes outfit in 2010. Spending 7 seasons inside the team that evolved from BAR to Honda to Brawn GP in 2009, Jenson Button responded in a in Vodafone McLaren Mercedes' official release by saying “It’s always a difficult decision to leave a team when you’ve been there for so long. But life is all about challenges – and, most important of all, it’s about challenging yourself. So, although I won the World Championship with Brawn GP last year, and I’ll never forget that, I was always adamant that I wanted to continue to set myself fresh challenges."

Teaming up with 2008 F1 champ Lewis Hamilton for an all-British driver lineup, Hamilton has been very complimentary to the entrance of Jenson Button into the McLaren F1 team. In Lewis Hamilton's words, “I already know Jenson, and we get on very well together. We both really want our team to succeed. Although we’ll be pushing each other hard, I’m sure we’ll very quickly establish a great working relationship. He’s an exceptional driver: very controlled and very smooth, and he has a real depth of knowledge and experience."

Considering the timing of Jenson Button's move to McLaren and the intricacy of Formula 1 contracts, it would be safe to believe that the planned to switch teams well before the Mercedes-Benz buy-in to Brawn GP was made official.

Mercedes-Benz Buys Majority Stake In Brawn GP; Becoming Mercedes Grand Prix in 2010

Image Acquired From Brawn GP/Mercedes Grand Prix


Winning the 2009 Formula 1 constructor champion by winning 8 times in their first season with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello driving, Brawn GP was the Cinderella story of modern auto racing. Spun off the less than successful factory Honda Formula 1 team, former Ferrari and Renault technical director Ross Brawn retained the personal of the past team but sought the power of a Mercedes-Benz powerplant. As Brawn GP reveled as their Mercedes-Benz engines, few would have known that the German automaker wished to end their customer relationship. Instead, Mercedes-Benz (under parent company Daimler AG) decided to evolve their customer into their new factory team for 2010.

Announced Monday, Daimler AG, partnered with Abu Dhabi-based principal investment firm Aabar Investments PJSC, bought over 75.1% controlling interest to the one-year Formula 1 entrant Brawn GP. Renaming the team Mercedes Grand Prix, minority team owner and team leader Ross Brawn will continue to have an important presence in the new team.

While Brawn GP gains the factory support of Mercedes-Benz, The German auto giant also announced a change in their 14-year relationship with McLaren Mercedes Formula One. With Mercedes-Benz already possessing a 40 percent stake in this previous partnership, a preparation has been made for McLaren to buy back Mercedes-Benz's share of the team by 2011. However, as the auto manufacturer divests their interest from McLaren, Mercedes-Benz has also entered into a long-term engine supply deal for the Mclaren F1 team through the 2015 season.

F1: Vettel Victorious at 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Red Bull triumphs!

Photo Courtesy of Brawn GP


Bracing to make their circuit an attraction on the prestigious Formula One calendar construction of the Yas Marina circuit, started in 2007, was built in vision of a world class motor sport facility. At the Formula One tour arrived for the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the United Arab Emirates state project spent the equivalent of 1.3 billion US dollars to give their dream form. Stretching 3.451 miles and consisting of 21 turns, the track provides a fusion of many F1 road courses. Tight, challenging corners reminds of Suzuka while the long high-speed sections mirror Belgium's Spa circuit. Apart from the FIA-approved race track, the Yas Marina facility includes a five-star hotel, covered grandstand seating, and a full-function water park making this race a resort community.

Jenson Button, the acclaimed 2009 Formula One World Champion, came to the Yas Marina circuit without concern for the points and really to claim his first F1 race victory since July. "Brazil was a fantastic weekend and to have won the Constructors’ and the Drivers’ Championships with Brawn GP is a very special achievement. I am incredibly proud of the whole team at Brawn GP and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines." Jenson Button responded going into the race. "We’ve all had a few busy days since returning to the UK and it was great for both Jenson and I to get back to the factory and thank everyone in person for their contribution to our successes. At the same time, we have been looking ahead to the final race and ensuring that all our preparations are in place for Abu Dhabi which is an important weekend for the team as we look to secure second position in the Drivers’ Championship with Rubens."

In qualifying however, the 2008 F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton expressed some relief to relinquishing the championship crown by putting his McLaren Mercedes on the top spot. Hamilton held off the dynamic duo of Red Bull Racing as Sebestian Vettel snagged 2nd and Mark Webber qualified 3rd for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Brawn GP pair of Rubens Barrichello and 2009 champ Jenson Button would roll off 4th and 5th.

In the race, Hamilton led the first 17 laps of the event over Vettel until a pit stop for fuel handing the lead to 2nd place Sebastian Vettel. Defeating Hamilton's chance at winning the final race of the F1 season, Hamilton's McLaren had to be withdrawn from competition due to brake problems. With McLaren's second car driven by Heikki Kovalainen finishing 11th, the 2009 F1 season treated the McLaren team particularly rough placing a distant third in the final constructor point tally.

Sebestian Vettel went unchallenged after Hamilton's retirement, piloting his Renault-powered Red Bull machine to a third win for 2009. A breakout season for the 22 year old German, he finished the F1 season scoring 14 points more than Button through the final 6 races. Also emerging triumphant this season for Red Bull is Mark Webber after 7 seasons in Formula One. Webber finished second in the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix providing a strong finish for Red Bull Racing as a whole.

With the driver's points settled, Button and his Brawn GP team enjoyed a productive race which resulted in a 3rd place podium finish. First year team owner Ross Brawn commented on the success of the 2009 outing saying "To go through the trauma of the winter months and make it to the first race and then achieve eight Grand Prix victories and the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in our first year is an outstanding achievement."

As the 2009 Formula One season ends under an unique Formula One sunset, this tour will be remembered as a definitive moment for the once underdogs of the world championship of auto racing. Button winning a championship after 10 seasons in the series, 18 year F1 veteran Rubens Barrichello enjoying a 3rd place points finish (his best since his tenure with Ferrari) and the rise of two teams (Brawn GP and Red Bull Racing) over the established Ferrari and McLaren creations.

The 2010 Formula One season promises have the ingredients to another unpredictable year as new teams, new rules and new drivers are certain to tint the complexion of the top open wheel series on the planet.

2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix- Race Results

1. Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault
2. Mark Webber RBR-Renault
3. Jenson Button Brawn-Mercedes
4. Rubens Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes
5. Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber
6. Kamui Kobayashi Toyota
7. Jarno Trulli Toyota
8. Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari
9. Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota
10. Robert Kubica BMW Sauber
11. Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes
12. Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
13. Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota
14. Fernando Alonso Renault
15. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes
16. Giancarlo Fisichella Ferrari
17. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes
18. Romain Grosjean Renault
19. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (Out due to Brakes)
20. Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari (Out due to Gearbox)

Button Clinches 2009 F1 Championship at Brazilian Grand Prix

As Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber won the Brazilian Grand Prix for Formula one second last round of 2009, the man of the hour was not even on the podium. Brawn GP's driver Jenson Button rose to the spotlight relished his 5th place finish. Though not so impressive by itself, the points finish was more than enough to lock Englishman's hard-earned Formula one title after a Cinderella-like 2009 grand prix season.

After 10 seasons of competition in the formula one world championship, Jenson Button spent much of that time overcoming the excessive hype from his introduction as a 20 year old driver in the 2000 F1 season. Having just one grand prix victory prior to 2009, Button's career looked less than certain after Honda decided to withdraw from formula one after 2008. As Honda's F1 program was bought by the team principal Ross Brawn, Brawn was confident enough on Button's abilities to retain the now 29 year old racer.

Contending with the essentially new team of Brawn GP at the season opening Australian Grand Prix, Jenson Button promise showed in a brilliant performance which would shape the most interesting underdog efforts in Formula One. Outwitting established teams names of McLaren and Ferrari, the Mercedes-Benz engined Brawn stormed to pole and set himself up for victory in Australia. Giving the Brawn GP car a win in its inaugural outing, Button turned heads which had than been focused on Lewis Hamilton or even Kimi Räikkönen. Winning five of the six races following the 2009 F1 season opener, early year tear propelled the team as the top outfit in motorsports in only months.

However, as the season appeared to become a cakewalk for Button and Brawn GP, other Formula One teams applied themselves to the axiom 'standing still is moving backwards'. While teams stepping up their efforts is not a surprise, amazement came from which the fact that Red Bull Racing was providing the greatest challenge to Brawn GP. 22 year old Sebestian Vettel carried the Red Bull Racing flag for 2009 as he held close to Button in the point standings. Rubens Barrichello, who supported the Brawn GP cause with two wins of his own, was also a leading contender as Button's winning ways faded through the season.

Nonetheless, even though Jenson Button has gone winless since early July, he kept logging points with his Brawn Mercedes-Benz to secure the championship with one race left on the schedule.