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First of the Four Official Formula One Pre - Season Testing - Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia Test
Day One
Defending World Champion Sebastian Vettel is all set to hold the title. As the first day of Valencia Test ends, Sebastian Vettel laid down a marker for the 2011 season by setting the fastest time on the opening day of testing in Valencia.
Position
1 Sebastian Vettel
Red Bull RB7
1min 13.769sec
93
2 Nico Hulkenberg
Force India
VJM03(2010)
1min 13.938sec
71
3 Gary Paffett
Mclaren
MP4-25(2010)
1min 14.292sec 91
4
Paul Di Resta
Force India
VJM03(2010) 1min 14.461sec 28
5
Fernando Alonso
Ferrari
F150
1min 14.553sec
98
6
Kamui Kobayashi
Sauber
C30
1min 14.621sec 64
7
Jerome D’Ambrosio
Virgin
VR01(2010)
1min 15.621sec 71
8
Vitaly Petrov
Renault
R31
1min 16.003sec 28
9
Michael Schumacher
Mercedes
MGP W02
1min 16.351sec 15
10
Jaime Alguersuari
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 16.450sec 19
11
Rubens Barichello
Williams
FW33
1min 17.335sec 77
12
Narain Karthikeyan
HRT
F110(2010)
1min 18.020sec 45
13
Nico Rosberg
Mercedes
MGP W02
1min 19.930sec 9
Force India showed a promising result on Day 1, with an improvement this year. Force India's new reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg was second. He completed 71 laps and ended the day just under two-tenths down on Vettel. He handed the car over to the team’s new race driver, Paul di Resta, in the late afternoon. Scottish Di Resta finished in fourth after covering 28 laps. He will continue to test on Wednesday.
"Our strategy for this test was to use the VJM03 to gain our drivers some early season mileage and collect as much data on the Pirelli tyres as possible," explained Force India's circuit engineering director, Dominic Harlow. "Overall we achieved our objectives today, looking at the three compounds available here and with both Nico and Paul driving the car. Fortunately the weather for the coming two days is forecast to remain fairly good and we look forward to continuing with our work over the remaining two days."
Third fastest on Day 1 was McLaren tester Gary Paffett, on interim MP4-25, ahead of the launch of the team’s new car on Friday in UK. Paffett covered 91 laps, as he carried out an evaluation of the new Pirelli rubber. Lewis Hamilton will be in action for the team on Wednesday.
“The car we ran today ought to allow us to get the right loadings on the Pirellis to understand how they behave,” said Paffett. “Today was about trying to understand the tyres - we established a good baseline and then did some long runs. It’s useful to understand how the tyres go off, and how the balance changes once they do. The medium seems to last the longest and the super-soft the shortest, but that’s exactly what you want from a tyre – and it should lead to different strategies once we start racing.”
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso finished fifth in F150. Alonso focused his attentions on developing the new car and furthering his understanding of the new Pirelli tyres. He completed 98 laps after a largely trouble-free day and will continue to test on Wednesday.
Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi was sixth quickest in C30. Kobayashi covered 64 laps for the team and finished just ahead of Jerome D’Ambrosio who was seventh in Virgin’s 2010 car.
“It was a busy day, with all the little problems you have to look into at this time of the year when testing begins with a brand new car," explained Sauber's technical director James Key. "The important and good thing is we had absolutely no major issues and the car was running well.
"We used the morning for several system checks and some initial set up work. We only used the KERS and the rear wing activation in the afternoon. Tyre degradation was quite high and we will have to keep an eye on that for the remainder of the test. Of course there is plenty of work to do, but we are fine with what we have learned and achieved so far today.”
Renault’s Vitaly Petrov was eighth in the new R31. The Russian is expected to hand over the car to his team mate Robert Kubica on Wednesday.
Ninth fastest was Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher in the new MGP W02. Schumacher’s team mate Nico Rosberg had debuted the team’s 2011 car in the morning, but the younger German had only completed nine laps when a hydraulics problem interrupted his outing. He eventually finished in the 13th and was last slot on the timesheets. After the car had been repaired, Schumacher made it out on track to cover 15 laps.
"It felt good to see the MGP W02 finally take to the track after so much hard work from everyone at the factory to prepare the car for this first test," said team principal Ross Brawn. "Michael and Nico felt comfortable and had a good feeling from the car, although we were limited in the mileage that we achieved today.
"We had a hydraulic problem early on which limited Nico's running but were able to change the system to get Michael out for a few laps at the end. The first tests are about focusing on reliability, which admittedly was not great today, and getting the KERS system functioning well. Performance testing will develop over the next month as we get more running under our belts."
Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari finished in tenth in the new STR6. Rubens Barrichello in Williams new FW33 finished in 11th. Twelfth quickest was Narain Karthikeyan, who completed 45 laps in HRT’s 2010 car.
Testing continues at Valencia on Wednesday, when Lotus are expected to join the fray with their new car.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Toro Rosso launches STR6
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Toro Rosso Unveils its 2011 season Car STR6 on 1st Feb, 2011 at Valencia Circuit, Spain
Scuderia Toro Rosso with ferrari powered engine launched its new car STR6 at Valencia Circuit.
At the launch, Toro Rosso's technical director Giorgio Ascanelli says his team is aiming to finish in eighth place in this year's championship.
"My expectations are to do a decent year and we have to have the target to be eighth and as I said, we are good to be ninth but we have to do better. And at the end of the year we have to bring back an eighth place," said Ascanelli.
He believes the team, which built its first car last year, is now much better prepared to deliver a strong challenger.
"Last year we didn't have a wind-tunnel, the CFD was not mature in order to define the car," he added. "Therefore, we did not change very much apart from those elements linked to the change of regulation between 2009 and 2010.
"This year the tools which design the car in its performance aspect, which are again the wind tunnel and CFD, are more mature, which means that although we are still learning how to make the best of them I think we have started using them properly.
"For this year, we have to aim for eighth place, because that is our target and I didn't think that was possible if we had gone with some sort of conventional car.
Team Principal Franz Tost is just as determined to push the team further up the order in 2011.
“The past five years have shown a good history for the team, as we had to build everything up almost from zero,” said Tost. “We are quite confident that we have a good future and can have a good year in 2011.
“The first hope is that we perform well, with a good, fast, competitive car. Apart from that, we need the drivers and the team to do a good job and if all these components come together then I am convinced we can have a good season and close the gap to our direct competitors.”
Toro Rosso Unveils its 2011 season Car STR6 on 1st Feb, 2011 at Valencia Circuit, Spain
Scuderia Toro Rosso with ferrari powered engine launched its new car STR6 at Valencia Circuit.
At the launch, Toro Rosso's technical director Giorgio Ascanelli says his team is aiming to finish in eighth place in this year's championship.
"My expectations are to do a decent year and we have to have the target to be eighth and as I said, we are good to be ninth but we have to do better. And at the end of the year we have to bring back an eighth place," said Ascanelli.
He believes the team, which built its first car last year, is now much better prepared to deliver a strong challenger.
"Last year we didn't have a wind-tunnel, the CFD was not mature in order to define the car," he added. "Therefore, we did not change very much apart from those elements linked to the change of regulation between 2009 and 2010.
"This year the tools which design the car in its performance aspect, which are again the wind tunnel and CFD, are more mature, which means that although we are still learning how to make the best of them I think we have started using them properly.
"For this year, we have to aim for eighth place, because that is our target and I didn't think that was possible if we had gone with some sort of conventional car.
Team Principal Franz Tost is just as determined to push the team further up the order in 2011.
“The past five years have shown a good history for the team, as we had to build everything up almost from zero,” said Tost. “We are quite confident that we have a good future and can have a good year in 2011.
“The first hope is that we perform well, with a good, fast, competitive car. Apart from that, we need the drivers and the team to do a good job and if all these components come together then I am convinced we can have a good season and close the gap to our direct competitors.”
AT&T Williams launches FW33
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AT&T Williams Team unveiled its 2011 Season Car FW33 at Valencia Circuit, Spain
AT&T Williams team had launched its 2011 season car at Valencia Circuit on 1st Feb, 2011 for the first of the four official Pre Season testing and released images in an interim colour.
The team have stuck with Williams’s traditional navy blue colour scheme, with the look of the car following this year’s popular trend of a high nose, detailed airboxes and scuplted sidepods.
The Cosworth-powered FW33 will get its first debut on track today when Rubens Barrichello will give the car its maiden run. The Brazilian driver will then share Wednesday’s testing time with new team mate and GP2 champion, Pastor Maldonado. The F1 rookie will then take over testing duties fully for the final day on Thursday.
In a recent interview, Barrichello described this year’s Williams-Cosworth FW33 as “aggressive”, a sentiment which is also shared by technical director Sam Michael, who speaking with AT&T Williams official website said “Until you start testing, you’re never sure how you’re going to stack up against the opposition, but we’re optimistic. We think this is a good car, but we’ll have a better overall picture in a few weeks time.”
Adding that the new rules for 2011, which include the ban on double diffusers and the F-duct, plus the re-introduction of the KERS system, and the arrival of a new tyre supplier, Pirelli, for the first time in five years. Compelled the team to take an innovative approach to its 2011 challenger.
“The design of this year’s car has been pretty smooth,” Sam said “We’ve improved our way of working by increasing the communication between the mechanical and aerodynamic departments, and that improved our decision making processes. It allowed us to increase the optimisation time spent on each part of the car.”
The car seen at today’s Valencia test is the first iteration of the FW33. This ‘launch spec’ will be replaced by an aero upgrade at the first race in Bahrain and there will be many others during the course of the year. Sam Michael and his technical team expect aerodynamic performance to reach the same levels as 2010, despite there being less aero freedom in the rules.
AT&T Williams Team unveiled its 2011 Season Car FW33 at Valencia Circuit, Spain
AT&T Williams team had launched its 2011 season car at Valencia Circuit on 1st Feb, 2011 for the first of the four official Pre Season testing and released images in an interim colour.
The team have stuck with Williams’s traditional navy blue colour scheme, with the look of the car following this year’s popular trend of a high nose, detailed airboxes and scuplted sidepods.
The Cosworth-powered FW33 will get its first debut on track today when Rubens Barrichello will give the car its maiden run. The Brazilian driver will then share Wednesday’s testing time with new team mate and GP2 champion, Pastor Maldonado. The F1 rookie will then take over testing duties fully for the final day on Thursday.
In a recent interview, Barrichello described this year’s Williams-Cosworth FW33 as “aggressive”, a sentiment which is also shared by technical director Sam Michael, who speaking with AT&T Williams official website said “Until you start testing, you’re never sure how you’re going to stack up against the opposition, but we’re optimistic. We think this is a good car, but we’ll have a better overall picture in a few weeks time.”
Adding that the new rules for 2011, which include the ban on double diffusers and the F-duct, plus the re-introduction of the KERS system, and the arrival of a new tyre supplier, Pirelli, for the first time in five years. Compelled the team to take an innovative approach to its 2011 challenger.
“The design of this year’s car has been pretty smooth,” Sam said “We’ve improved our way of working by increasing the communication between the mechanical and aerodynamic departments, and that improved our decision making processes. It allowed us to increase the optimisation time spent on each part of the car.”
The car seen at today’s Valencia test is the first iteration of the FW33. This ‘launch spec’ will be replaced by an aero upgrade at the first race in Bahrain and there will be many others during the course of the year. Sam Michael and his technical team expect aerodynamic performance to reach the same levels as 2010, despite there being less aero freedom in the rules.
Mercedes GP Petronas Launches MGP W02
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Mercedes GP Petronas unveiled its 2011 season car MGP W02 at Valencia Circuit, Spain
Mercedes GP has launched its 2011 challenger car MGP W02 on Tuesday, 1st Feb, 2011 at Valencia Circuit ahead of First of the Four official Pre-Season Testing.
Having endured a disappointing 2010 season, the team began development on this year's model before the conclusion of last season. The result is the W02 which like many other team's includes a higher noise. Changes have also been made to the sidepod and airbox.
The 2011 livery features more green than in 2010, with sponsor Petronas featuring prominently.
Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will get an immediate taste of the MGP W02, with the duo sharing the testing duties on day one.
The new Mercedes is one of the most eagerly-awaited cars in the 2011 F1 entry.
The team carries the hopes of Michael Schumacher's legions of fans, who are keen that the W02 – and particularly the Pirelli tyres that it will use – prove better-suited to the seven-time champion's driving style than last year's W01 and Bridgestones, with which Schumacher struggled during his comeback year.
Like many rivals, Mercedes will take to the track for the first time with their 2011 challenger on Tuesday, at the start of the first pre-season test at Valencia in Spain. This should give the first hint as to whether the German-owned squad can become title contenders again, following a disappointing 2010 campaign.
The team chose to pour its resources into the W02 at the expense of developing the disappointing W01, as it believed it could steal a march on the 2011 rules if it did so.
After winning the constructors’ championship as Brawn GP in 2009, Mercedes GP fell off the pace last season, dropping to fourth in the standings behind Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.
Mercedes GP Petronas unveiled its 2011 season car MGP W02 at Valencia Circuit, Spain
Mercedes GP has launched its 2011 challenger car MGP W02 on Tuesday, 1st Feb, 2011 at Valencia Circuit ahead of First of the Four official Pre-Season Testing.
Having endured a disappointing 2010 season, the team began development on this year's model before the conclusion of last season. The result is the W02 which like many other team's includes a higher noise. Changes have also been made to the sidepod and airbox.
The 2011 livery features more green than in 2010, with sponsor Petronas featuring prominently.
Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will get an immediate taste of the MGP W02, with the duo sharing the testing duties on day one.
The new Mercedes is one of the most eagerly-awaited cars in the 2011 F1 entry.
The team carries the hopes of Michael Schumacher's legions of fans, who are keen that the W02 – and particularly the Pirelli tyres that it will use – prove better-suited to the seven-time champion's driving style than last year's W01 and Bridgestones, with which Schumacher struggled during his comeback year.
Like many rivals, Mercedes will take to the track for the first time with their 2011 challenger on Tuesday, at the start of the first pre-season test at Valencia in Spain. This should give the first hint as to whether the German-owned squad can become title contenders again, following a disappointing 2010 campaign.
The team chose to pour its resources into the W02 at the expense of developing the disappointing W01, as it believed it could steal a march on the 2011 rules if it did so.
After winning the constructors’ championship as Brawn GP in 2009, Mercedes GP fell off the pace last season, dropping to fourth in the standings behind Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.
Red Bull Racing launches RB7 at Valencia Circuit
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Defending World champion Team "Red Bull Racing" Unveiled its 2011 season Car "RB7"
Team Red Bull Racing has launched its car RB7 at Valencia Circuit in Spain on Tuesday Morning, 1st Feb, 2011. The Defending champions are all set to defend its titles in 2011. The Renault power RB7 car is designed by the Adrian Newey.
Pictures of the car appeared on the team's website before the official unveiling in the pitlane at Valencia this morning.
The car features a high nose, higher engine cover than its predecessor, and a different concept rear wing. In their article on 21st Jan, they also claimed the same that the car will be different from its predecessor.
Red Bull's previous car dominated the 2010 season, taking nine race wins in the hands of world champion Sebastian Vettel and third-place finisher Mark Webber, and starting from pole position at 15 of the 19 grands prix.
Sebastian Vettel, who became the youngest ever F1 World Champion, also became the fifth driver to wear the crown in five years.
However, Red Bull are intent on the German becoming the first since Alonso in 2006 to retain it.
Sebastain Vettel will be at the wheel for the car's first test later this morning as this year first Pre - Season Testing starts today.
RB7 – SPECIFICATIONS
Engine:
Renault engine RS27 – 2011
Cylinders:
8
Capacity:
2400CC
Max rpm:
18,000rpm
Number of Valves:
32
Vee Angle:
90 degrees
Power Output:
Not Disclosed
Engine construction:
Cylinder block in cast aluminium
Engine management:
FIA (MESL) standard control unit TAG310B
Oil:
Total Group
Weight:
FIA minimum weight of 95kg
CHASSIS
Composite monocoque structure, designed and built in-house, carrying the Renault V8 engine as fully stressed member
TRANSMISSION
Seven-speed gearbox, longitudinally Mounted with hydraulic system for power shift and clutch operation. AP Racing clutch
SUSPENSION
Front: Aluminium alloy uprights, carbon-composite double wishbone with springs and anti-roll bar, Multimatic dampers
Rear: Aluminium alloy uprights, carbon-composite double wishbone with springs and anti-roll bar, Multimatic dampers
BRAKES
Brembo calipers, Brembo carbon discs and pads
ELECTRONICS
FIA (MESL) standard control unit
FUEL
Total Group
Defending World champion Team "Red Bull Racing" Unveiled its 2011 season Car "RB7"
Team Red Bull Racing has launched its car RB7 at Valencia Circuit in Spain on Tuesday Morning, 1st Feb, 2011. The Defending champions are all set to defend its titles in 2011. The Renault power RB7 car is designed by the Adrian Newey.
Pictures of the car appeared on the team's website before the official unveiling in the pitlane at Valencia this morning.
The car features a high nose, higher engine cover than its predecessor, and a different concept rear wing. In their article on 21st Jan, they also claimed the same that the car will be different from its predecessor.
Red Bull's previous car dominated the 2010 season, taking nine race wins in the hands of world champion Sebastian Vettel and third-place finisher Mark Webber, and starting from pole position at 15 of the 19 grands prix.
Sebastian Vettel, who became the youngest ever F1 World Champion, also became the fifth driver to wear the crown in five years.
However, Red Bull are intent on the German becoming the first since Alonso in 2006 to retain it.
Sebastain Vettel will be at the wheel for the car's first test later this morning as this year first Pre - Season Testing starts today.
RB7 – SPECIFICATIONS
Engine:
Renault engine RS27 – 2011
Cylinders:
8
Capacity:
2400CC
Max rpm:
18,000rpm
Number of Valves:
32
Vee Angle:
90 degrees
Power Output:
Not Disclosed
Engine construction:
Cylinder block in cast aluminium
Engine management:
FIA (MESL) standard control unit TAG310B
Oil:
Total Group
Weight:
FIA minimum weight of 95kg
CHASSIS
Composite monocoque structure, designed and built in-house, carrying the Renault V8 engine as fully stressed member
TRANSMISSION
Seven-speed gearbox, longitudinally Mounted with hydraulic system for power shift and clutch operation. AP Racing clutch
SUSPENSION
Front: Aluminium alloy uprights, carbon-composite double wishbone with springs and anti-roll bar, Multimatic dampers
Rear: Aluminium alloy uprights, carbon-composite double wishbone with springs and anti-roll bar, Multimatic dampers
BRAKES
Brembo calipers, Brembo carbon discs and pads
ELECTRONICS
FIA (MESL) standard control unit
FUEL
Total Group
Renault launches R31 at Valencia Circuit
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Lotus Renault Team unveils its 2011 season car "R31" at Valencia Circuit, Spain
The R31, in the iconic black and gold livery associated with backers Group Lotus, was presented to the media in the pit lane of the Valencia circuit in spain, ahead of the first pre-season test of the year which will begin on Tuesday, 1st Feb, 2011.
The car was unveiled by Race drivers Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov along with technical director James Allison, team principal Eric Boullier and chairman Gerard Lopez.
[Lotus Renault R31 Car N Drivers]
[Lotus Renault R31 Car]
Renault's technical director James Allison said, "Words like 'aggressive' and 'innovative' are very much in vogue in Formula 1 at the moment, but where the R31 is concerned we feel those adjectives are appropriate. "It's true to say that the car has been designed in an ambitious manner and a quick glance at the layout will confirm that its entire concept differs considerably, not just from last year's car, but from any car this team has ever produced."
“For Genii Capital and Lotus Renault GP, the 2011 season will be the one in which we achieve our aims,” said team chairman and Genii boss Gerard Lopez. “We now have 100% ownership of the team, and we’re tackling the coming championship with the intention of continuing to do things our way – but always with humility. “Our aim for 2011 is to continue our march towards the front of the grid, seize the slightest opportunity and do better than last season in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. We feel we are well prepared for the challenge ahead.”
Team principal Eric Boullier said: “All the hard work over the winter has been focused on delivering a big improvement for 2011. The result is a car with more than 92% new parts compared to the R30. But technical innovation isn’t the only key to performance. Since last year, we have reviewed all our internal processes and our overall efficiency has now improved by 15%. That means we should be more competitive than last year, on the track and at the factory.”
The new R31 car dates back to the 1970s and 80s when Lotus won races with the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti and Ayrton Senna with cars painted in the colours of a British tobacco brand.
Renault also presented their new third drivers Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean at the event, while the team’s reserve drivers were confirmed as Jan Charouz, Ho-Pin Tung and Fairuz Fauzy.
Team chairman Gerard Lopez, who acquired the Renault F1 team after a scandalous 2009 season, coined this season as "black to the future" thanks to the Lotus deal, adding: "Hopefully the risks we took will pay off this year in terms of wins over just podiums."
Lotus Renault Team unveils its 2011 season car "R31" at Valencia Circuit, Spain
The R31, in the iconic black and gold livery associated with backers Group Lotus, was presented to the media in the pit lane of the Valencia circuit in spain, ahead of the first pre-season test of the year which will begin on Tuesday, 1st Feb, 2011.
The car was unveiled by Race drivers Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov along with technical director James Allison, team principal Eric Boullier and chairman Gerard Lopez.
[Lotus Renault R31 Car N Drivers]
[Lotus Renault R31 Car]
Renault's technical director James Allison said, "Words like 'aggressive' and 'innovative' are very much in vogue in Formula 1 at the moment, but where the R31 is concerned we feel those adjectives are appropriate. "It's true to say that the car has been designed in an ambitious manner and a quick glance at the layout will confirm that its entire concept differs considerably, not just from last year's car, but from any car this team has ever produced."
“For Genii Capital and Lotus Renault GP, the 2011 season will be the one in which we achieve our aims,” said team chairman and Genii boss Gerard Lopez. “We now have 100% ownership of the team, and we’re tackling the coming championship with the intention of continuing to do things our way – but always with humility. “Our aim for 2011 is to continue our march towards the front of the grid, seize the slightest opportunity and do better than last season in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. We feel we are well prepared for the challenge ahead.”
Team principal Eric Boullier said: “All the hard work over the winter has been focused on delivering a big improvement for 2011. The result is a car with more than 92% new parts compared to the R30. But technical innovation isn’t the only key to performance. Since last year, we have reviewed all our internal processes and our overall efficiency has now improved by 15%. That means we should be more competitive than last year, on the track and at the factory.”
The new R31 car dates back to the 1970s and 80s when Lotus won races with the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti and Ayrton Senna with cars painted in the colours of a British tobacco brand.
Renault also presented their new third drivers Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean at the event, while the team’s reserve drivers were confirmed as Jan Charouz, Ho-Pin Tung and Fairuz Fauzy.
Team chairman Gerard Lopez, who acquired the Renault F1 team after a scandalous 2009 season, coined this season as "black to the future" thanks to the Lotus deal, adding: "Hopefully the risks we took will pay off this year in terms of wins over just podiums."
Sneak Preview into Mercerdes MGP-W02
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Mercedes GP Petronas provided a sneak preview with an early preview of the team’s new car "MGP-W02" ahead of its official debut on Tuesday, 1st Feb, 2011. A press image issued on Monday shows a head-on view of the MGP W02, the machine to be raced by Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher this season.
Two days after Ferrari became the first team to take the wraps off a 2011 F1 contender, Mercedes has given its fans a hint of how the car it hopes will let it challenge for this year's title will look, by releasing a digitally-generated head-on picture of the MGP W02.
The new Mercedes is one of the most eagerly-awaited cars in the 2011 F1 entry.
Mercedes MGP W02 Car Image
The team carries the hopes of Michael Schumacher's legions of fans, who are keen that the W02 – and particularly the Pirelli tyres that it will use – prove better-suited to the seven-time champion's driving style than last year's W01 and Bridgestones, with which Schumacher struggled during his comeback year.
Like many rivals, Mercedes will take to the track for the first time with their 2011 challenger on Tuesday, at the start of the first pre-season test at Valencia in Spain. This should give the first hint as to whether the German-owned squad can become title contenders again, following a disappointing 2010 campaign.
The computer image does not give many hints about the new Mercedes design, although it does reveal some livery tweaks - included an increased green element for title backer Petronas.
The team chose to pour its resources into the W02 at the expense of developing the disappointing W01, as it believed it could steal a march on the 2011 rules if it did so.
After winning the constructors’ championship as Brawn GP in 2009, Mercedes GP fell off the pace last season, dropping to fourth in the standings behind Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.
Mercedes GP Petronas provided a sneak preview with an early preview of the team’s new car "MGP-W02" ahead of its official debut on Tuesday, 1st Feb, 2011. A press image issued on Monday shows a head-on view of the MGP W02, the machine to be raced by Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher this season.
Two days after Ferrari became the first team to take the wraps off a 2011 F1 contender, Mercedes has given its fans a hint of how the car it hopes will let it challenge for this year's title will look, by releasing a digitally-generated head-on picture of the MGP W02.
The new Mercedes is one of the most eagerly-awaited cars in the 2011 F1 entry.
Mercedes MGP W02 Car Image
The team carries the hopes of Michael Schumacher's legions of fans, who are keen that the W02 – and particularly the Pirelli tyres that it will use – prove better-suited to the seven-time champion's driving style than last year's W01 and Bridgestones, with which Schumacher struggled during his comeback year.
Like many rivals, Mercedes will take to the track for the first time with their 2011 challenger on Tuesday, at the start of the first pre-season test at Valencia in Spain. This should give the first hint as to whether the German-owned squad can become title contenders again, following a disappointing 2010 campaign.
The computer image does not give many hints about the new Mercedes design, although it does reveal some livery tweaks - included an increased green element for title backer Petronas.
The team chose to pour its resources into the W02 at the expense of developing the disappointing W01, as it believed it could steal a march on the 2011 rules if it did so.
After winning the constructors’ championship as Brawn GP in 2009, Mercedes GP fell off the pace last season, dropping to fourth in the standings behind Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.
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