A few days ago the newly dubbed Mercedes-GP Petronas Team debuted their new livery and car for 2010.  Reminds me of the McLaren cars but with blue accents.  I am really feeling the exposed carbon fiber on the nose though, that’s pretty fresh.  Check out highlights from the debut below.

Someone once asked me if its possible to grow out of slot car racing.  This is how you answer that question, if you can look at this Brawn GP vs McLaren Mercedes slot car racing set and not want it then yes, you can grow out of it.  However, it is IMPOSSIBLE to look at this and not want it! Slot car racing lives inside us all forever!  If you have 63 bucks and are willing to wait for this to come to your house all the way from the UK then do it! Do it now!

Today rumors became official news when it was formally announced that seven time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher has signed a one-year deal with Mercedes GP (formerly Brawn GP) for the 2010 season along side fellow German driver Nico Rosberg.  This comes hot on the heels of the announcement that Petronas snubbed the new Lotus team to become the title sponsor of Mercedes GP.  It looks like they knew something we didn’t!  It looks like the debate of how the young guns would fare against the legendary Schumacher and vice versa will finally be settled in the new year.  Check out Mike’s BBC interview and the official team press release below.

Press Release:

The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team can confirm today that seven-times Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher will make his racing return in 2010 with the Silver Arrows team.

With seven Drivers’ World Championships, 248 Grand Prix starts, 91 victories, 154 podium finishes and 68 pole positions, the 40-year old German needs no introduction following an illustrious and record-breaking Formula One career from 1991 to 2006 at the Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari teams.

Michael’s return to racing with MERCEDES GP PETRONAS sees his return to Mercedes-Benz Motorsport where he began his racing apprenticeship as part of the Junior Programme in 1990, racing in Group C sports cars and DTM, and sees Michael renew his partnership with Ross Brawn with whom he won all seven of his World Championships.

Today’s announcement confirms the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver line-up for the 2010 season with Michael partnering his compatriot, 24 year old Nico Rosberg, in the Silver Arrows cars.

Michael Schumacher: “MERCEDES GP PETRONAS represents a new challenge for me both in a sporting and a personal context. It is a new chapter in my racing career and I am really looking forward to working with my old friend Ross Brawn and my companions from my days with the Mercedes Junior Programme. I am convinced that together we will be involved in the fight for the Formula 1 World Championship next year and I am already looking forward to getting back onto the race track. For me, this partnership closes the circle. Mercedes supported me for so many years when I began my Formula 1 career and now I can hopefully give something back to the brand with the star.”

Nico Rosberg: “It is fantastic that Michael is returning to Formula One and will be my team-mate at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. It’s a great challenge for me to be up against one of the best drivers of all time. I’m sure that we will form a very strong partnership as he will have lost none of his speed! It is also great news for our sport and the fans.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: “I am delighted that we can confirm today that Michael will make his much-anticipated return to Formula One next year and drive for our MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team. As seven-time World Champion, Michael’s outstanding record in Formula One speaks for itself and I am looking forward to working with him again. With the completion of our driver line-up, I believe that we now have the most exciting partnership in Formula One with Michael and Nico, who provide the perfect mix of talent, experience, speed and youth. We can now turn our full attention to the preparations for the new season and everyone at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS is extremely excited about the challenge ahead. With the investment and support in our team provided by Daimler, Aabar and our new title partner Petronas, and with two such exciting drivers, we have all of the building blocks in place to have another successful season in 2010.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsports: “In April 1991, when I had been in charge of the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport programme for just six months, Michael was standing beside me on the balcony one evening. Without the slightest doubt, he said in a low voice: “It’s about time that I got into Formula 1″. Michael had just turned 22 years of age and four months later, he made his debut at Spa in a Jordan. Mercedes-Benz helped him to this point and the rest is history: seven World Championship titles, more than any racing driver, 91 Grand Prix wins, more than any racing driver. Michael has more of everything than every other driver. As part of the Mercedes Junior Programme, Michael had raced in Group C sports cars and competed in a few DTM races. Ross Brawn, then our opponent at Jaguar, quickly realised Michael’s talent and they went on to win all seven of his Drivers’ World Championship titles together at Benetton and Ferrari. Our sporting ambition has always been that Michael should drive again where his professional career had started and Michael knew that. We often joked about it after the races and discussed the prospect seriously several times during the last 14 years in Formula 1. It didn’t happen in 1995, it didn’t happen in 1998 and it didn’t happen in 2005. I am delighted that it will now happen in 2010. I am very much looking forward to working with Michael and everybody at Mercedes-Benz and Daimler extends a very warm welcome to our ‘apprentice’ of 19 years ago. That apprentice is now the most successful racing driver of all time.”

 

It looks like McLaren started a trend by building an English all star team with Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.  Now it seems like the newly dubbed Mercedes Grand Prix (formerly Brawn GP) wants to build a German ”powerhaus” themselves.  They recently confirmed that Nico Rosberg will drive for them in 2010 (while Rubens Barrichello goes to Williams) and there are strong rumors that the living legend Michael Schumacher may come out of retirement and drive for the new Mercedes team as well.  This is getting really interesting really fast.  Stay tuned for updates on this story.

Press Release:

From the 2010 season, German driver Nico Rosberg will drive for the new Mercedes team in the Formula 1 World Championship, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced today.

Three years after his father Keke had won the Formula 1 World Championship, Nico Rosberg, 24, was born in Wiesbaden, Germany on 27 June 1985, inheriting his racing DNA from his father.

At the age of eight, Nico Rosberg began racing karts. From 1997 until 2000, he raced for the MBM team (the talent support programme of Mercedes-Benz McLaren); with this team, the two Formula 1 partnersencouraged young talents. Nico’s team-mate at that time was Lewis Hamilton, McLaren Mercedes driver since 2007 and 2008 Formula 1 World Champion. In 2000, Nico was runner-up in the Formula A European Championship. Two years later, he entered his first car races in Formula BMW ADAC and clinched the title in his debut year with nine victories out of 18 races. A Williams Formula 1 test drive was the reward for the championship win - at the age of 17, Nico was the youngest driver ever to get such an opportunity.

In 2003 and 2004, Nico Rosberg participated in the then new Formula 3 Euro Series; in his first year he came home second in the rookie rankings and in 2004 he finished fourth overall. One year later in 2005, he moved up to the GP2 series which is staged alongside Formula 1 events and won the title.

The 2006 season opener at Bahrain on 12 March was Nico’s first Formula 1 race; he finished seventh and posted the fastest lap. To date, he has taken part in 70 Grands Prix, all for the Williams team; scoring a total of 75.5 points and achieving second place at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix as his best Formula 1 result. The 2009 season was Nico’s best in Formula 1 so far; finishing seventh overall with 34.5 points.

Nico Rosberg grew up in Germany, Monaco and at Ibiza; in addition to his mother tongue he is fluent in English, Italian and French.

Nico Rosberg: “I am really happy to be a part of the Silver Arrows re-launch in 2010 as a driver for Mercedes. No other brand in Formula 1 can look back on such a long and successful tradition in motor racing. I am very proud that I will now drive for the new Mercedes team and work with Ross Brawn. I am more motivated than ever and can hardly wait to start testing with the new Silver Arrow and for the first race of the new season at Bahrain on 14 March 2010.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal: “We are delighted to welcome Nico Rosberg to our Mercedes team and are very much looking forward to working with him. Nico is a great talent, and with four years of experience in Formula 1, is a driver who will be able to make a valuable contribution to our team right from the outset. I had the pleasure of working with his father Keke during his Formula One career and it is great to see Nico following in his footsteps. 2009 was Nico’s best season in Formula 1 to date and we look forward to seeing his development continue with us at Mercedes next year.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “I saw Nico
racing karts alongside Lewis Hamilton and later in the support programme of the DTM events - I have known him since he was a young boy. Early on it was obvious that he would make his way as a race driver and we are glad that after four years with Williams he will now be one of our drivers at Mercedes. It makes our re-start even nicer, that we have as talented and sympathetic a driver as Nico in our line-up. Nico has positive ambitions, we have positive ambitions and together we want to achieve a great deal. I am really looking forward to working with him.”

News recently broke that Jenson Button will be leaving Brawn GP (Now known as Mercedes Grand Prix thanks to a large investment) and will join Lewis Hamilton at McLaren.  This marks the first time that two champions have been on the same team since…well, a long time ago!  It looks like even with all the money Jenson’s former team just received from Mercedes it wasn’t enough to keep the 2009 Champion driving for them.  Which also shows just how much money McLaren had all along since they had to buy a 40% team stake back from Mercedes yet still had enough to pay Mr. Button what he was asking for.  The British public is of course ecstatic about this move.  Two British champions on an all British team is a big deal for them but, its yet to be seen how the two will get along next year.

[Photo: guardian.co.uk]

As many have speculated it was officially announced that Mercedes has bought a stake in Brawn GP.  The 2009 Championship team will now be known as “Mercedes Grand Prix.”  Ross Brawn will still stay on as the team principal and it seems that Nico Rosberg is all but confirmed for one of the seats next season however not too much else is known about what their driver line up will be.  Also expect the cars to drop the white and yellow color scheme and go with the famous Mercedes silver.

Press Release:

Mercedes-Benz will enter the Formula 1 World Championship with its own team, beginning with the 2010 season, and Daimler AG and McLaren Group will change their form of cooperation with effect as of 13 November 2009. This was announced by Daimler AG today.

Daimler AG together with Aabar Investments PJSC will take over 75.1 per cent of the Brawn GP team, with Daimler taking 45.1 per cent and Aabar 30 per cent. The rest of the 24.9 per cent will remain with the current stakeholders. With 9.1 per cent, Aabar is the biggest single shareholder of Daimler AG. This transaction is subject to the approval of the EU and the Swiss cartel authorities.

The background to this decision are the new terms and conditions for Formula 1. The “Resource Restrictions” set by FOTA and FIA effectively limit expenditure for the design, construction and running of the racing cars. In addition, there will be a significantly higher income available for a Formula 1 team generated by the commercial rights of the racing series following the signing of the new Concorde Agreement.

The partnership between McLaren Mercedes has been in place since 1995 and endedits 15th joint Formula 1 season in 2009. The change to the form of cooperation is taking place by mutual agreement. Mercedes-Benz and McLaren will continue to co-operate with each other and the supply of engines could continue until 2015.

The McLaren Group have set themselves new targets, especially in the automotive sector, and Daimler understands and respects these new strategic objectives. For this reason, it has been agreed that the buy-back by the McLaren Group of the 40 per cent McLaren share owned by Daimler AG will be completed by 2011.

By taking this decision, Mercedes-Benz resumes its marvellous motor racing history on the 75th anniversary of the Silver Arrows, the world’s most unique racing cars. Mercedes wants to continue the tradition in the style of these flawless Silver Arrows, which put their stamp on each era by winning the majority of the races they competed in.

“Mercedes-Benz is the most valued and best-known premium automotive brand in the world. This brand looks for competition of the utmost quality in all relevant fields in order to continually improve its performance in the face of such new challenges”, explains Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

“Due to the new Formula 1 environment, we will face the competition in future on the most important motor sports stage with our own Silver Arrow works team.

“Our new Silver Arrow Formula 1 team is a great sporting and technical challenge and we will tackle this with sporting spirit and full of enthusiasm.”

Mercedes-Benz will restructure their Formula 1 programme and work hard to achieve further savings, going beyond the already completed steps for significant cost reductions and improved efficiency.

Since 1995, the beginning of the partnership, McLaren and Mercedes-Benz have competed in 256 Grand Prix events and have achieved 60 victories. In 1998, 1999 and 2008, the British-German team won the drivers’ World Championships, as well as the World Constructors’ Championship in 1998. The McLaren Mercedes team became runner-up in the World Championships ten times, with five times in the drivers’ and constructors’ rankings respectively.

After winning the drivers’ title with Lewis Hamilton last year, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes finished third in the World Constructors’ Championships this year. The 2008 World Champion won two races with his current car, the MP4-24, achieving a first historic victory with the brake energy-recovery system, KERS Hybrid. No other driver scored more points in the last eight races from the season’s total of 17 races than Lewis Hamilton.

“I want to thank McLaren for a successful collaboration over the last decade and a half”, says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “For the benefit of both Mercedes and McLaren, we will continue our partnership cooperation in future. We will be rivals on-track but, off-track, we will cooperate with McLaren and the other teams in order to create the best possible product for spectators worldwide.”

“We look back on 15 successful years of great collaboration with McLaren; in that time, we won four world-championship titles and finished ten times as runner-up in the drivers’ and constructors’ rankings,” states Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. “Since the first victory in the 1997 Australian Grand Prix, the modern Silver Arrows have achieved a total of 60 victories in 223 races to ensure that our brand symbol, the star, stands for the greatest successes in Formula 1. We thank our partner and will continue to work with McLaren based on an excellent partnership.”

Mercedes Grand Prix, the management team of the former Brawn GP team, will continue to work under the leadership of Ross Brawn, who will continue in his well-known role. The Formula 1 team, as well as the engine team of Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, will be co-ordinated by Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, headed by their Vice-President, Norbert Haug.

“Brawn GP has been through an incredible journey over the last 12 months. From fighting for our survival to forging a strong relationship with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, winning both the Constructors and Drivers World Championships, and now accepting Daimler and Aabars offer to buy our team, which will secure its future”, Team Principal Ross Brawn looks back on a difficult beginning of the year which eventually turned into an extremely successful season.

“Both I and my fellow Directors at Brawn GP are incredibly proud of our staff, drivers and everyone associated with our team and thank them for their commitment, outstanding teamwork and their focus on achieving results in sometimes difficult circumstances. The senior management group will remain in place to lead our team and on behalf of everyone at Brawn GP, we are honoured to be representing such a prestigious brand as Mercedes-Benz in Formula One next year and will be working together to do our best to reward their faith in our team.”

The new Silver Arrow team, Mercedes Grand Prix, will compete in Formula 1 as a works team in its own right. Synergies between the 100 per cent Daimler-owned subsidiary Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth, UK, and the Mercedes Grand Prix team based about 28 miles from there in Brackley in the UK, will create even greater efficiency.

It is our target to develop a model for our Formula 1 activities which will initially be run with significantly reduced budgets by Mercedes-Benz and which, in the foreseeable future, will be self-financing”, comments Norbert Haug. “Furthermore, we naturally want to inspire our faithful spectators and TV viewers worldwide and maximize media coverage for our brand. With Formula 1, Mercedes-Benz can continue to clearly demonstrate its willingness to compete and win on the most important motor sports competition stage in the world.”

Khadem Al Qubaisi, Chairman, Aabar Investment PJSC comments: “Aabar is delighted to join forces with Daimler AG and its world leading brand Mercedes-Benz in order to create a new Formula One Team which follows in the footsteps of the longstanding and successful tradition of the famous ‘Silver Arrows’.

“Ever since Aabar became the largest shareholder in Daimler AG, the cooperation between our two organisations has been exemplary, and we have already co-invested in Tesla. Aabar is confident that further successes will follow in this arena.

“Bearing in mind the recent outstanding success of the Abu Dhabi GP, which brought Formula One to the United Arab Emirates for the first time, it is especially exciting to realise that next year, our own cars will be in the field, with the genius of Ross Brawn, who is still deeply involved with the team, now backed by the unrivalled excellence of Mercedes-Benz across the entire spectrum of automotive technology. It is a fantastic prospect, which makes me both pleased and proud for my country.”

For the second time the F1 cars raced with a background of the night sky and on a track saturated with super bright night-sun lights.  That can only mean one thing; They’re back in Singapore!  Before the race many were wondering if Alonso could repeat his ill-gotten win from last year or if instead the Brawn GP cars would continue their domination.  However it seemed that almost all the drivers on the grid had trouble finding grip in Singapore’s tight, low speed corners.  There were more than a few crashes during practice and qualifying.  In fact both Brawn GP cars had a date with the wall at one point or another over the weekend. 

Though, there was one driver who seemed to find harmony with the tight turns and high speed straights of Singapore, and that was Lewis Hamilton.  He qualified on the pole on Saturday and that was all he needed.  He lead the race practically from start to finish never getting a proper challenge from Brawn GP or Red Bull F1.  He finished a full 10 seconds ahead of runner-up Timo Glock and third place Fernando Alonso.  Check out the video below for the post-race wrap up.

[Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images]

Brawn GP is further increasing their strangle hold on the constructors title while Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello pull even further away from the rest of the grid.  Over the weekend in Monza, a high-speed low downforce track Brawn GP kept both of their drivers in mid pack as they bided their time.  Lewis Hamilton (who won the pole for the weekend) stayed up front and for the most part held of the field but his teams fuel strategy required him to constantly push and he found himself looking for precious seconds to maintain a safe gap ahead of Rubens so that he could safely pit without losing position. 

However, their strategy didn’t work out so well since Lewis just couldn’t find enough speed to build his time cushion.  Once Hamilton came in Rubens inheirted the lead and that was all she wrote.  It was a pretty entertaining race!  Now with only four races left in the season the only drivers that pose a threat to Jenson Button are his own team mate Rubens Barrichello, Sebastien Vettel, and Mark Webber.  I can’t wait to see how this all plays out.  Check out the race recap by SPEED TV below.

It seems like most racing series these days are facing their wild ups and downs, even drifting.  Formula One hasn’t been any difference.  There was a major injury, a team suspension, an announcement of another team withdrawing from the sport, a living legend’s return, and that same living legend canceling that return.  And all of that happened just between one race and the next!  So after all of that Formula One finally reached Valencia, Spain we saw a familiar sight on the podium in the form of Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello in the number one spot.

Now this is the first win for Rubens in five years and his first win with Brawn GP but this is far from Brawn’s first win all season.  However this victory may not have happened if it weren’t for a mishap with McLaren Mercedes.  Lewis Hamilton had the pole position for this race and the lead for most of it.  It was his race to lose, and lose he did!  He came in for a pit stop that quickly went south which allowed Rubens to inherit the lead and that was all she wrote.  Lewis holds no grudge against his team though.  After all the success they’ve given him he can handle a mistake here and there.

This victory lands Rubens in the second place points position just behind his team mate Jenson Button, who has been struggling lately.  Could this be Rubens’ year?  Has he finally gotten the car that he needs to show everyone what he is really capable of?  Stay tuned!

As usual the SPEED TV trio has some insights to share and some sharp critisim for Ferrari.  Check it out below.

[Photo: Brawn GP]

For the second race in a row I don’t have to complain about Jenson Button furthering the boredom that is Brawn GP’s domination.  This time I can tell you that a mile stone was finally reached for Mark Webber as he scored his first F1 win ever in his 8 year career and 100+ starts.  The win was actually his second “first” of the weekend as the day before he landed his first ever pole position in qualifying by dominating all three sessions of qualifying with his fastest lap of 1.31.257 coming in Q1.  Once race day came Mark capitalized on his starting position and despite a rocket start by Lewis Hamilton he held off the field and rode his way to his first victory.  Congrats mark!  Check out the post race by the SPEED Trio below.

Photo: Courtesy of Red Bull Racing