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Formula One / Mercedes Extends Driver Line-Up Through 2025
« Last post by fasteddy on August 31, 2023, 02:13:01 PM »
The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team is delighted to announce that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will continue to lead its driver line-up for the next two seasons. The duo has been paired together since the start of the 2022 season and each driver continues long-standing relationships with the team.

Lewis will drive for the Team in the 2024 and 2025 seasons and continue an historic relationship that has secured six World Drivers’ Championships and eight World Constructors’ Championships. Since joining the works team, Lewis has taken 82 victories and 78 pole positions en route to becoming the most successful driver in the sport’s history. The extension ensures the continuation of the most successful team and driver pairing in Formula One history into at least a 13th year.

George has extended a relationship that first began in 2017 until the end of the 2025 season. The then 18-year-old joined the team’s Junior programme before rising through the ranks to F1. After starring at Williams, he was promoted to partner Lewis Hamilton in 2022 and claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory in last year’s São Paulo Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton commented:

“We dream everyday of being the best and we have dedicated the past decade together to achieving that goal. Being at the top does not happen overnight or over a short period of time, it takes commitment, hard work and dedication and it’s been an honour to earn our way into the history books with this incredible team.

"We have never been hungrier to win. We have learnt from every success but also every setback. We continue to chase our dreams, we continue to fight no matter the challenge and we will win again. I’m grateful to the team who have supported me both on and off the track. Our story isn’t finished, we are determined to achieve more together and we won’t stop until we do."
George Russell commented:

“I have grown up with this team ever since joining as part of the Junior programme back in 2017. It’s my home and it feels fantastic to extend our special relationship through 2025.

“After stepping up to the Mercedes race seat last year, I wanted to reward the trust and belief that Toto and the rest of the team placed in me. Taking my first pole position and race win last year was an unforgettable feeling. More importantly though, it’s been great to work with everybody at Brackley and Brixworth to make progress with our car and push forward our development. Their loyalty, vision and hard work is inspiring.

“We have made some significant steps over the last 18 months and are only getting stronger as a team. I’m excited to help continue to build on that momentum as we progress into 2024 and 2025 as we continue to focus on returning to the very front of the pack.”
Toto Wolff, CEO and Team Principal, continued:

“Continuing with our current driver line-up was a straightforward decision. We have the strongest pairing on the grid and both drivers are playing a crucial role in the team to move us forward. The strength and stability they provide will be key building blocks for our future success.

“Our partnership with Lewis is one of the most successful in the sport’s history. It was always a formality that we would continue together – and it’s energising for us all to be confirming that publicly. His qualities as a pure racing driver are illustrated by his remarkable track record; but over our years together, he has grown to become a pillar and leader of our team. Those leadership qualities are crucial as we focus on fighting for world championships again. As F1’s biggest global star, he has also played a key role in shaping our commitments to diversity, inclusion and sustainability, that will be foundations for our success in the years ahead.

”George is a leading light of his generation. He has repaid the faith we showed in him when promoting him to a race seat in 2022. His maiden pole position in Hungary and first Grand Prix victory in São Paulo were standout moments last season. As a driver, he combines razor-sharp speed with the tenacity of a true fighter. But he brings, too, an intelligence and attention to detail that will help him to continue to grow, develop and improve further. He is a natural fit to the team and we are delighted to have extended the relationship for the coming years.”
Markus Schäfer, Non-Executive Chairman & Mercedes-Benz AG CTO, added:

“Lewis has forged a relationship with Mercedes-Benz right from the start of his career. In that time, he has claimed seven World Drivers’ Championships, 103 race wins, 195 podium finishes and 104 pole positions. His ambition and commitment to winning are second to none. His boundless positivity and passion to push himself and team forward are a constant source of pride and inspiration for everyone connected to the team and the wider Mercedes-Benz group.

“George has also been an integral member of the Mercedes-Benz family since 2017. After joining the team’s Junior programme, he has continued to grow and excel year after year. Watching him take his first Grand Prix victory was an incredible moment and demonstrated his immense talent. The strong relationship George and Lewis have has been excellent and provides a solid platform for the Team.

“We are excited to continue this journey with both drivers and look forward to sharing more success in the future. I know the whole team is motivated for the rest of the season and continuing to build momentum into 2024 and beyond.”
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Formula One / 2023 Dutch Grand Prix - Sunday
« Last post by fasteddy on August 28, 2023, 02:59:18 PM »
Lewis Hamilton

I didn’t really know how today was going to go – last night, I was wracking my brain about where we went wrong in qualifying and how we ended up P13, and how to climb back up. I wanted to start the race on an offset tyre compound, but then it turned out I was the only one in the field on a different tyre – and then the rain came. As a team, we made the wrong decision and paid the price, coming out last. After that, I just got my head down and I was chasing; it was a great example that when you fall or stumble, just get back up and keep trying. Each time I pitted, I came out behind, and kept chasing and chasing. I was really happy – I passed the McLaren, for example, which isn’t easy at this track. And then at the end, I just needed DRS to pass Sainz, because I was quicker but didn’t have the speed on the straight to do it. But overall, it’s a feeling of what could have been: if we’d made different calls, we had the pace to challenge the top two. We weren’t far off in the dry – and it would have been good to be in that fight.
George Russell

That was a tough one today – I went into the race expecting to fight for a podium and I ended up P17. We were expecting the rain to stay for just a few minutes, and it ended up being close to ten. It was ready for inters but I thought I could brave it out for another lap or two if it was only going to be short – but that’s not what happened. We’d rather have a fast car and a bad day than the opposite, but it was a missed opportunity today. At the end, I was side by side with Lando into the chicane at the end of the lap, then we had contact. It cost a few points and it was a shame because we had such a fast car today, then our decisions on the weather went against us. But there are still positives to take away from the base pace we showed. We knew this circuit could be strong for us – and looking to Monza, it’s a totally different beast. We will clear our heads, go in with some new ideas and the learnings from this weekend, and see what we can do.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

That was a difficult day for us. In the opening 15 laps, we got pretty much everything wrong that we could have done – and that cost us any chance of fighting for the podium. For the next 50 laps until the red flag, it was pretty much business as usual: the car was quick on every tyre compound, we made the right calls and the drivers did a great recovery to P6 and P8. In the final laps, George was unlucky to fall to the back after contact, while Lewis tried everything he could on Sainz but there was no way past. In the end, I’d rather we have a quick car and a bad result, than the other way round. It was an entertaining race for Formula One – and the kind of day when we should have been part of the action at the front. But if, but and maybe don’t count for anything in this sport. Now, we need to regroup, understand why we as a team got things wrong today, and go again in Monza next weekend.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

Not a good day for us. We didn’t anticipate how heavy the early shower was going to be which meant we’d dropped both cars to the back from the very early stages. The decisions we took after that, however, were good, and we managed to get both cars back into a reasonable position when the race got red flagged. Unfortunately, Lewis couldn’t find a way past Sainz in the short intermediate stint at the end and George picked up a puncture fighting Norris, so we leave here with just eight points, making it our worst points score of the season. However, we can take encouragement from the fact the car has been good this weekend. Although we’ve struggled in certain conditions, the pace in the race was strong and we’re going in the right direction.  We’re very happy that we’ll get to hit the track again in five days’ time as we will be wanting to put this result behind us.
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Formula One / 2023 Dutch Grand Prix - Saturday
« Last post by fasteddy on August 28, 2023, 02:56:35 PM »
George Russell

That was a great session and I’m happy to be in P3. Qualifying was a strength earlier in the season, but it’s been going a bit wrong for me recently, so it was good to get the break, come with some fresh ideas and put ourselves in a good place to fight for the podium tomorrow. The final lap was pretty okay – we know that we struggle to get temperature into the tyres when it’s wet or the crossover to slicks, but that also turns into a strength on Sunday. I’m sure Max will enjoy his usual Sunday drive tomorrow, but from P3 hopefully we can have a good fight with Lando, Alex and the rest.
Lewis Hamilton

It wasn’t my day today. Since FP1, I’ve lost some confidence in the car and that made qualifying tricky. It was tough to get the tyres into the working window, I struggled with the balance and overall grip, and George also did a few different settings that seemed to work better. But we know that the car operates in a narrow window, and these things can happen when you are in that situation. On the final run, I did two consecutive laps and the tyres overheated on the second one, so I couldn’t improve the time. Tomorrow is a new challenge; hopefully the car will be a bit better on full tanks, and we can make some forward progress. This isn’t an easy circuit for doing that – but that will be the goal.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

It was a challenging session, as we know our car is not the strongest when it comes to warming up the tyres in the wet and on the drying track. That means we need to put all the details together and that was hard today. George got the maximum from it to take a second row, so I hope he will be racing for the podium tomorrow. For Lewis, it seemed like he was impeded on every timed lap – including his quickest one – but he also didn’t have full confidence in the car today. We will analyse why – but we know as well that we can race stronger than the cars around him, so I hope to see him move forward tomorrow. So, a day of mixed fortunes; but we can take positives from P3 and build from there.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

We’re pleased with the P3 start position for George and naturally disappointed we couldn’t get Lewis further up. We were struggling for temperature on intermediate tyres in the morning session, George managed to get on top of this, but Lewis was not particularly happy with his balance and finding it hard to build heat in the tyres. Those trends continued into qualifying although Lewis was particularly unfortunate with the number of cars blocking him on fast laps; ultimately it was the lack of a clear lap that prevented him making the final session. We’re expecting conditions to improve for tomorrow; our long run pace looked reasonable on Friday so hopefully we can move forward with both drivers.
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Formula One / 2023 Dutch Grand Prix - Friday
« Last post by fasteddy on August 25, 2023, 09:56:03 AM »
Lewis Hamilton

That was a great day for me. I woke up this morning so excited to get back in the car, and from the first lap it felt like we had a good starting point to work from. The first practice session was generally good; we made some changes for FP2, and I’m not sure if we progressed or not from them, so we will deep dive tonight to investigate. Overall, the car is feeling more competitive here, so we want to hold onto that and see if we can extract more for tomorrow.
George Russell

It felt good to be back in the car after several weeks out of the cockpit. Overall, it’s feeling good out there: the race pace was looking strong, and there is plenty of potential in there for qualifying as well, even if it didn’t quite show in the headline times for me today. Definitely this was one of our better Fridays and I’m optimistic for the rest of the weekend.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

We’re all really excited to get back to racing after the break. We’ve been able to bring a few updates to this race which will hopefully help nudge us in the right direction; certainly, the car seems be working reasonably well. We had quite a few test items in the first session which meant we were running new tyres a bit later than normal, as a result the red flag was quite inconvenient to us as we were trying to use new tyres when most of the field was on race runs. The second session was quite clean, the medium tyre was working well but we’ve got room for improvement on the soft, neither driver felt that they got the best from it so that’s something for us to work on overnight. The long runs were okay, we need to find a bit of consistency but the pace looks to be there and the balance is reasonable. Overall, an encouraging day.
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The second-generation Mercedes‑AMG GT Coupé is the new top model offered by Mercedes‑AMG. It combines highly dynamic driving characteristics with increased suitability for everyday use. High-tech components such as the AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL suspension with active roll stabilisation, rear-axle steering as standard and active aerodynamics sharpen the driving profile. The sporty coupé also brings its power to the road with the fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive for the first time. In combination with the AMG 4.0 litre V8 biturbo engine, it results in a driving experience at the highest level. The exclusive AMG sports car architecture with the elaborate composite aluminium body structure enables its configuration as a 2+2‑seater. For a sports car in this class, this means passengers have a very good sense of space and plenty of room for their luggage. The new Mercedes-AMG GT Coupé, as the fifth independent series after the SLS, the first generation of the two‑door GT, the GT 4‑door Coupé and the SL, once again demonstrates the high level of technological competence of the Affalterbach development team.

“The new AMG GT Coupé combines highly dynamic driving characteristics and distinctive sportiness with a high level of everyday comfort. Our new GT is clearly the top-of-the-line product in our diversified portfolio and is therefore not only AMG's youngest brand shaper, but also a clear commitment to the sports car made in Affalterbach. With the new dimension concept and optional 2+2 seats, we are directly responding to the wishes of our customers.”
Michael Schiebe, Chairman of the Management Board of Mercedes‑AMG GmbH and Head of Business Units Mercedes‑Benz G‑Class & Mercedes‑Maybach

The market launch will take place as the AMG GT 63 4MATIC+ Coupé (combined fuel consumption WLTP 14.1 l/100 km, combined CO2 emissions WLTP 319 g/km)[1] with an output of 430 kW (585 hp) and as the AMG GT 55 4MATIC+ Coupé (combined fuel consumption WLTP 14.1 l/100 km, CO₂ emissions combined WLTP 319 g/km)[1] with an output of 350 kW (476 hp).
Exterior design: the evolution of a modern, iconic sports car design

The expanded dimensional concept with optional 2+2 seats offered the designers completely new design options for the exterior. The long wheelbase, short overhangs and steeply raked windscreen make the new AMG GT Coupé appear compact and powerful. The balanced proportions with an exciting greenhouse, voluminous wheel arches and the expressive front view signal the appearance of a powerful sports car that is also suitable for everyday use. The side view is characterised by smoothly modelled surfaces without beads or edges, right down to the recessed door handles. The expressively modelled rear shoulder area gives the vehicle additional sports car appeal. The light-alloy wheels, which are almost flush with the body, emphasise power and dynamics. The active rear spoiler is seamlessly integrated into the large tailgate.

The deep and wide AMG-specific radiator grille creates a dominant presence. The distinctive headlights with standard DIGITAL LIGHT underline its unmistakable character. The daytime running lights with the characteristic three "light dots" light signet add further recognition value. The precise graphics in the darkened interior of the headlights with brushed surfaces underline the performance design. The lower air intake gives the front additional optical width. The sporty front is rounded off with the powerful power domes on the bonnet.

The compact greenhouse with a fastback silhouette and a large tailgate allows the design of a low and rounded rear with an active, deployable spoiler. The precise detailed design of the fender trim sets an accentuated contrast to the clean and full surfaces. The strongly pronounced shoulder gives the vehicle a perfect balance of elegance and sportiness. The flat, horizontally connected LED taillights with clear and precise graphics are precisely embedded in the rear design. The dark LED rear lights form a perfect symbiosis with the front headlights thanks to the three-dimensional "light dots" light signet. They feature the running light indicator function and "Coming Home/Leaving Home" animation as standard. The expressive rear diffuser with formally integrated twin tailpipe trim rounds off the dynamic design at the rear.
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Formula One / 2023 Dutch Grand Prix - Preview
« Last post by fasteddy on August 22, 2023, 08:48:34 AM »
Toto Talks Netherlands

It’s good to get back to work. The summer break is important for everyone to take some well-deserved time off, but we’re racers and we love the thrill of competition.

We return recharged and ready for the second half of the season. There is plenty to fight for and we won’t be letting up. We will push hard in the battle for second in the Constructors’ Championship. We will also be driving development forward for 2024. Those are challenges we are excited for, starting this weekend.

Zandvoort is a fantastic place to resume the season. It’s a challenging track with an old-school feel; banked corners and high-speed sections undulating through the dunes. There’s always an incredible atmosphere with the passionate Dutch fans and it’s always a fantastic celebration of our sport. I’m sure this year will be no different and I’m excited to get there.
Fact File: Dutch Grand Prix

    After tackling the longest track of the season in Spa, we head to the second shortest and Zandvoort; it clocks in at just 4.259 km.
    It is perhaps no surprise therefore that we see the second highest lap total of the year here at 72 for Sunday’s Grand Prix. That is just six short of the number we complete at the Monaco Grand Prix, the highest total of the season.
    The circuit features 14 corners, four to the left and 10 to the right.
    Zandvoort doesn’t feature many long straights and a lot of the lap is spent in these 14 corners. It’s therefore a track with low power sensitivity and engine duty, so the Power Unit isn’t put through as much strain as at other circuits.
    Just 55% of the total lap time is spent at full throttle, which equates to just over 65% of the lap distance. It is most similar in characteristics to Interlagos in Sao Paulo in that sense.
    Without any significant straights, overtaking is a challenge here. Last year, we saw just five non-DRS aided passes in the 2022 race.
    That means qualifying performance is vital and makes it one of the most important qualifying sessions of the year.
    It is the third highest circuit for downforce sensitivity, which means a high downforce set-up is required. The only two tracks that are higher than Zandvoort are Budapest and Monaco.
    The circuit also has significant banked turns as it winds its way through the dunes. Turns 13 and 14 see the cars tackle 18 degrees of banking – around twice as steep as that seen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
    This puts vertical loads through the cars and tyres, not just lateral loads. The drivers also experience these vertical loads, as they get pushed into their seats rather than just from side-to-side.
    Drivers experience up to 4.7 G through the long, sweeping Turn 7, one of the highest lateral g-forces of the entire season.
    The pit lane length measures just 235 metres, one of the shortest of the entire season.
    Due to this, the pit lane is tight, and the speed limit is therefore lowered from the usual 80 km/h to 60 km/h.
    Time loss in the pit lane is still short though, with a calculated pit lane time of just over 13 seconds.
    To improve the traffic situation in the pit lane, the gap between pit boxes has been extended by 1.5 metres for this year’s race.
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Mercedes‑Benz offers a diverse brand experience at the Pebble Beach Automotive Week. The Mercedes‑AMG GT and an exclusive special edition of the Mercedes‑AMG SL celebrate their highly anticipated world premieres. The top-end segment is rounded off by Mercedes‑Maybach highlight models. With the Vision One‑Eleven and PROJECT MONDO G, the brand is also proudly displaying innovative and inspiring concept vehicles.

"At Pebble Beach Automotive Week, we would like to invite you on an amazing journey back through time with a display of selected brand icons that show why Mercedes‑Benz has continued to fascinate people for 137 years. This event is of unparalleled importance to us among the international automobile platforms, and not only because of the Californian lifestyle. The event is a magnet for car enthusiasts and opens up new opportunities for us to facilitate a personal encounter with our brands in a first-class setting."
Bettina Fetzer, Head of Communications and Marketing Mercedes‑Benz AG
World premiere of the all-new Mercedes‑AMG GT

Mercedes‑AMG is continuing its success story at Pebble Beach and celebrating a very special premiere at this year's Automotive Week: in the run-up to the 72nd Concours d'Elegance, the performance and sports car brand will be presenting the next generation of the Mercedes‑AMG GT to the world for the first time. Following the SLS, the first generation of the two‑door GT, the GT 4‑Door Coupé and the SL, the new two‑door model is already the fifth vehicle to have been developed entirely in-house by Mercedes‑AMG. The all-new AMG GT has a modified dimensional concept compared to its predecessor but remains true to its sporty and dynamic virtues. The all-new AMG GT thus embodies the brand's high standards of performance luxury like no other product from Affalterbach.

"For many decades, Monterey Car Week and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance at its conclusion have been a fascinating showcase for highly exclusive automotive gems as well as for customers and enthusiasts. There is no more suitable setting to show our exclusive brands and models to the public while combining tradition with modernity. In the case of Mercedes‑Maybach, the DS 7 Cabriolet from 1932 meets the all-electric EQS SUV, among others. Our iconic G‑Class off-roaders are also represented. I'm also particularly looking forward to celebrating the exclusive world premiere of our all-new Mercedes‑AMG GT with Mercedes‑AMG at Pebble Beach."
Michael Schiebe, CEO of Mercedes‑AMG GmbH and head of the business units Mercedes‑Benz G‑Class & Mercedes‑Maybach
Presentation of the MANUFAKTUR customisation programme and premiere of a special-edition Mercedes‑AMG SL

Mercedes‑Benz has always offered its customers the opportunity to give their vehicles a personal touch. From bespoke paint finishes to a variety of other distinctive options: it's easy to configure a Mercedes according to personal wishes and ideas. Two years ago, Mercedes‑Benz went one step further and introduced the MANUFAKTUR label. With this programme, customers can benefit from an even higher level of customisation when ordering their vehicle. As the customisation programme is proving highly popular, it is now being steadily expanded. As an example of this, a Mercedes‑AMG S 63 E PERFORMANCE (combined fuel consumption: 4.4 l/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 100 g/km; combined electric energy consumption: 21.4 kWh/100 km) can be seen at Pebble Beach. Interested parties will also be able to gain insight into the range of customisation available with the MANUFAKTUR programme for Mercedes‑Maybach. As an additional highlight, a limited special edition of the Mercedes‑AMG SL will also celebrate its global premiere.
Mercedes-Maybach showing its highlight models with an invitation to an exclusive lunch

In addition to its current production models, Mercedes‑Maybach will also be presenting a historic Maybach Zeppelin DS 7 from a private collection along with the latest member of the family, the all-electric Mercedes‑Maybach EQS 680 SUV (provisional values: combined electric energy consumption: 24.4‑22.5 kWh/100 km; CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km)[1]. In addition, our partner company MAYBACH Icons of Luxury will present a selection of its exclusive accessories and other products. The Maybach brand has always stood for pioneering spirit and innovation. Daniel Lescow, Head of Mercedes‑Maybach, is therefore inviting selected guests to a private lunch this year. This event will also provide a discussion platform on the development and use of new technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI), with experts such as Dr. Poppy Crum from Stanford University and Ulrich Schmid‑Maybach, President of the Maybach Foundation.
Experiencing the multi-faceted history of the Mercedes‑Benz brand

Overall, Mercedes‑Benz Heritage will open the event with a Welcome Tour on August 16 on the legendary Highway 1 along the West Coast from Los Angeles to Pebble Beach. The official Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance will kick off Pebble Beach Automotive Week 2023 - the top event of the global Concours d'Elegance - on the following day. This will be led by two exclusive, supercharged models from the Mercedes‑Benz W 06 series: a Model S, the letter standing for "Sport", with a four-seater sports body from 1927, and a Model SS "Super Sport" Cabriolet from 1930 with coachwork designed for the Maharajah of Kashmir.

"Pebble Beach Automotive Week, with its legendary Concours d'Elegance, is a flagship event in the world of automotive classics, where exclusive events are no rarity. This year, Mercedes‑Benz Heritage is focusing on an important, enduring aspect of our brand history: as the oldest automobile manufacturer in the world, Mercedes‑Benz was already inspiring people with top-class, sporty dream cars featuring innovative technology as far back as the 1920s and 1930s. The supercharged sports cars of the S‑series are prime examples. Pebble Beach also shows how important automotive tradition is for the future. Because the event has long since spread its aura beyond the historical perspective - to encompass today's vehicles and important innovations for the future of the automobile."
Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes‑Benz Heritage

On Sunday, August 20, 2023, the esteemed Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance will take place as the highlight of Automotive Week. As is tradition, the international public will await the decision as to which of the classics will be awarded the "Best of Show" prize with great interest and anticipation. Mercedes‑Benz is one of the most successful brands in the history of this accolade. The most recent Mercedes‑Benz winners were Arturo and Deborah Keller's Mercedes‑Benz 540 K Autobahn Courier in 2021 and Bruce McCaw's Mercedes‑Benz Model S Tourer with Barker coachwork in 2017.

In addition, Mercedes‑Benz Heritage is offering an extensive supporting programme for journalists and select guests at the Pebble Beach Automotive Week. From Thursday, August 17 to Saturday, August 19, classic cars from the brand will be presented in conjunction with the Mercedes‑Benz Star Lounge on the festival site. The classics represent different facets of the brand's history. They commemorate the premieres of the Mercedes‑Benz 600 (series W 100) prestige limousine and the 113 series Mercedes‑Benz "Pagoda" SL in 1963. Other highlight topics include the tradition of the E‑Class as well as luxurious convertibles and sports cars from the history of Mercedes‑Benz.
Largest gathering of the W 06 series in North America

Directly after the Pebble Beach Automotive Week, Mercedes‑Benz Classic will be taking part in another high-class event focusing entirely on the supercharged sports and racing cars of the S‑series. A historic tour from August 21 to 24 will bring together 20 of these legendary vehicles, making this the largest gathering of W 06 series cars in North America this year. In addition to collectors' super sports cars from the W 06 series, the two Mercedes‑Benz Sport and Super Sport models from the company's own collection presented earlier in Pebble will also take part in the tour. Marcus Breitschwerdt will join the tour in the Maharajah of Kashmir's Mercedes‑Benz Super Sport Cabriolet.
Mercedes‑Benz Concept Cars and launch of a limited C 111 accessories collection

With the Mercedes‑Benz Vision One‑Eleven, which celebrated its world premiere for the first time in California a few weeks ago, Mercedes‑Benz is presenting a sports car study in Pebble Beach that combines a highly dynamic design idiom with innovative, fully electric drive technology. The super-sporty silhouette is defined by the consistently implemented "one bow" design in the signature Mercedes style of the 21st century. The technical highlights include two powerful and highly efficient axial-flux motors from YASA, an English electric motor specialist based in Oxford and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mercedes‑Benz AG since July 2021. The Mercedes‑Benz Vision One‑Eleven thus continues the tradition of the legendary C 111 experimental vehicles from the 1960s and 1970s.

Together with the presentation of the sports car study, Mercedes‑Benz is launching the "LIMITED EDITION 1 OF 111" collection. This translates the spirit of the 1970s into the here and now and combines casual sportiness with meticulous attention to detail. In addition to the distinctive paint finish of the Vision One‑Eleven, the individual accessories - a weekend bag, a hooded sweatshirt, sunglasses, a cap and a protective case for an iPhone 14 Pro - echo the vehicle's characteristic design features. The five items are each limited to 111 pieces and thus offer admirers of this fascinating study an exclusive opportunity to take its style home with them. The products in the collection are now available at www.1of111.com.

In addition to the Mercedes-Benz Vision One‑Eleven, the PROJECT MONDO G artwork is also part of Pebble Beach. It combines the characteristic features of the Mercedes‑Benz G‑Class with the puffer jacket by Moncler as part of the collaboration between both brands.

[1] Data on power consumption and range are provisional and were determined internally in accordance with the "WLTP test procedure" certification method. So far there are no confirmed figures from an officially approved testing organisation, nor any EC type approval or certificate of conformity with official figures. Differences between the stated figures and the official figures are possible.
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Formula One / 2023 Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday
« Last post by fasteddy on August 10, 2023, 03:59:30 PM »
Lewis Hamilton

It was a non-eventful race for me today with not a huge amount going on. I was unable to keep up with the cars ahead of me and was struggling in the beginning. We know the rear end is our biggest issue and then we had some bouncing this weekend. At the end, I was keeping the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc within a few seconds, but I couldn’t get any closer. It was nice to have the gap to the car behind and to attempt to go for the fastest lap. It was gusty out there today and difficult to keep it on the track, but my lap was decent.

We know we have more work to do to close the gap to the front. We’ll work with all the data we’ve accumulated and try to figure out what we can do for the next race after the summer break.
George Russell

I really felt that I could have been up there with Lewis fighting for a podium for the Team today. Unfortunately, I was boxed in on the opening lap behind Oscar when he picked up damage at the first corner. That cost me a couple of positions and compromised my Grand Prix. After that it was a good race for us, and we have opened the gap in the Constructors’ by 51 points to third place.

It has been an intense first half of the season for everyone in the Team, so we are looking forward to the break and the chance to switch off for a few weeks before we get back racing again at Zandvoort. We know our goal is to win races, and I still believe that we can do that this season.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

We struggled with the car at points today and experienced some bouncing. That was the main limiting factor this weekend, so we’ve got some work to do to understand that more. We’ve got the shutdown coming up, but we will get our heads down this week, review the data, and see what we can do to make progress.

Going into the summer break, I feel that we are on the right trajectory overall. There is so much hard work going across the Team to upgrade the car and help us to make those important steps forward. I believe we are making progress and the direction we are going in is the right one. We will go away, recharge over the summer break and come back refreshed and re-energised.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

With the everchanging weather and a sprint race thrown into the mix, it’s been a challenging weekend in Spa. At times, our pace has been good. However, on the slicks today, we needed another tenth to be able to challenge for a podium. On the run to Eau Rouge at the beginning of the race, George unfortunately got boxed in behind Piastri’s damaged McLaren. That meant that he was stuck in a pack for the first stint. Once he was clear, we made good progress, but we lost too much time to be able to challenge Alonso at the end. Lewis also couldn’t get close enough to place Leclerc under pressure, so our options were limited.

It was good to bring home a point for fastest lap, but we need to focus on bringing more performance. The first half of the season has been tough, and everyone in Brackley and Brixworth has been working incredibly hard. We’re looking forward to the break and will be back in Zandvoort ready to take on the final 10 races of the season.
99
Formula One / 2023 Belgian Grand Prix - Saturday
« Last post by fasteddy on August 10, 2023, 03:54:09 PM »
Lewis Hamilton

The conditions were very tricky out there and we’re all trying our best. I think the contact with Perez was a racing incident. He went wide and was slow through turn 14 and I got a great exit – I was more than half-a-car alongside him and we ended up just coming together. Naturally it wasn’t intentional, but I got a penalty for it. Ultimately, it doesn’t make a huge difference. The difference between fourth and seventh in a Sprint where you don’t get a lot of points means it’s not punishing.

The positives are that our pace has been good. Today in the Sprint Shootout, we would have been fighting for the front-row without the issues on our final lap. We would have been right up there battling with Max, but it wasn’t meant to be. We now start third tomorrow and I hope I’ll be able to fight with the Ferraris and Perez.
George Russell

I think P8 was the maximum we could achieve from a shortened Sprint today. The car was really quick; I think we were probably the second fastest out there behind Max. Unfortunately after a bad qualifying session this is all you can really get. It also wasn’t easy out there in those conditions. It was my decision to pit one lap after the safety car had come in and that was perhaps not the correct one. We came out P12 after the pit stop and got back to P8. To recover those positions in such a short race is positive. With two more laps, we could have possibly got up to P5, but it is what it is, and I’m relatively satisfied.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

The car was good today. I would rather have a quick car that is doing good things and have a less optimal position in the Sprint, than benefitting from other’s misfortunes and being lucky. Given everything that happened today that we didn’t optimise, I’m OK with how our race played out.

Both Lewis and George had great pace; George overtook several cars and was closing on Norris who was much further ahead, so he had a good recovery. The contact between Lewis and Perez I saw as a racing incident more than penalty worthy. They were side-by-side and we want to see people racing. Nevertheless, that was the decision, and we now move on to the Grand Prix tomorrow. If we take similar pace into the race, we will be in a good position to fight for a decent result.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

Both drivers drove a good race today. We’d have liked a few more laps to attack as the car was working well. Lewis’ penalty is frustrating, but the big points are tomorrow and if the car has the pace it had today, we should be on for a strong result.

George did a really good job to get into the points. It wasn’t easy to overtake as the DRS was disabled but he was making steady progress through the field and had good pace. We still don’t have any proper dry running so it’s hard to know where everyone will be on pace; we can expect Max to be difficult to beat even with his penalty, but everything else is up for grabs.
100
Formula One / 2023 Belgian Grand Prix - Friday
« Last post by fasteddy on July 28, 2023, 11:45:25 AM »
Lewis Hamilton

I’m happy with today’s result. It was a hectic session as it was consistently drying up. It was very slippery at the beginning and visibility was a challenge. You know that every lap you are going to be improving as it dries up, so you need to maximise it. That’s why we were waiting at the end of the pitlane each session and the Team did a great job of getting us out there and finding clear track.  I kept my head down and focused on maximising as much as I could.

At the end, we were a good chunk off Max and his lap was pretty impressive. We’re pleased with where we are starting though. I’ll now have Max behind me on Sunday, but the aim is definitely to fight for a podium and chase down the guys ahead. No one got any real running in FP1 so I’m hoping that we have decent long run pace. Setting the car up ahead of qualifying was a bit of a guessing game. The car felt pretty decent, but we lost a lot of time in the middle sector. We’ll go away, study it, and see where there is time to be found. We will work on making any improvements we can, and we’ll be giving it everything we’ve got for the rest of the weekend. So far though, it’s a good start.
George Russell

It was a dynamic session. We were a bit off the pace for the entire session and struggled throughout; I’m not sure why. I usually love those transitional conditions between wet and dry, but on every lap we were nowhere. There’s plenty to review and try to understand. We know qualifying isn’t everything around here, but we would of course have liked to be higher up the order.

The lack of running in FP1 wasn’t too much of a factor as it’s the same for everyone. You always want to do more laps to further your understanding, but the car didn’t feel too bad. There’s a decent amount for us to try and understand overnight.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

Sprint race weekends are challenging. When you get no useful running in the first session, they become even more difficult. You need to rely entirely on the pre-weekend simulations to set the car up and get it balanced. Today’s qualifying session was tricky with the changing conditions; the long lap doesn’t make that any easier as you don’t get many attempts in each session.

Lewis was very close to Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez but unfortunately, we were missing a tenth. George struggled a bit for pace as the track moved to dry. We’ll have a look through the data and see what there is to learn ahead of the sprint qualifying tomorrow; hopefully we’ll find a bit of speed. We’ve had no real dry running yet, so the sprint race is going to a bit of a long run test ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix. We can’t change the car now so hopefully we’ve got the race balance in the right place.
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