George Russell

I’m really happy with how today went. It has been a while since we qualified on the front-row so we can be pleased with the progress we have made. The update kit we brought here seems to be working well although it has surprised us a little how competitive we were today. Sprint Qualifying was a tricky session, but I was able to put my lap in SQ3 together. The final sector in particular was strong and that is what enabled us to take P2.

Lewis was very quick today, and he was unlucky to be caught out by a yellow flag. We both should have been up there but it’s great that, as a team, we were back in the mix today. It is also clearly very close with several other outfits including Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren. Hopefully we can continue this form into the weekend and look forward to fighting at the front.
Lewis Hamilton

That was a real shame today as I got unlucky with a yellow flag. I was four tenths up on my lap and looking good for P1, but it is what it is. The good thing is that we seem to have made a step forward with the car. The update we have brought here was working well and I am really grateful to everyone back at the factory for their hard work. The last few races haven’t been straightforward, but everyone has done a great job to bring this upgrade.

We also did some strong work after FP1 to improve the car for Sprint Qualifying. Sprint weekends add an extra level of jeopardy with a second parc fermé, but as soon as we took to the track, I knew we had made some good choices. Despite our disappointment today, we have another go at it tomorrow and we will be giving it our best.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

We can take many positives but ultimately, we end the day slightly frustrated. Lewis was on for a lap that would have been more than enough for P1. We had opted to go on the early side to avoid any interruptions with yellows on a busy track at the end of the session. Unfortunately, and ironically, Lewis caught a yellow flag following a spin for the Williams of Colapinto at turn 12. That put paid to his challenge for the front-row and he will line up P7.

George wasn’t as comfortable with the car today as Lewis but it’s a clear sign of progress that he was still able to take P2. We have brought an update kit this weekend and its introduction has been straightforward. It is of course only one day of running but it does look like we are seeing the gains we hoped for. We will look to continue that momentum into the rest of the weekend.

Tough evening in the Lion City George Russell finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton sixth in Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix. Taking position on the second row, Lewis lined up on the Soft tyre in P3 with George on the Medium compound in P4. With track position so valuable in Singapore, the team opted for the Soft compound start to try and make opening lap gains. That proved the wrong decision though with Lewis limited on the red-walled compound by overheating in his opening stint and ultimately having to stop early. That enabled George and the McLaren of Oscar Piastri to overcut once everyone switched to the Hard compound. Piastri’s pace saw him come through to take P3 whilst the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc was able to put his pace and tyre advantage to use to first pass Lewis, then harry George in the closing stages. George was able to resist the Monegasque though and hold on to P4, whilst Lewis came home P6 on an evening where the team had the fourth quickest car. Driver Grid Result Fastest Lap Start Tyre Stop One George Russell P4 P4 1:37.047 Medium Hard (L27) Lewis Hamilton P3 P6 1:37.393 Soft Hard (L17) George Russell After a very difficult Friday, we would have likely taken P4 in the Grand Prix. Our pace in Qualifying however made us believe we could achieve more. Today was no doubt a difficult race for us, both challenging in terms of our pace but also physically. The McLarens were very impressive and in another league to us, whilst Max (Verstappen) had the legs on us. We were able to hold off the Ferrari of Charles (Leclerc) in the closing stages, so it was very much an evening of damage limitation. Given the pace of the car, that was the very best we could have achieved. We have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks to understand why we’ve struggled to challenge at the front in the past few races. We haven’t been as competitive since the summer break and that is frustrating. We will work hard to get on top of it though and hopefully the updates we bring to the next race in Austin will help us take a step closer to the front. Lewis Hamilton It is hard to describe the range of emotions you feel when we have a difficult race like that. This year continues to be a testing one for everyone, but we are all pushing as hard as we can. We don’t always get things right and that was the case today with our strategy. We all head into the weekend, and every decision we take, with the right intentions and sometimes it doesn’t work out. It can be frustrating, but we are all in this together. We have lost some form to the leaders in the past few races and we’re working hard to figure out why that is. We will do what we do best though and that is to come together as a team, analyse and refocus ahead of Austin. We will head there with energy, drive, and determination. It’s another opportunity to show what we can do when we get things right and to hopefully take a step forward with the car. Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO That was a really painful evening for us. P4 and P6 is not a good result after starting P3 and P4. Our strategy decisions in the race were determined by our experiences in the past here where track position is crucial. We thought that the Soft tyre would give Lewis an advantage at the start but that turned out to be the wrong decision. With our challenges managing the rear surfaces, we went backwards. Overtaking proved possible, contrary to previous races here where it has been more processional, and in hindsight we should have started him on the Medium. It doesn’t hide the fact though that we were too slow today. We are struggling at the moment with tracks that are hot and demanding on traction, like here and Baku, but that is no excuse. It is difficult for us to accept but we must do and find a way to improve. We now look ahead to Austin where we will have an update coming and we hope that will move us forward. Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director Our pace was ultimately poor today and that made for an incredibly challenging evening. Having qualified within a couple of tenths of Norris and Verstappen, we anticipated being able to race for the podium. That shaped our decision to start on the Soft compound with Lewis as we looked to make up ground on the opening lap. Unfortunately, with our lack of pace and struggles to control the rear tyre temperatures, that proved the incorrect decision and left him in for a tough race. It was very much a case of a defensive strategy and race for George. We had to pick our battles, and it was clear that we didn’t have the speed to be in a fight with the McLaren of Oscar Piastri. He was much faster and, with a tyre advantage, was always going to get through. George did well to hold off the hard-charging Ferrari of Leclerc and limit the damage. We’ve now got the opportunity over the next few weeks to analyse and understand what happened to our pace today. We had moments over the weekend where we were competitive, so we know there is inherent pace in the car. We will also be bringing an update package to the car at the next race and we hope that can bring us closer to the fight at the front.

Tricky Friday in the Lion City The opening day of running at the Singapore Grand Prix provided plenty of intrigue. The team ran all three compounds across the two practice sessions, gathering plenty of data across both the single lap and long runs. In the late afternoon running of FP1, both drivers used the Hard and Soft compound tyres although neither was happy with the overall balance. In FP2, both got a brief look at the Soft tyre but the main focus of the hour was the long run on the Medium compound. Lewis and George completed most of their programme, albeit with George’s session ending a few minutes early after losing his front-wing following minor contact with the wall at turn 8. The team will now analyse the data and learnings overnight before returning for FP3 tomorrow afternoon. Driver FP1 FP2 George Russell 25 Laps 1:33.334 P16 Hard, Soft, Hard 25 Laps 1:31.488 P7 Medium, Soft, Medium Lewis Hamilton 24 Laps 1:32.679 P12 Hard, Soft, Hard 24 Laps 1:31.709 P11 Medium, Soft, Medium George Russell That was quite a challenging Friday for us. We didn’t have the pace of the frontrunners today and we need to work hard overnight to understand why. The car wasn’t feeling as well connected as it did here last year, or in recent races. We need to get to the bottom of that if we are to have a weekend where we can challenge at the front. I am sure we will find some answers though once we go through all the data this evening. There were a lot of surprises out there when you looked at the timing screens. Williams and VCARB seemed to be particularly quick compared to recent races, whilst the Red Bulls looked to be struggling a little. The McLarens and the Ferraris looked to have a comfortable advantage over everyone else meanwhile and we’ve clearly got work on our hands to be in with a chance of racing them this weekend.   Lewis Hamilton It was a very challenging day for us. I didn’t feel particularly connected with the car throughout. We tried many different things on the set-up to try and find improvements but couldn’t find any major breakthrough. We were working hard as a team to make gains and get closer to the pace at the front, but we weren’t able to do so by the end of FP2. It was challenging to know exactly where we should put the car in terms of set-up and that is something we will be working hard on overnight. We need to find some additional speed otherwise we will be looking at a difficult Saturday tomorrow. Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director That was one of the trickier Friday’s of the year so far. We experimented with different set-ups across the cars in FP1, aiming to try and counter some of the challenges we’d faced particularly on our Medium tyre stint last weekend in Baku. Unfortunately, the track conditions didn’t give us a brilliant read on this, so we converged more closely for FP2. Neither driver was particularly happy with the balance throughout the session, although we made some progress on our long run. Whilst that second hour of running was more encouraging, we’ve still got a good chunk of work to do overnight. McLaren and Ferrari, in particular Norris and Leclerc, looked to be a step ahead of the rest of the field. We will have to find some big improvements to be in the fight with them tomorrow. We’ve also got one eye on some of the teams behind us. We will need to find gains overnight if we are to have a smoother run through qualifying and that is what we are focused on doing.

10 September 1959 – 65 years ago

Mercedes-Benz launches systematic crash tests for safety research

    Realistic evaluation of passive safety solutions with accident tests
    The head-on crash of a four-cylinder saloon of the W 110 series makes the start
    Modern crash tests depict more detailed scenarios

Accident simulations under reproducible conditions can be used to reliably evaluate solutions for passive automotive safety. In 1958, Mercedes-Benz therefore decides that, in future, crash tests with complete vehicles will play an important role in addition to calculations and the evaluation of real accidents. The premiere is on 10 September 1959: A pre-series vehicle of the forthcoming 110 series is subjected to a frontal collision with a stationary obstacle. At this time, the world’s first passenger car with a safety body is already on the market, the luxury class saloon of the W 111 model series (see next section). Crash tests with this vehicle confirm the effectiveness of the safety body for all occupants. Mercedes-Benz is constantly developing its crash test methods. In 2016, today’s Technology Center for Vehicle Safety opens in Sindelfingen, which can also carry out very complex crash tests. Mercedes-Benz shows an offset crash test between two electric cars in October 2023 (media.mercedes-benz.com/article/3ebae1fd-f3ac-4b81-a39e-727b4d4f93a0). About half a year later, Mercedes-Benz is the first car manufacturer in the world to X-ray a crash test, thus rendering all processes in the vehicle structures and dummies visible (media.mercedes-benz.com/article/6b76ca06-9ece-4bfe-8c28-fe40e727a29e).
17 to 27 September 1959 – 65 years ago

“Fintail” luxury class saloons of the Mercedes-Benz W 111 model series have their premiere

    First sedan with a safety body based on the Barényi patent
    Bearing bars at the rear give the series the colloquial name “fintail”
    Grand appearance of the S-Class predecessor at the IAA in September

At the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main from 17 to 27 September 1959, the Mercedes-Benz six-cylinder saloons 220, 220 S and 220 SE of the 111 series celebrate their public debut. This generation of the S-Class tradition is a milestone for passive safety: the world’s first automobile based on the principle of a safety body with a rigid passenger cell and front and rear zones that can be deformed in the event of a collision (“crumple zones”). The safety body is developed and patented in 1951 by Béla Barényi, Mercedes-Benz engineer and pioneer of passive safety. A particularly striking design detail are the bearing bars at the rear. They have given the W 111 and W 112 series (from 1961) the colloquial name “fintail”. By 1967, a total of 337,659 units of the W 111 series have been produced. It is also successful in motorsport rallies, endurance races and on the circuit.
26 November to 8 December 1984 – 40 years ago

Press presentation of the Mercedes-Benz 124 model series in Seville

    Technical and aesthetic milestone in the history of the E-Class
    The sedan is followed by the Estate, Coupé and Cabriolet
    Start with four-, five- and six-cylinder engines

Big stage for the new generation of the upper mid-size class from Mercedes-Benz: In Seville, Spain, the completely newly designed 124 series is presented to the international press at the end of 1984. In December 1984, the sedans are launched on the market, initially with four-, five- and six-cylinder engines. The 124 series has parallels to the W 201 compact class. This concerns the use of high-strength steel sheets and other weight-reducing materials, the further improvement of passive safety, the aerodynamic optimization of the body and the design. The press kit describes the design as a “slightly wedge-shaped body with strikingly smooth surfaces and rounded edges, flush glued front and rear windows and an optimised design of the rear”. The innovative panoramic windscreen wiper for the windscreen enables the world’s largest wiper field of a passenger car at the time. The 124 series becomes a multifaceted success story. In addition to the saloons, it includes the Estate (from 1985), Coupé (from 1987) and Cabriolet (from 1991) as well as chassis for special bodies. From 1993 onwards, the model series bears the name E-Class.
5 to 14 December 1924 – 100 years ago

In Berlin, Mercedes presents supercharged models of the international luxury class

    Top models developed by Ferdinand Porsche in the tradition of Paul Daimler
    Popular with social and political celebrities
    Debut at the 16th German Motor Show in Berlin on Kaiserdamm

In 1924, Ferdinand Porsche succeeds Paul Daimler as Member of the Board of Management for Development at Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG). The assignment of the engineer coming from Austro-Daimler according to the ideas of the Supervisory Board and Board of Management: “He is to shape the future of the Mercedes brand with high-quality utility cars”. Initially, however, Porsche designs two high-performance representative vehicles in the international luxury class for DMG with a six-cylinder engine and supercharger in the tradition of Paul Daimler. The Mercedes 15/70/100 hp (3,920 cc engine) and Mercedes 24/100/140 hp (6,240 cc engine) models premiere at the German Motor Show in Berlin in December 1924. Mercedes offers these types in various sporty and representative body variants. They are popular with customers who are social and political celebrities, among others, and are among the forerunners of the Nürburg 460, or the type “S”. The sporting successes of the Mercedes 24/100/140 hp with a 6.3-litre engine play an important role. They pave the way for the unique success story of the supercharged sports cars of the Mercedes-Benz S series until 1932.
Mercedes-Benz Classic Genuine Parts

Keeping the brand’s classics ready for use in authentic condition

    Currently 160,000 parts for 57 model series
    Every year, 20,000 Mercedes stars are sold
    In focus: Spare parts for the Mercedes-Benz 111 and 124 series

From the “fintail” saloons of the 111 series to the first E-Class generation of the 124 series: Mercedes-Benz Classic Genuine Parts offers an extensive range of spare and wear parts for the brand’s classic automobiles. This service stands for the highest quality and originality down to the last detail and also for short delivery times. Only the manufacturer itself can offer such a high-quality service. With this service, Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH makes a significant contribution to keeping the brand’s classic cars ready for use in authentic condition in the long term. Some parts for the types presented in this newsletter: For the W 111 “fintail” saloons available are for example the Mercedes star (part number A 180 888 01 09, price 82.41 euros), the radiator grille (part number A 111 888 50 15, price 1,129.88 euros) and the hub pad for the steering wheel (part number A 115 464 03 42, price 210.39 euros). And for the 124 series, among other things: the switch for fan adjustment (part number A 124 820 23 10, price 124.32 euros), the lower and upper part for the antenna seal (part numbers lower and upper part A 124 827 07 98 7C45 and A 124 827 08 98 7C45, prices 22.61 euros and 17.61 euros respectively) and the parts kit for the coupling (part number A 124 250 04 01 80, price 296.31 euros). All prices stated are recommended retail prices for Germany and include 19 percent VAT. In total, there are more than 160,000 part items for 57 model series. Mercedes-Benz Classic has 42 different versions of the Mercedes star alone on offer and sells almost 20,000 of them every year. Many of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Genuine Parts can be delivered to 170 countries worldwide within 24 hours.
Link: teilesuche.mercedes-benz-classic.com
Birthday

    80 years ago: Jürgen E. Schrempp was born on 15 September 1944 in Freiburg im Breisgau. An apprenticeship at Mercedes-Benz as an automotive mechanic was followed by an engineering degree. From 1989 onwards, he headed the DASA subsidiary of the former Daimler-Benz AG and became Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler-Benz AG in 1995. In 1998, together with Robert Eaton, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Management of the newly founded DaimlerChrysler AG. At the end of 2005, Dr. Dieter Zetsche became his successor.

Record number of visitors after a particularly successful summer: On 12 September 2024, Frédéric Atoun was the 13 millionth visitor to the Mercedes-Benz Museum since it opened its doors in 2006. The visitor from Orléans, France, came together with his son Victor.

Museum Director Bettina Haussmann welcomed the guests from France. After making an entry in the Museum’s VIP visitor’s book, they were invited to take a seat in the Mercedes-Benz 500 K Spezial-Roadster from 1936, which is on display in room Legend 3: Times of Change – Diesel and Supercharger, for commemorative photos. The automobile fans had previously visited the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. They took advantage of the attractive combined ticket offer.

“Much sooner than we expected, we’ve broken the 13 million visitor mark – a great milestone for the Museum. I’m very pleased that our museum concept and the charisma of the brand continue to attract people from all over the world to Stuttgart and inspire them.”
Bettina Haussmann, Director of Mercedes-Benz Museum
International appeal

People from all over the world have visited the Mercedes-Benz Museum. During the summer months, almost 16 percent more visitors than in the same period of 2023 came to the Museum. The proportion of international visitors to the Museum was around 65 percent in summer 2024 – a number which was enhanced by people visiting Stuttgart to enjoy the European football championship 2024. Most of the foreign visitors came from France and China.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum makes the history of mobility come alive – from the invention of the automobile in 1886 and into the future. Within its unique architecture, the Museum’s permanent exhibition comprises 160 vehicles and a total of 1,500 other exhibits. Numerous in-house events also make the Museum a cultural centre in Stuttgart.