OFFICIAL: Lewis Hamilton takes new role as MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS driver

Don't Copy From This Blog...

Silver Arrows works team's new driver Lewis Hamilton officially entered the Mercedes-Benz family beginning with the first day ofthe new year. Part of the usual media activities, the Briton paid a visit to Mercedes-AMG headquarters and Mercedes-Benz Museum this week. He got introduced in front of the fans gathered at Affalterbach, he experienced the engine department and received technical explanations from Ola Kaellenius (head of the company) and he also photographed himself with the legendary, winning Silver Arrows on exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Today, Lewis Hamilton was also greeted by the team at his new 'home' in Brackley, United Kingdom. Here are some interesting photos for you to see - enjoy! :)

~ Official photos and videos courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2013, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

Read More

Mercedes-Benz Style and Silver Arrows Marine create 14-metre motor yacht: Mercedes-Benz Style to present the looks for first ‘Silver Arrows’ motor yacht in Monaco

Don't Copy From This Blog...

More than 125 years after Gottlieb Daimler built the first motorised boat and cruised up the River Neckar, Mercedes-Benz Style and Silver Arrows Marine are presenting designs for a luxury motor yacht against the backdrop of the 2012 Monaco Yacht Show. The 14-metre-long seagoing Granturismo combines design elements typical of Mercedes-Benz automobiles with innovations hitherto unknown in the boat industry. The result is a progressive and emotionally appealing luxury yacht featuring the passionate design language of Mercedes-Benz. The yacht also represents the next stage in Daimler's vision of all-encompassing mobility: along with Mercedes-Benz vehicles on land and the Eurocopter EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style in the air, mobility on water under the aegis of the three-pointed star will also soon now be possible.

The motor yacht is being developed and will be built by UK-registered boat-building company Silver Arrows Marine whose team includes world renowned marine architects Martin Francis and Tommaso Spadolini, between them responsible for some of the most capable and luxurious craft in the world today. The ‘Silver Arrow of the seas’ is due to come on to the market in 2013.

“Giving shape to a boat was an exciting challenge for automotive designers like we are,” said Gorden Wagener, Head of Design Mercedes-Benz Cars, at the presentation of the yacht's design in Monaco. “Our task was to explore how to apply the Mercedes-Benz design language to the particular proportions and specific requirements of a boat. We wanted to create something special and what we have come up with is indeed unique. The ‘Silver Arrow of the seas’ embodies pure emotion and stands for luxury, style and pleasure.”

The crème de la crème of designers and boatbuilders

The new yacht, styled by Mercedes-Benz designers, is being engineered by the project partner, Silver Arrows Marine. “Silver Arrows Marine is a new brand with the best team of experts for extremely high-end maritime products,” Gorden Wagener said. As well as Martin Francis and Tommaso Spadolini, the Silver Arrows Marine team consists of specialists in all areas of luxury yacht development and construction.

Mercedes-Benz Style and Silver Arrows Marine have been working closely together to implement the designers’ interior and exterior style concepts in line with their precise specifications. The Mercedes-Benz Style team has been involved in the project from the beginning, collaborating with Silver Arrows Marine on the yacht’s innovative layout and use of space, shaping the exterior and interior and choosing materials and colour combinations. Silver Arrows Marine is responsible for the boat's technical equipment and construction, with the first yacht expected to be launched within a year of the presentation of its design.

On the design collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Style, Silver Arrows Marine Chairman Ron Gibbs said: “It has been a privilege to work with professionals as passionate about design as we are passionate about boats and the sea. I am confident that together we can deliver innovation and elegance in a motor yacht that changes the way people see boats in this class.”

Granturismo in its finest form

At 14 metres in length, the new yacht's design makes it suitable for a wide range of uses. The innovative versatility and intelligent use of space are particularly impressive. While ideal for a day on the water with friends, the motor yacht can also offer overnight accommodation. The elegant and timeless interior appointments offer a level of comfort and luxury commensurate with the Mercedes-Benz name.

About Mercedes-Benz Style

In addition to their work in the field of automotive design, the designers at Mercedes-Benz have been working since 2010 on a range of designs for other products, in cooperation with selected partners. The first product to come onto the market, in 2011, was the Eurocopter EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style helicopter, the first of which have now been delivered to customers. This was followed in 2012 by an exclusive furniture collection, produced in cooperation with the Formitalia Luxury Group, one of Italy's leading manufacturers of designer furniture. The Mercedes-Benz Style label encompasses transport-related products as well as furniture and lifestyle products.

About Silver Arrows Marine

Silver Arrows Marine is a collective of internationally renowned marine architects and engineers who are behind some of the greatest luxury motor yachts currently in service. Registered in the UK, Silver Arrows Marine works on an exclusive basis with leading specialists in all fields of luxury motor yacht design, development and construction to build high-end boats that make no compromises in their elegance, functionality and sheer usability.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

Read More

Mercedes-Benz Classic: Silver Arrow Gala in the Louwman Museum

Don't Copy From This Blog...

Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow cars are motor racing icons, known and loved all around the world. A special exhibition devoted to the history of these amazing vehicles from 1934 to 1939 is to run from 11 October 2012 to 6 January 2013 at the Louwman Museum in The Hague. Starring in this very special show will be a selection of stunning original vehicles from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection.

This joint initiative with the Louwman Museum, which opened at its current location in 2010, is the most ambitious collaboration of its kind ever undertaken by the world’s oldest automobile manufacturer. As well as housing the world’s oldest private automobile collection accessible for public viewing, the Louwman Museum also ranks as the Netherlands national motoring museum.

The six exhibits on display in the “Silver Arrows 1934–1939” exhibition in the large hall of the Louwman Museum comprise the racing cars W 25, W 125, W 165, and W 154, and also the 1936 12-cylinder W 25 record car. The record car will be displayed with a replication of the fully streamlined body made for this extraordinary vehicle, with the original body shown alongside as a separate installation.

Numerous other exhibits and photographs from the holdings in the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection will help to recount the story of the Silver Arrows and those who drove them. The items on display will provide unique insights into the lives of legendary drivers such as Rudolf Caracciola, Manfred von Brauchitsch, and Hermann Lang, both on and off the racetrack. And, of course, the charismatic personality of Alfred Neubauer, the dynamic racing team manager who orchestrated the triumphs of the Silver Arrows with such consummate skill, will be a central figure in the exhibition.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum

- A centre of innovation featuring 160 vehicles and a total of more than 1,500 exhibits
- The history and future vocation of the brand

The Mercedes-Benz Museum is the world’s only institution that presents more than 125 years of automotive history in an unbroken sequence, right from day one. A total of 160 vehicles and more than 1,500 exhibits are on display over an exhibition area of 16,500 square metres, on nine levels. The museum sees itself as a centre of innovation, highlighting the ways in which the historical tradition continues to radiate out into the present and future.

As well as presenting the incredible history and heritage of the Mercedes-Benz brand, the displays also provide fascinating insights into the future. This is reflected in the architecture of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, created by UN-Studio van Berkel und Bos, Amsterdam. The interior of the museum building is based on the double helix of the structure of DNA that carries the human genetic code. This reflects the Mercedes-Benz brand’s commitment to originality, as it continues to invent the future and build a multifaceted brand.

The exhibition areas of the museum take visitors on a unique journey through time, covering the entire history of the automobile. They first take the lift up to the top level of the museum building. On arriving in the year 1886, they have a choice of two symmetrically opposed, regularly intersecting spirals, leading them through a series of broad curves past the many and varied exhibits back to the starting point.

The first spiral traverses a chronological succession of seven “myth spaces” recounting the story of the brand, each devoted to a particular epoch. The second spiral showcases the vehicles in a series of five themed collection spaces, portraying the multiple facets of the brand portfolio and the museum collection across time boundaries. Visitors can cross from one spiral to the other at any time. Each itinerary ends in a banked curve featuring the “Silver Arrow – Races and Records” display. The exhibition also includes the “Fascination of Technology” display, providing a glimpse of the everyday working environment at Mercedes-Benz and presenting some key themes for the future of the automobile.

Mercedes-Benz Classic

- Bringing the Mercedes-Benz myth to life
- Museum, Classic Centers, Archives and Club management
- International focus

For over 125 years, the three-pointed star has shown the way ahead for the automobile, with unique innovations and timeless elegance. Mercedes-Benz Classic aims to bring the tradition and enduring myth of Mercedes-Benz to life for the public today, through the Mercedes-Benz Museum, and also with other activities at different locations.

Mercedes-Benz Classic Centers

The Mercedes-Benz Classic Centers, based at Fellbach (Germany) and Irvine (USA), are the first port of call for anything to do with service and know-how on classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The experts here restore, check and service classic cars with specialist expertise accumulated over 125 years of automobile construction. They have 50,000 original parts in store, and can even manufacture one-off items on request.

And for anyone looking to buy a classic car, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center can offer a very special service: a range of exclusive Mercedes-Benz vehicles are always on display in the showroom, already thoroughly checked out in the workshop, and now available for sale. The range includes cars such as the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing model and rare supercharged (Kompressor) models from the pre-war era.

Mercedes-Benz Clubs

Accredited Mercedes-Benz clubs form a vital link between the manufacturer and the owners of classic vehicles bearing the three-pointed star. The benefits of membership of the worldwide community of official Mercedes-Benz brand clubs include support for events, rallies and trade fairs, and exclusive offers from Daimler AG.

The activities of these official brand clubs are highly valued by Mercedes-Benz Classic, since the care lavished on these very special vehicles helps to maintain our proud tradition.

Archives and Collection

Our corporate “memory” is preserved in the archives and the collection of a large number of documents and vehicles from the 125-plus year history of the company and its products – a unique and comprehensive repository of automotive expertise. The Mercedes-Benz Class Center also offers a specialist service for checking the authenticity of vehicles. The main demand for the material in the archives is from Daimler AG itself, which uses the information for preserving its heritage for future generations. Some of the archive material is also available to the public, primarily journalists, academics, historians and writers.

Sightseeing attractions recalling the history of the automobile

The automobile appears as a constant refrain in any survey of human achievements over the centuries, as the invention that changed the world. Its rich and eventful history dates back more than 125 years. That history is enshrined in sightseeing attractions all around the Stuttgart region – such as Gottlieb Daimler’s birthplace, the Gottlieb Daimler memorial, Carl Benz House, the Dr. Carl Benz Auto Museum, the Maybach Museum, and the Unimog Museum.

The Louwman Museum

- Home to the world’s oldest private automobile collection
- Netherlands national motoring museum

In 1934, a Dutch automobile dealer named Pieter Louwman purchased a 1914 Dodge, which marked the beginning of a unique collection of historic automobiles and laid the foundations for today’s museum with a collection of more than 230 historic vehicles and the world’s largest collection of automotive art. A love of classic cars clearly runs in the Louwman family, because the institution is now in the hands of the founder’s son, Evert Louwman.

The permanent exhibition is divided into four sectors: “The Dawn of Motoring”, “Motoring”, “Racing”, and “Luxury”. The museum’s holdings include the world’s largest collection of Spyker vehicles, and its De Dion Bouton et Trépardoux, made in 1887, is now reputedly the world’s second-oldest car.

In 2010, the Louwman Museum relocated to a three-storey building in The Hague, designed by the American architects Michael Graves and Gary Lapera. The building provides more than 10,000 square metres of exhibition space for the collection that was previously on show in Leidschendam as the National Automobile Museum, and in Raamsdonksveer as the Louwman Collection.

Vehicles in the “Silver Arrows 1934-1939” exhibition”

- Louwman Museum exhibition to feature four Formula racing cars and one record car
W 25 Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix racing car (1934 to 1936)

The story of the development of the Mercedes-Benz W 25, raced from 1934 in the new 750 kilogram formula, began in 1932. The decision to limit vehicles to a maximum weight of 750 kilograms (without fuel and tyres) was designed to restrict the power output, and therefore the top speeds of the cars entered in the races. For this new racing formula, Mercedes-Benz developed a monoposto with a mechanically supercharged 3.4-litre eight-cylinder in-line engine and conventional architecture, with the engine at the front delivering power to the rear wheels via a gearbox on the rear axle. The W 25 was in use from 1934 to 1936, with ongoing enhancements during that time. For example, with the M 25 E engine of 1936, the power rating was ultimately boosted from the initial 354 hp (260 kW) to 494 hp (363 kW). The cylinder capacity and top speed also increased to 4740 cubic centimetres and approximately 300 km/h, respectively.

W 125 Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix racing car (1937)

For 1937 only, the last season of racing in the 750 kilogram formula, Mercedes-Benz developed the W 125, driven by an enhanced version of the W 25 engine. However, the mechanically supercharged eight-cylinder in-line M 125 F engine had the supercharger placed downstream from the carburettors. This technology, which had never been used before in a Mercedes-Benz racing car, meant that the mixture was formed prior to compression. From its cubic capacity of 5663 cubic centimetres, the M 125 F engine developed an output of 592 hp (435 kW), with a top speed of around 320 km/h. The car was based on a steel frame with four cross beams. The front wheel had double wishbones and helical springs, and there was a De Dion double-jointed axle at the rear. Following extensive testing at the Nürburgring racetrack, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the design engineer responsible for the development of the W 125, opted for a revolutionary chassis design with soft springs and exceptionally long spring travel. An unmistakeable trait of the W 125 was the three cooling air inlets at the front.

W 154 Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix racing car (1938 to 1939)

A new Grand Prix formula came into effect in 1938, based on maximum cylinder capacity rather than a maximum weight as the primary design factor: 4.5 litres for naturally aspirated engines and 3 litres for supercharged engines. New weight limits of between 400 and 850 kilograms were also specified. For this new formula, Mercedes-Benz developed the new W 154 racing car with a mechanically supercharged V12 engine. The design of the chassis and suspension was based on the concept used in the car from the year before, the W 125. The M 154/8 engine used in 1938 had a cylinder capacity of 2963 cubic centimetres and compressed the intake air with two single-stage superchargers, delivering 468 hp (344 kW) at 7800 rpm. In 1939, the second year of racing for the W 154, a reworked engine was used, the M 163 with a two-stage supercharger and power output of 483 hp (355 kW) at 7800 rpm. The W 154 had a top speed of around 300 km/h.

W 165 Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix racing car (1939)

The W 165 racing car, fitted with an 1.5-litre V8 engine, was developed by Mercedes-Benz for a single race, the Grand Prix of Tripoli in 1939. This was because of the decision of the event organisers in the Italian colony to specify the “voiturette” formula, with an 1.5-litre engine, for the race. The aim was to eliminate the competition from the Germans, since Mercedes-Benz, which had won in the Tripoli event in 1937 and 1938, did not have a racing car in this class. Yet the racing department in Stuttgart managed to build a new monoposto for the 1.5-litre formula in just eight months. Many of the structural design details of the W 165 were based on the current Grand Prix car at the time, the W 154. The mechanically supercharged V8 engine with cubic capacity of 1493 cubic centimetres delivered an output of 254 hp (187 kW) at 8000 rpm, with a top speed of approximately 272 km/h.

W 26 Mercedes-Benz 12-cylinder record car (1936)

Vehicles specifically designed to break records, based on Grand Prix racing cars, were a high priority for Mercedes-Benz in the 1930s. In 1936, the racing department in Stuttgart produced the first vehicle with a fully streamlined body, including the wheels and underbody: the W 25 record car with a V12 engine. The streamlined body shape was optimised in the wind tunnel, making the W 25 record car of 1936 a pioneer in the development of science of aerodynamics as applied in automotive technology today. The car was powered by the MD 25 DAB/1 V12 engine, developing 616 hp (435 kW) from its cubic capacity of 5577 cubic centimetres. On 11 November 1936, Rudolf Caracciola set records over 5 miles (336.838 km/h), 10 kilometres (331.889 km/h), and 10 miles (333.489 km/h). The fastest speed measured for the record car was, however, 372 km/h.

Did you know?
At the Goodwood Revival (14 to 16 September 2012), Mercedes-Benz Classic will be represented with five original Silver Arrow vehicles from the 1930s, including staging a simulated race against Auto Union cars. This will be the largest collection of Silver Arrow cars seen in one place for several decades.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

Read More

Grand exhibition of 1930s Silver Arrows at the 2012 Goodwood Revival

Don't Copy From This Blog...

Mercedes-Benz Classic is bringing four original pre-war Silver Arrows to the racetrack at this year’s Goodwood Revival (14 to 16 September 2012). The Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix cars from the 1930s are playing the starring role in a staged race together with Auto Union vehicles from the Audi Tradition collection. “75 years after the cars made their debut in Britain, this is the first time that a significant number of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Silver Arrows will be sharing the same track,” says Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic. “This guest appearance at Goodwood won’t hinge on hundredths of a second, however. It is instead a unique demonstration under simulated race conditions.”

The historical racing cars piloted by Mercedes-Benz drivers Roland Asch, Jochen Mass, Bernd Schneider and Jackie and Paul Stewart meet all the exacting standards of Mercedes-Benz Classic: they are originals, have been in company ownership since they were built and are authentic in virtually every detail. In cases, for example, where parts have had to be replaced for safety reasons, any new components are made precisely to the specifications and standards of the time. As the original manufacturer, Daimler AG has all the expertise that is needed to certify the authenticity of a vehicle and to maintain it in pristine condition.

This year the Goodwood Motor Circuit will be echoing to the sounds of a W 25 (1934), a W 125 (1937), a W 154 (1939), and a W 165 (1939) with their eight- and twelve-cylinder engines. Mercedes-Benz Classic is escorting the four Silver Arrows driving in the race in a Lo 2750 racing car transporter (1936), the same model that was once used to transport the first Silver Arrows.

Every autumn the Goodwood Revival at the UK circuit resurrects the great days of motorsport. At the heart of the festival are the enthralling races. Prominent among these are the Celebrity Races starring world-famous racing drivers from various classes and eras of motorsport, either in two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicles. The Sports Car Races feature mainly sports cars that were entered in the official race at the Goodwood Motor Circuit between 1948 and 1966. The Single-Seater Races are reserved for monoposti of all sizes. There is also plenty on offer away from the track. The programme includes classic car auctions and exhibitions, an air show, a supermarket selling vintage products, and a traditional fairground. What’s more, race participants and most of the visitors dress in period clothing, contributing to the extraordinary atmosphere of this motor sport weekend.

The cars of Mercedes-Benz Classic at the Goodwood Revival 2012

Mercedes-Benz W 25, 1934

In autumn 1932, the motor sport body AIACR (Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus) in Paris announced a new formula for Grand Prix races that was to come into force in 1934. The rules stipulated a maximum weight of 750 kilograms without fuel, oil, coolant, and tyres, but otherwise no restrictions for the constructors. In 1933, Mercedes-Benz made the decision to develop a new racing car bearing the designation W 25. Initial test drives quickly showed that this was a car destined for victory, thanks to its combination of slim body, mechanically supercharged 3.4-litre in-line eight-cylinder engine producing 354 bhp (260 kW), individual wheel suspension, and direct rear axle transmission.

Mercedes-Benz also decided on a new chassis colour for the W 25 – silver. Its debut had been planned for the Avus race in Berlin in May 1934, but the team had to withdraw at the last minute because of technical problems. As a result, the new car made its first appearance one week later, at the International Eifel race at the Nürburgring on 3 June. The W 25 lined up at the start in silver – supposedly, as legend has it, after the cars on the Nürburgring had been stripped of their white paint for weight reasons. Even though this race was not run in accordance with the 750-kg formula, the team was clearly determined to present a car that met the new regulations. The name “Silver Arrow” was coined some time later and gradually caught on over the years.

Mercedes-Benz W 125, 1937

A deafening roar erupts from the 600 bhp (441 kW) supercharged engine of the new Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow as it makes its debut on 9 May 1937 at the Tripoli Grand Prix. This was the call of the ultimate racing car of 1937. Because not only did the Mercedes-Benz W 125 clinch victory in its debut race (with Hermann Lang at the wheel), but it went on to win many other competitions that year. Rudolf Caracciola drove the car to three victories in five races for Mercedes-Benz on his way to winning another European Championship.

It took great passion and engineering expertise to build this Grand Prix racer, which was based on an entirely new design. By going to great lengths in designing the car completely from scratch, the Mercedes-Benz racing department demonstrated a huge amount of faith in their new competition vehicle. After all, the W 125 was developed specifically for a single year – 1937 – the fourth and final season of the 750-kilogram formula. After three years of using the W 25, Mercedes-Benz entered a brand new racing car just as this great era drew to a close – it was a move that brought a huge amount of success.

Mercedes-Benz W 154, 1939

In September 1936, the AIACR laid down the Grand Prix formula that was to apply from 1938. The key points were a maximum displacement of 3 litres for mechanically supercharged engines and 4.5 litres for naturally aspirated engines, and weight from a minimum of 400 kilograms to a maximum of 850 kilograms, according to displacement. These specifications necessitated a completely new car, so the 1937 season was still in full swing when the Mercedes-Benz designers developed their car for the next racing season. The V12 engine of the new W 154 was run on the test bench from January 1938. During the races, drivers of the car had more than 468 hp (344 kW) at their disposal.

The W 154 Silver Arrow was indeed able to outdo the exploits of its predecessors, giving the Mercedes-Benz racing department its greatest number of victories during this era. The first race of the new season ended in disappointment, however. On the twisting circuit in Pau, France, the car was unable to display its full potential and was set back by a refuelling stop. But things rapidly improved thereafter. Mercedes-Benz won almost all major competitions that season and in 1939, the final racing season before the Second World War, Brauchitsch, Caracciola, and Lang repeated their triumphs of the previous year in the W 154.

Mercedes-Benz W 165, 1939

The W 165 formula racing car was developed by Mercedes-Benz in less than eight months to accommodate new rules which had been changed at short notice in 1939 for the Italian Grand Prix races organised by the Italian motorsports association. This included the prestigious Tripoli Grand Prix in Libya, then an Italian colony. These rules stipulated a maximum displacement of just 1.5 litres (rather than 3 litres).

For the new 1.5-litre engine, the engineers led by Max Sailer decided on an M 165 V8 unit producing 254 hp (187 kW). The right-hand cylinder bank of the short-stroke, 90-degree engine was positioned 18 millimetres further forward. The design of the frame and suspension was based on the three-litre W 154: an oval tubular frame with cross-members made of chromium-nickel-molybdenum steel, a De Dion rear axle with torsion bar suspension and a wishbone suspension with coil springs at the front. From the outside, the smaller Mercedes looked like its big brother, the W 154, although for reasons of space the driver in the W 165 sat slightly to the right.

Two W 165 cars raced at Tripoli, resulting in a famous double win for the marque with Hermann Lang coming first with an average speed of just under 198 km/h and Rudolf Caracciola finishing in second place.

Mercedes-Benz Lo 2750 racing transporter, 1936

Not quite as eye-catching as the Silver Arrows, but equally important for the image of the brand in the public eye, were the racing transporters. Where the blue trucks emblazoned with the words “Mercedes-Benz racing division” appeared, they quickly became the centre of attention. During the 1930s, the Mercedes-Benz racing transporters certainly played their part in the success of the Silver Arrows by bringing the cars to the Grand Prix racetracks on time, ensuring a reliable supply chain from the plant and acting as mobile workshops. Sometimes they were also used for ceremonial purposes: after major victories, with their tarpaulins lowered, they would display the winning Silver Arrows to the adoring public.

There was quite a fleet of them on the roads – and yet none survived the war years. Which is why Mercedes-Benz Classic Center has resurrected a racing transporter based on the original model: a Lo 2750 truck built in 1936 with a petrol engine developing 70 hp (51 kW) from a displacement of just under 5 litres. By virtue of their low-floor construction, this model and the models Lo 2000, Lo 2500, and Lo 3750 also used during the 1930s were the perfect choice for racing transporters.

The drivers for Mercedes-Benz Classic at the 2012 Goodwood Revival

Roland Asch
Born in Ammerbuch-Altingen, Baden-Württ., on 12 October 1950

A qualified car mechanic with his own successful car dealership in Ammerbuch near Tübingen, Asch has a passion not only for motor sport, but for the technology that makes motor sport possible in the first place. But he is no die-hard driver. Motorsport has always remained a hobby for him, albeit a time-consuming one. Roland Asch began his career in slalom racing and hillclimbs (1976 to 1982), securing the title of German Hillclimbing Champion in 1981 before achieving further success as the overall winner of three Porsche 944 Turbo Cups (1987/88/89) and one Carrera Cup (1989), and as runner-up after moving to the German Touring Car Championship. After starring in the German Racing Championship, he made his debut in the 1985 German Touring Car Championship. This was followed by engagements for the MS-Mercedes team in 1989, for the Snobeck-Mercedes team in 1990, for Zakspeed-Mercedes in 1991 and 1992, and for AMG-Mercedes in 1993. In 1992 (Eifel race, Hockenheim) and 1993 (Diepholz/Lower Saxony and twice at the Avus race in Berlin) he recorded five victories and a string of high-placed finishes. And in 1988 (Mercedes 190 E 2.3-16 for the BMK motorsport team) and 1993 (Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16 Evo II Class 1), he finished as runner-up with Mercedes-Benz in the German Touring Car Championship. Since 1995 – after moving to the Super Touring Car Cup – he has driven for various other racing teams.

Jochen Mass
Born in Dorfen near Wolfratshausen, Bavaria, on 30 September 1946

Jochen Mass, originally a trained seaman, began his richly varied motor sport career in 1968 racing touring cars for Alfa-Romeo and as a works team driver for Ford between 1970 and 1975. During this time, he won the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in 1972. At the same time, he drove in Formula 2 (1973) and in 105 Formula 1 Grands Prix (1973/74 for Surtees; 1975 to 1977 for McLaren; 1978 for ATS; 1979/80 for Arrows; 1982 for March). With the 1985 German Sportscar Championships under his belt and after a stint as a Porsche works team driver ending in 1987, he joined the Sauber-Mercedes team. He drove in Group C for this team until 1991. Partnered by Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens, he won the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans in the new Silver Arrow, the Sauber-Mercedes C 9, and finished runner-up in the Group C World Championship that same year. Three years later, in 1992, Mass became involved in team management at the DTM. To this day, Jochen Mass still regularly drives for Mercedes-Benz at historical racing events.

Bernd Schneider
Born in St. Ingbert, Saarland, on 20 July 1964

Five-times DTM champion Bernd Schneider and his first racing successes were in karting and Formula 3. Schneider also took part in the Formula 1, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA GT Championships, winning this title in 1997. But the DTM became the stage on which he celebrated his greatest triumphs. Schneider drove for the AMG-Mercedes team from 1992 and won the German Touring Car Championship for the team in 1995 after being third in the overall placings in 1992 and 1993. After the DTM was revived as the German Touring Car Masters in 2000, Schneider won in the years 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, and finished as runner-up in 2002. To this day, Bernd Schneider retains close links to the Mercedes-Benz brand as a test driver and ambassador.

Jackie Stewart
Born in Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on 11 June 1939

The racing career of the triple Formula One World Champion Sir John Young “Jackie” Stewart started in 1964 and from the very beginning he was extremely successful. After only one year he was already driving in the Formula One and then in 1969 came his first great triumph: he won the Formula One Championship driving for the Matra International team. In 1971, he won the cup a second time, and this was followed in 1973 for the third time, in both cases for the Elf Team Tyrrell. For over 14 years he held the record for the greatest number of Formula One victories with 27 wins and this was only broken in 1987 by Alain Prost. Time and again, Stewart also drove successfully in other racing series. He retired from active racing in 1973. Because of the frequent fatal accidents at that time, it is not surprising that Jackie Stewart was also one of the first to work hard for more safety in motor racing. In 1996, he founded the Team Stewart Grand Prix together with his son Paul Stewart; the team took part in Formula One racing from 1997 to 1999. At the end of 1999, the team was taken over by Ford and was run during the 2000 season under the name Jaguar Racing, and it continued finally from 2005 onwards under the name Red Bull Racing. In 1971, Jackie Stewart was honoured with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to his country.

Paul Stewart
Born in Dumbarton, Scotland, on 29 October 1965

Former Formula driver Paul Stewart, son of the triple Formula 1 champion Jackie Stewart, gained his first motorsport successes in the Formula Ford 2000. In 1988, he founded Team Paul Stewart Racing, competing in the British Formula 3 championships in 1989 and 1990 and the Formula 3000 from 1991 to 1993. During this time, he was teammate to Marco Apicella in 1991, David Coulthard in 1992, and Gil de Ferran in 1993. After that, despite his great successes, he said farewell to his active career in motor sport and from 1994 devoted himself to his duties as team manager. Between 1992 and 1994 and between 1996 and 2000, the team won eight Formula 3 championships. In 1996 together with his father Jackie Stewart, he founded Team Stewart Grand Prix which took part in the Formula 1 from 1997 to 1999. At the end of 1999, Ford took over the team which then continued in the 2000 season under the name Jaguar Racing and then from 2005 under the name Red Bull Racing.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

Read More