Japanese F1 Grand Prix 2012: Friday's Free Practice Report (MBAMGF1)

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The opening day of practice for the Japanese Grand Prix saw the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg complete 33 laps and 37 laps respectively during the two 90-minute sessions.

• Both drivers evaluated development items this morning, before conducting race preparation this afternoon
• Nico experienced a precautionary engine shut-off at the end of P1 because of an oil pressure problem
• The engine, which had completed nearly 2000 km, was changed in the break for another unit from his allocation
• Michael went off the track at Turn 13 in the second session, bringing his day to an end 15 minutes earlier than planned

Michael Schumacher
“We had two quite eventful sessions today, with a lot of work on the cars and my off in the afternoon. I had to go to the Medical Centre which was a precaution from the FIA but I am 100% okay. I think I was already concentrating too much on the corner ahead of me and therefore had a wheel on the dirt and went off. Overall, we had not been able to collect as much data as we would have wanted, as we had a lot of breaks working on adjustments to the cars, and we will also have to improve the balance. Obviously, with these temperatures the tyres will be a limiting factor, too. We will now certainly have to work a lot off the track, in front of the computers, and try to find the best approach for tomorrow.”

Nico Rosberg
“We had a tricky day. At the end of the first practice session, the oil pressure sensor told me the system was low on pressure so I switched off the engine. It was coming to the end of its life, so we changed it during lunch to avoid any risks, but it cost some running time this afternoon. We are still not where we want to be in terms of performance and we will have to learn some lessons overnight, in order to make sure we have our tyre management under control.”

Ross Brawn
“That wasn’t the smoothest of Fridays for us today. After an oil pressure problem this morning, we changed the engine in Nico’s car over the break which took us into the afternoon session, and then ran through a slightly compressed tyre comparison and race evaluation programme. With Michael, we decided to do a fairly major set-up change before the second session which cost us running time. Towards the end of the session, it appears that Michael put a tyre on the dirt going into Turn 13 and lost control the car. While it’s not an ideal start to the weekend, we were able to collect a lot of data and complete some important set-up changes, so we will work on those tonight to be in better shape tomorrow.”

Norbert Haug
“It was a Friday with some interruptions for our team. Nico lost some practice time at the beginning of the second session following an engine change, which was necessary after an oil pressure problem at the very end of the first session. With nearly 2000 km, this engine was approaching the end of its life-cycle. Michael was one of quite a few drivers who left the road under braking at Turn 13, which happened towards the end of the second session with only minor damage to the car. Today we found a baseline set up for qualifying and the race which will be refined in tomorrow morning’s free practice session.”

~ Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Official: Michael Schumacher announces retirement from Formula One

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Seven-time Formula One world champion Michel Schumacher today announced his retirement from the sport at the end of the 2012 season during a press conference at the Suzuka circuit in Japan.

Michael Schumacher
“I have decided to retire from Formula One at the end of the season, although I am still able to compete with the best drivers of the world. This is something that makes me proud, and this is part of why I never regretted my comeback. I can be happy with my performance and the fact that I was continuously raising my game during the last three years. But then, at some point it is time to say goodbye.”

“Already during the past weeks and months I was not sure if I would still have the motivation and energy which is necessary to go on; and it is not my style to do anything which I am not 100% convinced about. With today’s decision I feel released from those doubts. In the end, it is not my ambition to just drive around but to fight for victories; and the pleasure of driving is nourished by competitiveness.”

“I said at the end of 2009 that I want to be measured by my success, and this is why I had a lot of criticism in the past three years which partly was justified. It is without doubt that we did not achieve our goal to develop a world championship fighting car within those years. It is also without doubt that I cannot provide a long-term perspective to anyone. But then it is also clear that I can still be very happy about my overall achievements in Formula One.”

“In the past six years I have learned a lot, also about me, and I am thankful for it; for example, that you can open yourself up without losing focus. That losing can be both more difficult and more instructive than winning; something I had lost out of sight sometimes in earlier years. That you have to appreciate to be able to do what you love. That you have to live your convictions. I have opened my horizon, and I am at ease with myself.”

“I would like to thank Daimler, Mercedes-Benz and the team for their trust. But I also would like to thank all my friends, partners and companions, who over many good years in motorsport supported me. But most of all I would like to thank my family for standing always by my side, giving me the freedom to live my convictions and sharing my joy.”

Nico Rosberg
“This is a big loss for our sport. Michael did a huge amount to make Formula One so popular in Germany, and lots of fans switched on their TV sets because of him. He achieved so much. It has been and continues to be something special and a great experience for me to drive with him and against him. In the last three years we pushed the team hard together which will help us in the years to come. I wish him all the best for the future.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal - MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS
“Having worked with Michael for so many years, it is an emotional day today as he announces his retirement from Formula One for the second, and final, time. We have enjoyed so many experiences together during our time at Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes, and I feel very proud, honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity to work with Michael so closely. In my opinion, he is the greatest Formula One driver, and the records which he holds in our sport speak volumes for his success and commitment. On behalf of everyone at our Silver Arrows team, we wish Michael all the best with his future plans and extend our sincere thanks to him for his commitment, passion and hard work during our three years together. We have not achieved the results that we would have wished during this time; however Michael’s contribution to our development and the future of our team has been significant. Whatever Michael decides to do next, I am sure that he will be keeping a close eye on our progress in the years to come.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President - Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“Our team, Mercedes-Benz and Daimler would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to Michael for all his work, his exemplary commitment and his loyalty. For our brand, he was and remains not just a first-class racing driver and, through his record until 2006, the most successful of all time; but also a global idol and, last but not least, a great company ambassador who is admired across the world. Michael began his professional racing career in 1989 as a member of the Mercedes Junior Team in Group C Prototypes, and he will conclude it at the end of this season with our MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Silver Arrows works team, as he informed first us and then the international media today. Michael did a fantastic job during the build-up phase of our still-young Silver Arrows works team and, although we have not yet achieved our targets in our third season, Michael’s invaluable hard work has established the foundations for future success. For this, we give him our thanks and recognition. All of us in the team - and first and foremost Michael - are working hard to have six more races in which we can show a respectable level of performance together. Thank you, Michael, for everything: it was, and is, a pleasure to work with you.”

~ Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Japanese F1 Grand Prix 2012: Preview (VMM)

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The Suzuka Circuit is one of the most revered racetracks in the world. Its undulations, fast sweeps and unique figure-of-eight layout require total commitment from the drivers, and victory, perhaps unsurprisingly, is confined to the world’s best. World champions have won 16 out of the last 17 races at Suzuka.

A good car is also vital, as aerodynamic efficiency and strong balance are rewarded in all three sectors of the lap. Sector one features the Esses, a sequence of five high-speed corners similar to Becketts at Silverstone; sector two includes the high-speed downhill left-hander called Spoon and sector 3 is made up of a long straight back towards the pits.

Suzuka is the only circuit on the 2012 calendar that features a downhill start-finish straight. This presents the drivers with a tricky balancing act at the start, when they have to hold their cars on the brakes until they release the clutch. As a result, there is a greater likelihood of jumped starts than at any other venue.

McLaren has a long history of success in Japan, having clinched seven world championships at the Japanese Grand Prix. This year, Lewis and Jenson go to Suzuka hoping to close the gap to points leader Fernando Alonso.

Race distance - 53 laps (191.054 miles/307.471km)
Start time - 15:00 (local)/07:00 BST
Circuit length - 3.608 miles/5.807km
2011 winner - Jenson Button (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) 53 laps in 1hr30m53.427s (202.972km/h)
2011 pole - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) 1m30.466s (231.083km/h)
Lap record - Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren MP4-20) 1m31.540s (228.372km/h)

McLaren at the Japanese Grand Prix

- Wins: 9 (1977, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2011)

- Poles: 6 (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2007, 2008)

- Fastest Laps: 8 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2011)

Car 3: Jenson Button
- Age: 32 (January 19 1980)
- GPs: 222
- Wins: 14
- Poles: 8
- FLs: 7
- 2012 points: 119 (6th)
- Japan record: 2011 Q2 R1; 2010 Q5 R4; 2009 Q10 R8; 2008 Q18 R14; 2007 Q6 R11; 2006 Q7 R4; 2005 Q2 R5; 2004 Q5 R3; 2003 Q9 R4; 2002 Q10 R6; 2001 Q9 R7; 2000 Q5 R5

“All of my grand prix wins have felt special, but winning at Suzuka in 2011, at the first grand prix held in Japan since the terrible tsunami last March, was an achievement that still makes me feel incredibly proud and emotional.

“As everybody knows, Japan means a lot to me. It’s a place I love, I’ve been here so many times – for business and pleasure – and I still feel that wide-eyed awe and deep emotion for a country that exists so comfortably on so many different levels.

“Suzuka is definitely a circuit that puts hair on your chest. It’s extremely uncompromising; like a street circuit, it doesn’t allow for a single mistake, punishing you for putting a wheel wrong at almost every point on the circuit.

“But it’s also extremely quick – there’s only one line through the esses that make up the whole first section; the Degner corners are blind, hidden in dips in the track, and approached over bumps that jolt the car, trying to unbalance it. Successfully hitting the apex for Degner 1 is a bit like trying to thread a needle while running the 100 metres – difficult!

“We go to Japan with a car that I feel convinced can fight for victory – it should be another good weekend for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.”

Car 4: Lewis Hamilton
- Age: 27 (January 7 1985)
- GPs: 104
- Wins: 20
- Pole: 24
- FLs: 11
- 2012 points: 142 (4th)
- Japan record: 2011 Q3 R5; 2010 Q8 R5; 2009 Q3 R3; 2008 Q1 R12; 2007 Q1 R1

“When I first raced here in 2009, I couldn’t believe a place like this could still exist in Formula 1 – it still feels like a proper old-school circuit. It doesn’t have the polish or finesse of an ultra-modern track – but is all the better for it.

“It’s fantastically quick, too, and very difficult to master. It’s an unforgiving place, and it also has that special atmosphere that you only get in Japan, for some reason.

“I think that’s due to the fans – they’re what make any visit to a racetrack in Japan feel so special. They’re very passionate about Formula 1, but also extremely polite and friendly – they make you feel very special every day when you’re going in and out of the circuit.

“In terms of the championship, there’s nothing to really be gained by analysing the points tables, from now on, it’s simply gloves-off. As in Singapore, I’ll come out fighting, I’ll just be hoping for a better result next weekend.”

Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Suzuka is a very special circuit, a place where some of the greatest chapters in McLaren’s history have been written over the past 25 years.

“Of all our achievements there, I look back at Jenson’s victory last year with particular fondness and satisfaction. It was an extremely tense afternoon, and the victory was a perfect team effort – Jenson drove with all the measured aggression we’ve come to expect, and his back-up from the team was superb.

“Despite Lewis’s retirement from the last race, our performance in Singapore was encouraging for the whole team; it showed that we have a car that can fight for victory on a wide range of circuits, and we’re confident of once again challenging at the front in Japan next weekend.”

McLaren has won at the Japanese Grand Prix’s two homes – the Fuji Speedway and Suzuka Circuit. Here’s how the team defined 12 days in the history of the Japanese Grand Prix:

1. October 24 1976
The world-title decider between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. They qualify second and third at Fuji Speedway, but the race is marred by dreadful weather. Lauda withdraws his Ferrari on lap two, leaving James in need of fourth place to take the title. A late-race puncture drops him to fifth, but he claws his way back to third to bag the sport’s biggest prize.

2. October 23 1977
The easiest victory of James’s career? He qualifies second at Fuji Speedway, alongside pole-sitter Mario Andretti, but takes the lead on the run to Turn One and is never headed. He finishes more than a minute clear of second-placed Carlos Reutemann. “That was pretty easy, wasn’t it?” he says afterwards.

3. October 30 1988
The world-title decider between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at Suzuka. Ayrton takes pole, but stalls at the start and drops to 14th. Alain leads early on, but his chances are blighted by a gearbox problem. Ayrton charges through the field and takes the lead on lap 28. It’s a McLaren 1-2 and Senna is world champion for the first time.

4. October 22 1989
Ayrton needs a victory to keep his title challenge alive. He duly takes pole position, but arch-rival Alain beats him away from the grid and takes the lead. They run nose-to-tail until lap 46, when they collide at the chicane. Alain retires, but Ayrton continues and wins the race, only to be later excluded by the stewards for cutting the chicane. Victory goes to Alessandro Nannini.

5. October 21 1990
Another world title showdown between Ayrton and Prost,now driving for Ferrari. Ayrton takes pole position for the third consecutive year, but Prost, in second, starts on the clean side of the grid and beats Ayrton away from the line. The pair collide at the first corner, giving Senna his second world title in controversial circumstances.

6. October 20 1991
Only a win will do for Williams driver Nigel Mansell, whose title challenge is on the ropes. Gerhard Berger and Ayrton work together to make his life difficult: Gerhard disappears into the lead, leaving Ayrton in second place to hold up Mansell. The Englishman spins off on lap 10, giving Ayrton his third world title. Gerhard leads home a McLaren one-two finish.

7. October 24 1993
Ayrton and Mika Hakkinen qualify second and third, behind pole-sitter Prost. The race is dominated by changeable weather conditions and Ayrton jumps ahead of Prost when the conditions worsen. The gap between them is reduced dramatically when Ayrton stumbles across the battle for fifth place between Damon Hill and Eddie Irvine, but he holds on to take the 40th win of his career.

8. November 1 1998
The world-title decider between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen: Schumacher starts from pole, but stalls on the grid and drops to the back for the re-start. Mika is never headed in the race, winning by six seconds and taking the title, while Schumacher fights back to third, before a puncture ends his challenge. David Coulthard finishes third in the second MP4-13.

9. October 31 1999
Another title decider at Suzuka, but this time Mika is fighting Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine. Mika enters the race four points behind Irvine and leaves it two points ahead after winning in emphatic style. It’s his second consecutive world title.

10. October 9 2005
A mesmerising victory by Kimi Raikkonen. He starts 17th, after rain scuppers his qualifying lap (one-lap qualifying, remember) on Saturday afternoon, and he scythes through the field in fearless fashion during the race. With five laps to go, he’s five seconds behind race leader Giancarlo Fisichella and he seizes the lead at Turn One on the final lap. “One of my best victories,” says Kimi.

11. September 30 2007
The first grand prix at Fuji Speedway for 30 years and it’s wet, very wet. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso lock out the front row of the grid, but the race is started behind the Safety Car and doesn’t go green until lap 20. The two Vodafone McLaren Mercedes cars run one-two in the awful conditions, until Fernando crashes out with 25 laps remaining. Lewis finishes eight seconds ahead of Heikki Kovalainen.

12. October 9 2011
Jenson Button starts second on the grid to Sebastian Vettel, but he wins the race after taking the lead during the second sequence of pitstops. He has a titanic struggle with Fernando Alonso and Vettel in the closing stages, but he drives an inch-perfect race and wins by 1.160s. Lewis comes home fifth in the second MP4-26.

~ Official photo and details courtesy of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ~

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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Japanese F1 Grand Prix 2012: Preview (MBAMGF1)

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The Japanese Grand Prix, Round 15 of the 2012 Formula One World Championship, takes place on Sunday 7 October at the 5.807 km figure-of-eight Suzuka circuit.

• The run from pole to the first corner is 545 metres - among the top five values of the season
• 10 of the circuit’s 18 corners are taken at between 170 kph and 270 kph - including the entire Esses
• Since the Japanese GP returned to Suzuka in 2009, every race featured has seen the Safety Car deployed

Michael Schumacher
“My motivation is completely intact after the news last week, especially because Suzuka is one of the season’s highlights for me. I enjoy the circuit - it has sections that challenge you as a driver like almost nowhere else. Then there are the fans: they love motor racing and it is fun to feel their passion. I’m also a big fan of Japanese food, so I’m always happy to travel to this race. Logically, it would also be nice to achieve a sporting highlight this weekend, although my chances are of course very limited because of my grid penalty. But I’ve always approached these things as a challenge.”

Nico Rosberg
“The last race in Singapore was my best result for a little while and I hope this is the start of an upward trend for me and the team. So I’m looking forward to getting to Japan this week and getting on with the work to get the most out of our new aerodynamic package and upgrades. Suzuka is a very exciting track which is popular with every driver for the interesting corner combinations and unique layout. I also look forward to meeting the Japanese fans again who have such a great passion for the sport and their support is always so enthusiastic.”

Ross Brawn
“Suzuka is a fantastic racing circuit, and the support that Formula One receives from the Japanese fans every year is so impressive. They really do love the sport and it’s always nice to see their enthusiasm as we arrive at the circuit every morning. The track is a popular one with the drivers for its challenging layout, and Suzuka has seen some very exciting and decisive races over the years. For the team, we are looking forward to having more time to continue the ongoing work to optimise our new developments, and will be working hard to have a good weekend.”

Norbert Haug
“Suzuka is one of the most demanding race tracks in the world and, if you asked the drivers to rate it between one and ten, I’m sure that the average would be very close to ten. The circuit is a classic: almost every corner is a challenge and the high-speed uphill Esses behind the pits provide a real benchmark for aerodynamic performance. The average lap speed is comparable to Silverstone and the engines spend over two-thirds of the lap distance at full throttle. Engine performance and driveability are important requirements in Suzuka in addition to good aerodynamics.”

~ Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.

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