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Nov 20
Now, financial media sources Bloomberg and Reuters report that Mercedes has indeed bought back Aabar’s stake.
Mercedes-Benz has taken back total control of its formula one team by buying the 40 per cent stake held by Aabar, the Abu Dhabi investment arm. We reported in April that Aabar, who were then already watering down their involvement with Mercedes’ parent Daimler, was set to pull out of the Brackley based Mercedes GP team.
Nov 15
But Zetsche told German weeky Die Zeit: “We do not intend to increase our budget.”
Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Mercedes’ parent Daimler, has denied reports he has approved an increase in the F1 team’s budget for 2013. Reportedly on new recruit Niki Lauda’s recommendation, it emerged recently that Mercedes-Benz is prepared to boost the Brackley based team’s coffers to the tune of many millions.
Oct 03
Seven time world champion Schumacher has lost his Mercedes drive to Lewis Hamilton.
Sebastian Vettel on Wednesday said he hopes his countryman and friend Michael Schumacher finds a seat to keep racing in formula one next year. But he has been linked with a move to another team – perhaps Sauber, Williams or Lotus – while Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche has offered him a job in team management at Mercedes GP.
Jun 16
F1 pundit Davidson in hospital after Le Mans crash
F1 television pundit Anthony Davidson is in hospital after a huge airborne crash during the fabled Le Mans 24 hour race. The 33-year-old former Super Aguri driver, whilst at the wheel of a Toyota hybrid prototype sports car late on Saturday, was taken to the medical centre after the incident involving a GT runner that was being lapped.
(Flagworld’s photo album of the 24 Hours of Le Mans)
Apr 26
A spat between two Britons could drive the German giant Mercedes out of formula one, according to a new media report.
F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone recently confirmed he is at loggerheads with Mercedes over the next Concorde Agreement. But at the same time, he insisted that the Stuttgart marque is “very important to formula one. I have always supported them and I will always,” he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.
Apr 18
Ecclestone proposes ‘Grand Slam’ F1 races and backs customer cars, not budget cap
Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed he is still at loggerheads with Mercedes over the new Concorde Agreement. The German carmaker’s team is the big missing name, after F1 chief executive Ecclestone announced recently he has agreed terms with “the majority” of the teams including Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.
Mar 14
Michael Schumacher has revealed he would not have returned to formula one if not for the sport’s strict testing ban.
Two years after his record seventh title, the famous German retired in 2006, but then came back with the new Mercedes GP venture in 2010 and is now deciding whether or not to extend his contract for 2013.
Feb 09
Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche on Thursday indicated he would like Michael Schumacher to extend his Mercedes GP contract beyond 2012.
Seven time world champion Schumacher’s existing three year contract, dating back to his decision to return to F1 in 2010 after a three-year sabbatical, runs out this year.
Zetsche is quoted by Seddeutsche Zeitung newspaper as saying Mercedes is fully committed to formula one, with an “engagement for the long term”.
Jan 20
Nico Rosberg is not sharing his pit garage with the ideal teammate, according to 1996 world champion Damon Hill.
On the face of it, the 26-year-old German might be regarded as one of the fastest drivers in F1 history, having mainly outshone the great Michael Schumacher at Mercedes GP over the past two seasons.
Jan 17
Nico Rosberg has admitted his four-year tenure at Williams was “not ideal”.
At the age of 20, the German made his formula one debut with the famous British team in 2006, leaving only for Mercedes GP four full seasons later. This year, he will spend a third consecutive season as the great Michael Schumacher’s highly respected teammate, while still looking to add a single race victory to his tally of now more than 100 grand prix starts.
Jan 17
Marussia’s 2012 car will not debut at the opening test of the official pre-season early next month.
It was rumoured on Monday that technical consultant Pat Symonds had said at the weekend that the former Virgin team’s new single seater will appear only at the second February test, at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
Jan 16
Mercedes is the next team working on a copy of Lotus’ innovative ‘braking ride-height correction’ system ahead of the 2012 system.
Shortly after news broke that the former Renault team had devised a passive and therefore legal system to stabilise a car’s ride height under braking, reports emerged that Ferrari is “working on a similar system”.
Jan 11
The Ferrari team is congregating this week at Madonna di Campiglio, an Italian ski resort, for its annual pre-season media event.
One of the first pieces of news to emerge from the Dolomites is the move from Mercedes of Steve Clark to the famous Italian squad. Briton Clark was Brackley based Mercedes GP’s highly respected senior technical advisor.
Dec 02
“This is a good result and quite a satisfying one for our engine specialists” – Norbert Haug
Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull set nearly all the records and took most of the titles in 2011 but were denied one particular title: For the third successive year (2009-2011), Mercedes secured the most championship points of all the engine manufacturers last season with its three teams (Mercedes GP, McLaren-Mercedes, Force India).
Sep 30
Both Costa and Willis will report to technical director Bob Bell
Mercedes GP on Friday confirmed reports ousted Ferrari technical boss Aldo Costa is reuniting with his former colleague Ross Brawn. And the Brackley based squad also announced that HRT’s recently-departed Geoff Willis, who was with the German team in its Honda days until 2006, is joining up as technology director next month.
Sep 26
The FIA handed back Red Bull’s paddock curfew ‘wild card’ in Singapore.
The dominant team was penalised ahead of the night race because a staff member was in the paddock during the working-day blackout period. Dr Helmut Marko, however, protested that the unidentified staff member in question was wielding a mere guest pass and had no operational connection with either the team or the cars.
