skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Michael Schumacher finished in sixth place at today’s Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, making up two places on his starting position, whilst Nico Rosberg came from the back row of the grid to finish in the points in 10th place.
• Michael completed a three-stop strategy this afternoon, running option/option/option/prime
• Nico also completed three stops from his P23 starting position, running prime/option/option/option
• Of 65 total pit stops today, just nine were under 21 seconds - and five of those were by MERCEDES GP PETRONAS
• In a race with only one retirement, Michael and Nico gained a total of 15 places from their grid positions
• Today´s race was the fourth consecutive Grand Prix which has featured a Safety Car deployment
Michael Schumacher
“I’m very happy with what we achieved in Suzuka today as we maximised our potential of the car, and managed to put in a good race. The team did a great job the whole weekend in finding performance and transforming it into the race. I think there was not more to expect and achieve. The pit stops were perfectly timed and everything worked out according to plan. I would like to congratulate Sebastian and his team who have been exceptional the whole year. It is extremely emotional to see him win the Championship again - I am very happy for him and even a little bit proud.”
Nico Rosberg
“I’m pleased to score a point today and had fun out there with a few nice overtaking manoeuvres. This is definitely one of the toughest tracks for overtaking so starting from the back of the grid meant that I had a pretty tough job. Before the race, I hoped to achieve between eighth and 10th places and, whilst it would have been nice to be a bit higher, it’s still a decent result. Thanks to the team for a good strategy and great pit stops today. After this complicated weekend, I hope to have a more normal weekend in Korea and fight in our usual position. And finally, Sebastian, congratulations: you deserve the title.”
Ross Brawn
“We made the absolute most of the car and opportunities we had at our disposal today. The car performed well throughout the race, our strategies were right for both cars, and the pit crew produced fantastic stops - we have performed strongly all year in the pits, and today our stops won us places, particularly for Nico during the Safety Car period when he jumped two cars. Michael and Nico both delivered great performances in the cockpit, passing cleanly when they needed to and defending strongly. Overall, I think it was a very exciting race and a fitting Grand Prix in which to crown a new World Champion. Congratulations to Sebastian and Red Bull Racing on his second World Championship - he has driven impeccably all year, and together they have set the standards we must now aim for and exceed.”
Norbert Haug
“Michael and Nico both delivered strong races this afternoon and quite competitive lap times. Michael raced and finished among the top three teams, leading laps during the pit stop cycles, and Nico drove strongly through the field into the points, as we believed he could after qualifying yesterday, even starting from P23. Compliments to our pit stop and strategy crew as well, who played a key role in our team result this afternoon. Congratulations to Jenson Button and McLaren-Mercedes on their victory over the World Champion but, most of all, we take our hats off to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing - not just for winning the title, but also for defending it with an exceptional level of performance throughout the season.”
* Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Michael Schumacher qualified in seventh place* at Suzuka today for the Japanese Grand Prix whilst team-mate Nico Rosberg will start on the back row after being forced to sit out qualifying due to a technical issue.
• Michael completed just two timed runs, running prime tyres in Q1 and option tyres in Q2. He set no lap time in Q3
• Nico suffered a hydraulic problem in Q1 that prevented him from completing a timed lap and he will start from P23
• Michael saved one new and one lightly used set of option tyres for the race; Nico will have three new sets available
Michael Schumacher
“It was a tricky ending to my qualifying session today, but at least we have saved a set of tyres for the race tomorrow. We are still in a good position for gathering some important points, and obviously that is what I am geared to do. I am very happy with how we worked as a team to improve our performance this weekend, and I am really looking forward to having a good race at this great track which is one of my favourites.”
Nico Rosberg
“On my first lap out in Q1, the team advised that I had a problem and asked me to come back into the pits. We tried to fix it in time for me to complete a lap, however the hydraulic systems are quite complicated and there just wasn’t enough time. So for the race, I have a promising strategy with all the new tyres that I have! But seriously, I will push and try to get into the top ten. That will be my aim tomorrow.”
Ross Brawn
“It was a mixed qualifying session for us today. We had a hydraulic problem with Nico’s car right at the start of Q1 which we now need to investigate and establish what the cause was. It’s going to be quite a challenge for him starting from the back of the grid but it will be an interesting race with the tyre situation so there should be opportunities. Michael had a good session although the end of Q3 wasn’t as clean as we would have liked. It should be a good race and I look forward to seeing what both Michael and Nico can do.”
Norbert Haug
“Michael and our team did a calculated job to save tyres during qualifying and it was more important for us to go into the race with the maximum number of fresh tyres than to maximise our grid position. Thanks to our overall strategy for the session, Michael got into Q3 with a single run in Q1 and Q2 - and will start the race with more fresh tyres available than the cars ahead of him, which means he has a variety of strategic options. We will wait to hear from the FIA whether he will ultimately start from seventh on the grid tomorrow. It was unfortunate that Nico suffered a hydraulic problem during Q1 - sorry for that, Nico. This prevented him from completing a timed lap and means he must start from P23 tomorrow. However, three races ago, Michael started last and climbed through the field to a strong fifth place at the finish. That´s positive motivation for us all - Nico first and foremost.”
*Grid position to be confirmed by the FIA
* Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg began the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team’s weekend in Suzuka today with the first two practice sessions ahead of Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, the 15th race of the 2011 season.
• Michael and Nico completed a total of 93 practice laps today, equivalent to over 540 km
• In comparison to 2010, the fastest lap in P1 was 1.0995s slower, and in P2 0.436s slower
Michael Schumacher
“It was a pretty typical two practice sessions today. We were working on set-up issues as usual and achieved much of what we wanted, however we are aware that the character of our car and the character of this track are not a perfect match and there are areas still to work on. From what I have seen so far, I would guess we will find ourselves qualifying in the region we have been lately, but obviously we will make our best efforts to improve our position further.”
Nico Rosberg
“We had two challenging sessions today as we worked to get the balance of the car right on high and low fuel loads. However at the end of P2, I’m happy with what we learnt, and I think all is going in the right direction for tomorrow.”
Ross Brawn
“Suzuka is a very challenging track and we had a slightly tricky balance to start with this morning. By the end of the second session this afternoon, we had largely got on top of that, with the engineers and drivers doing a good job to find better solutions. It’s clear that tyres will be a major factor in the race on Sunday.”
Norbert Haug
“It was quite an encouraging start to the race weekend on this unique and challenging track. Our lap times during the race simulation on the option tyre look quite consistent, and we should have a decent base to work from this evening.”
* Official photos and report courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
