The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are headed to Germany this weekend to race on the Hockenheim Circuit, origanlly built as a high-speed test track for Mercedes-Benz. Last year at the 2009 German Grand Prix, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS DRIVER Nico Rosberg finished the race in fourth while driving for Williams-Toyota and is aiming for a podium finish after a positive race at Silverstone.
NICO ROSBERG
“As a German driver, the German Grand Prix is always a very special weekend, and it will be even better this year to be racing there for Mercedes-Benz. I have great memories from Hockenheim as I won there in all the junior categories that I competed in, including my first single seater race win. There’s always a great atmosphere at the German Grand Prix and the fans are very enthusiastic with the huge grandstands in the stadium section creating so much noise! It’s fantastic to see their support for the German drivers. I love the track itself as it’s quite challenging with some good overtaking opportunities and the races here can often be quite exciting. Going into one of the team’s home weekends with the podium finish from Silverstone is a real boost for us, and we will be working hard to continue our improvement in performance and have a strong weekend.”
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“There is one thing for sure; no matter how long you are around, it is always something special to race in front of your home crowd. At Hockenheim, I will definitely try my best for my fans who give me such a lot of support, especially over the race weekend. But the German Grand Prix is very special for any German driver. There are very few areas on any race circuit worldwide comparable to the Motodrom, and as a driver you feel that energetic atmosphere when entering. It will be the first time for me to come to Hockenheim as a Mercedes driver and I am very much looking forward to the experience. Driving in front of our Grandstand and in front of all the employees, members and friends of Mercedes-Benz will be an emotional moment. I will therefore be extra motivated to give them a weekend to remember. We will have some updates for our car which we hope will give us a step forward so we can look forward to an exciting race.”
ROSS BRAWN
“The next race at Hockenheim will be our first German Grand Prix as the Mercedes-Benz works team and everyone at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS is looking forward to the occasion. Following two difficult races, we had a stronger weekend at Silverstone where we were able to extract most of the performance from our current package. It was important that we learnt from our experiences and made improvements with Nico’s podium finish being a fitting reward for the hard work by the team at Brackley and Brixworth prior to the race. The modifications which we made to our latest upgrades worked well and we will have a further step in Hockenheim which, with careful management, should also prove to be an improvement. Two home races in a row ensures a busy time for our team and drivers and we hope to demonstrate an equally good performance at Hockenheim in front of our German fans and colleagues as at Silverstone last weekend.”
NORBERT HAUG
“The German Grand Prix at Hockenheim is a classic for Mercedes-Benz, and with particular pleasure we remember the last race in 2008 when Lewis Hamilton won in a McLaren Mercedes. Now, two years later, we will race at home for the first time with our new Silver Arrows works team MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. We cannot assume to repeat our victory from the last Hockenheim race however we want to present our new team in the best possible way. Nico achieved this at Silverstone when he came home in third place for a podium finish, and it would be nice to repeat such a result at the Mercedes-Benz home race. At Hockenheim, we will have many fans who will keep their fingers crossed for Michael, Nico and the Silver Arrows. The 6500 tickets in the Mercedes-Benz grandstand have never sold out quicker than this year and we will have a fantastic programme around the grandstand for all Hockenheim visitors. Driver interviews, test drives with new Mercedes cars at the Safety Driving Centre and live music will all make for an entertaining weekend for our fans. Of course, we do not forget that what counts is what happens on the track and there we want to finish in the best possible way.”
