Formula 1: Mercedes GP announce car launch date
Mercedes GP have announced that they will launch their car for the 2011 season during the testing session in Valencia in February 2011.
Recently, two of the top teams Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes also announced their launch dates.
Mercedes GP said that the 2011 Silver Arrow MGP-W02 will make its debut at the Valencia circuit on 1 February which will be the opening day of testing for the 2011 season for all teams.
Mercedes took over Brawn GP in 2010 but did not have the best of seasons. The team was the champion in 2009 with driver Jenson Button wining the drivers’ championship and Brawn GP winning the constructors’ title.
But in 2010, Red Bull Racing took both the titles with Sebastian Vettel. Vettel became the youngest-ever champion in the history of the sport and only the second German after Michael Schumacher to win a Formula 1 title.
There were many changes made to the Brawn GP after the dream season in 2009. The title winning British, Button moved to McLaren and Rubens Barrichello was also released from the team who later joined Williams-Cosworth.
The debut season of Mercedes GP in 2010 saw the return of the seven-time Formula 1 champion, Michael Schumacher. However, the legendary champion was not able to reflect his true class in his return season.
He was criticised a lot by many former Formula 1 experts and drivers. However, his team admitted that they did not provide Schumacher with a race-winning car. Schumacher’s teammate Nico Rosberg scored almost double the points as compared to him which sparked
even more criticism.
The former champion has a three-year contract with Mercedes GP and has no intentions to retire from the sport anytime soon.
Mercedes GP will be hoping that Schumacher can express his true potential in 2011 season. Although many experts have ruled out any miracles from the 42-year-old, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso considers Schumacher as the biggest threat in the upcoming season.
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