Mercedes’ drivers confident ahead of Malaysian Grand Prix – Formula 1
Mercedes GP might have had a poor start to the 2011 Formula 1 season but drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg have high hopes of the team for the upcoming races. The German team failed to match the pace of their rivals in the season opener, at Albert
Park, Melbourne in Australia. However, they are expecting a strong fight back in the Malaysian Grand Prix, which will be held on Sunday 10th April.
The seven-time Formula 1 champion Schumacher stated, “There is absolutely no doubt we want to do better than in the opening race, which was a disappointment for all of us. Everybody in the team remains positive and is in a fighting mood. So I expect a better
weekend for us to come.”
Schumacher’s team-mate stated, “We had a tough weekend in Australia but the team has worked hard and we are confident that the car will be running reliably in Malaysia. I think we can surprise people next Sunday.”
Rosberg further added that Mercedes had the potential to match the pace of the front-runners. He said that the final pre-season test, which was held at Barcelona, clearly indicated the true speed of the German car. However, there were some technical issues
during the race weekend at Melbourne, which gave a pretty ordinary picture of the team.
Mercedes was a huge disappointment in Australia, as their drivers failed to impress both in the qualifiers and the race. Rosberg managed to qualify in the top ten, whereas Schumacher was not able to go beyond the second qualifying session (Q2). The veteran
driver ended up 11th on the grid, but he expected to do better in the race.
Adding insult to injury, Schumacher was hit on the very first lap of the race, which didn’t allow him to score points. After getting a good start to the race, he was hit by Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari from behind, puncturing the rear tyre of the
Mercedes. The legendary German had to make an early stop to change his tyre, but his car sustained a lot of damage, forcing him to retire from the race.
On the other hand, Rosberg tried his best to secure some points. However, he was losing grip and speed, which saw Williams driver Rubens Barichello attack him. The most experienced driver amongst the current lot tried to be over aggressive, hitting the young
German from behind. This resulted in second retirement of the race for Mercedes, bruising the confidence of the team badly.
After the first race, it appeared that the real battle for the championship will be between Red Bull and McLaren. However, teams like Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault have the potential to match the speed of the front runners. The second race of the season
will give a clearer picture of the competition ahead.
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