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Round 4: Chinese GP: FP,QWF,RACE thread


By De Jokke
April 15 2014

After 3 races, the WO5 is currently the class of the field with 3 poles and three victories. With its long straights and a track to their liking, both merc drivers are aiming for yet another victory. Can the team make it four in a row?

While Bahrain brought us an exciting race, the intern battle in the mercedes garage is heating up between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Both want the title so badly and both want the nr.1 status within the team. The last two races, Lewis came out on top but Rosberg almost swore that he would win the chinese gp. Who'll win it? Can we have another thriller as we did in Bahrain on a track that gave Nico his first merc victory and lewis his first merc pole? Will RBR come out as Merc's closest challenger or will the long straights hamper their progress while Mclaren, Williams and Force India will take away some points from them? And what about Ferrari, the red camp dumped its team boss Stefano Domenicali and is hoping that a breeze of fresh air and some updates will push the prancing horse further up the grid.

Saturday's qualifying could shake things up as rain is expected. This might give red bull a huge advantage, as their car likes the wet conditions more than any other.

Last year, we had a thrilling end to the gp with Hamilton and Vettel battling it out for the final podium spot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnKd_vDQezU

China, round 4, here we come!

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Round 4: Chinese GP: FP,QWF,RACE thread
Discussion started by TotalMercedesGP.com - Mercedes GP New (IP Logged), 15/04/2014 11:37
TotalMercedesGP.com - Mercedes GP New
TotalMercedesGP.com - Mercedes GP New
15/04/2014 11:37
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:05:14:11:00:38 by De_JOKKE.

MESSAGES->author
De_JOKKE
15/04/2014 19:39
Source: Pitcass.com

[www.gptoday.com]


Round Four of the 2014 Formula One World Championship brings us to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix, held at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Lewis Hamilton: It's been good to have a bit of a break after such a long stint away but I'm already looking forward to getting back in the car. The last race in Bahrain was fantastic: not just for us as a team but for the sport and I'm sure it won't be the last time we see a great show this year. I'm in a really good place at the moment and walking around the garage too, you can see the positive energy within the team right now. Everyone is focused on getting the maximum from these early races and continuing to build beyond the strong start we've made to the season. I've had some ups and downs in China. On one side I've only finished outside of the podium places twice at this circuit. On the other, in my first season in Formula One I threw away a championship lead here by going into the gravel coming into the pits. Generally, though, I'm getting stronger every time I come to this track and it suits my driving style quite well. The aim, as always, is to win and if I could make it three in a row this weekend that would be incredible.


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Nico Rosberg: Even though the last race was a bit disappointing from my perspective in terms of the result, it's been great to see all the positive comments that came afterwards. We've demonstrated already that we're pushing harder than ever to stay ahead of the pack. It will only get more difficult as the season goes on but I've got confidence in the team. Every day and in every area you can see that determination to win. This gives you a big boost as a driver: to know the people around you want it just as badly as you do. I've got good memories from China after taking my first pole position and race win in Formula One at this circuit in 2012. The layout seems to suit my driving style, it's a track I enjoy racing at and I want to be back on that top step of the podium this weekend. The Chinese fans are great too: really enthusiastic. It's nice to see how much they like our sport and how they cheer us on during the race weekend. It's a very different culture and getting to know it is always fun, so hopefully we can keep them as entertained on track as they do off it!

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: We head to the next race in China with good momentum behind us and motivation is extremely high. The team is now at a level where success is not a bonus but an expectation. After three races we find ourselves in a strong position in both Championships but we are under no illusions that our position is a given. We must take the good moments and use them as inspiration in the on-going push to achieve our goals. The race in Bahrain was quite simply brilliant to watch: one of the best in recent memory, in fact. This is what we go racing for and it was a strong advert for the sport: in particular under these new regulations. I think that in itself proves that we are moving in the right direction. Though we have enjoyed a positive start to the season, with time the balance of the field will start to even out and it's a credit to the people within the sport that we can see such significant advancements throughout the grid already. If we are to sustain any sort of advantage that we may currently have, it's up to us to keep raising the bar in every area.

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): After two consecutive one-two finishes, there's a good atmosphere within the team. We were pleased to put on a good show in Bahrain and our confidence in the performance of the car continues to grow. We also have two highly competitive drivers in Lewis and Nico which is exactly how racing drivers should be and exactly what the fans want to see. The fans in China are always very enthusiastic, so hopefully we can give them some more entertainment this weekend. The Shanghai International Circuit has traditionally been one of contrasting fortunes for the team. 2012 marked the first win for the Silver Arrows since returning to Formula One two years earlier, while 2013 produced a podium finish. However, both also saw retirements for one of our cars and the latter arguably should have yielded a better result after a strong qualifying performance. It's a challenging circuit from both a driver's perspective and on the technical side. The layout itself is different to that of the previous three venues this season, with more duty put through the front tyres. Strong engine performance is essential for the long straight but equally there are some tight corners requiring good traction. Despite the challenges, we're optimistic about the overall strength of our package and looking forward to another good weekend.

http://images.planetf1.com/14/02/496x259/mercedes-crew-259_3090475.jpg
"Leave it to Lewis Hamilton to ruin Red Bull's day" - Martin Brundle

In memoriam: Sessions

MESSAGES->author
De_JOKKE
17/04/2014 13:31
New nose debuts this weekend!: see the WO5 thread

+

[en.espnf1.com]

(intern battle heating up it seems)

http://images.planetf1.com/14/02/496x259/mercedes-crew-259_3090475.jpg
"Leave it to Lewis Hamilton to ruin Red Bull's day" - Martin Brundle

In memoriam: Sessions

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