Germany preview quotes - Lotus, Pirelli, HRT & more
Hot on the heels of one legendary track - Silverstone - comes another, and this time it is the turn of the tight and challenging Nurburgring circuit to welcome the Formula One paddock. As the ‘home’ race for world champion Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Nick Heidfeld, Timo Glock and Adrian Sutil, the event has special significance for many on the grid. Here the drivers and senior team personnel explain why they can’t wait to head for the mountains…
Heikki Kovalainen, Lotus
2010 Qualifying - 18th, 2010 Race - DNF
“This is our first visit to the Nurburgring as Team Lotus as we were are Hockenheim last year, so I’m looking forward to taking the green and yellow to the new Nurburgring which, while it’s not the same as where we will have been filming, it still has a good mix of elevation changes and high and low speed sections. Finding the right downforce level takes a bit of work as you don’t want to compromise your speed on the straights, particularly from T11 to T13, but you also need to have as much grip as possible through the tight sections, especially into T1 and the chicane at T13 at the end of the lap where there you have the best chances of overtaking other cars. The weather is also usually a pretty big factor at the Nurburgring. It’s almost exactly like Spa in the way it can be hot and sunny one minute and then heavy rain the next, and I personally love racing in those sorts of changeable conditions. Going from a dry track to a wet one on the same lap is the what racing drivers should have to deal with as much as possible, so, while it’s not great for the spectators sitting in the stands, I hope we have exactly that sort of mixed up weather!”
Karun Chandhok, Lotus
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
“Firstly I want to thank Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin for giving me the chance to race this weekend for Team Lotus. Ever since I first joined the team I have been looking forward to this opportunity and I am determined to do my best to repay their faith in me and help the team progress, this season and for many years to come. I am approaching the weekend in a very realistic frame of mind. I will be doing my best to push and to make sure I learn as much as possible all weekend, take each session as it comes and work as closely as I can with the engineers and the whole team to do the best job I can. Whatever happens, I am very excited about lining up on the grid on Sunday and I know there will be millions of Indian fans, and Team Lotus fans around the world, who will be behind me and the whole team, so I will do the best I can to give them something to cheer for.”
Jarno Trulli, Lotus
2010 Qualifying - 17th, 2010 Race - DNF
“I’m looking forward to working with Karun this weekend and doing whatever I can to help him get the most out of his opportunity in Germany. It’s great that the team is true to its word of helping develop young talent, particularly from parts of the word where it is even harder to break through into the top rung of motorsport, so I’ll be there to give him guidance and assistance, in and out of the car.”
Tony Fernandes, Lotus team principal
“I am looking forward to my first visit to the German Grand Prix, even more so now we have announced that Karun will be competing in his first full race weekend for Team Lotus. Ever since I first met Karun I have been impressed with his whole demeanour - he is talented, passionate, committed and he brings great energy to the whole team so I am delighted that we are giving him the chance to add even more value to us in the cockpit over a whole race weekend. One of the key goals of Team Lotus is to provide a stepladder to the top of world motorsport for talent from all over the world and we have been true to that philosophy since the first days of the team. For Formula 1 to continue to develop globally we need to keep creating new opportunities for talent from around the world to reach the top and Team Lotus will continue to do its best to support that. As a young Asian driver Karun faces even more obstacles to achieving his goals than his counterparts from the established motorsport homelands in the West, both from inside and outside F1, and I am very proud to be able to give him this chance on merit. I also want to take this chance to thank Jarno for helping make Karun’s opportunity this weekend possible. He has been extremely accommodating in stepping to the side for this race and our commitment to him is unwavering. I am delighted to confirm that we are in the process of negotiating an extension to his contract with us and we are all looking forward to unveiling the details of that very soon. He is a key member of our team and I hope that we can give him a car as soon as possible that allows him to utilise his considerable talent to the full. For this weekend he will be on hand to lend his huge experience and support to Karun and I am sure Jarno, Heikki and Karun will do me, the whole team and all our fans very proud indeed.”
Mike Gascoyne, Lotus chief technical officer
“I am delighted that we are able to give Karun a full weekend in the car. He has been a very good addition to our driver line-up and now we are giving him a chance to take the next step in fulfilling his potential. Jarno will be stepping aside for him for this race and we will use Karun’s feedback over the weekend as a comparison against Jarno’s and Heikki’s experiences this season with a number of aspects of the car, including the power steering system, to help us keep moving forward in 2011 and beyond. I am sure Karun will equip himself very well in this and in his performances in and out of the car all weekend. The whole team is looking forward to helping him get the most out of his time in the cockpit in Germany and it will be good to see him grab this chance and make the most of it. Looking at the track, the Nurburgring is one of the typical modern F1 circuits, among the first of the modern era to introduce big run-off areas and, much like Spa, a track that is subject to huge variations in the weather conditions. It can be blisteringly hot, especially in July, but you can also have local showers building up with almost no notice so the weather always plays a big part over the whole weekend. When the track was constructed they attempted to make it a small version of the legendary Nordschleife, and while it has elevation changes and a couple of quick corners it obviously can’t replicate the fearsome challenge of the old track next door.
“Having said that I think it will be a good race. Overtaking has not been too easy there over the years but we have already seen this season that DRS and the behaviour of the tyres has meant overtaking is now possible at a number of tracks where traditionally passing was only really possible in the pits. Pirelli are bringing a medium and a soft tyre as the choices in Germany, so the performance differential between the two compounds won’t be as pronounced as it was at Silverstone, but I think we will still have an interesting race right across the grid as degradation levels will need to be managed as the grip levels improve throughout the weekend.”
Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motorsport director
“The Nurburgring is one of the most technical circuits we face all year, with a lot of lateral energy going through the tyres, and this makes strategy very important. Although they sit next to each other in our range, there is still a significant difference between the P Zero Yellow soft and the P Zero White medium tyre, as we saw on the last occasion that this combination was used at the Grand Prix of Europe in Valencia. The biggest difference will be the weather, which could be a lot cooler than the conditions we saw in Spain. This means that we expect most of the teams to adopt a two-stop strategy, unless of course it rains, in which case anything is possible. On Friday, the teams will be evaluating a new version of the P Zero Yellow soft tyre. It’s not a big change from the current specification, but it is designed to fit in line with our latest versions of the P Zero Silver hard tyre and P Zero White medium, both of which are a little harder than their original specification in order to reduce degradation. There’s no decision yet on when we might use the new tyre yet, but it will be very interesting to hear all the feedback from the teams.”
Vitantonio Liuzzi, HRT
2010 Qualifying - 21st, 2010 Race - 16th
"I'm looking forward to the German Grand Prix. It is my favourite circuit and I love racing on it. Not only because it is always a pleasure to race in front of so many fans and spectators but Nurburgring is a challenging track where I have raced many times in my career with other Formulas and teams. I like the fact that it is still an old fashioned track with a lot of history and its mix of speed and technical aspects. Rain is always a threat here, but I would like a bit of rain to be able to capitalise on our chances.
“I have a good record on this track as well as good memories and podium experience. Our goal is to try to finish the race again ahead of the Virgin team. We need to push harder and to progress.”
Daniel Ricciardo, HRT
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
“I’m satisfied with my first race finish in Silverstone at the wheel of the HRT Formula One team car. It was nice to finish and get the first race and experience under my belt. Ideally I would have liked to be closer to my rivals but that’s the aim for this race. I have learnt that there is a lot more to the tyres and managing them than I thought. For now this is one of the main things I need to learn quickly about. My family was there and it was great to share the experience with them. It was a great feeling, so I am looking forward to doing it again this weekend.
“I am now looking at the second challenge of my career and to complete another good race. I know the track reasonably well even if my worst souvenir was in 2008 when I raced in F3 Euro Series for team SG Formula and I stalled on the start of the second race. But in the first race I finished 6th in the points. Recently, I drove there last month in World Series by Renault. I had a great race there with Robert Wickens in dramatically changing weather conditions. I didn’t win the battle, but it was still a great race because I enjoy the track so much: The first sector is very technical and it has a nice flowing middle sector. But the weather changes a lot. It’s a bit like Spa, but I'm hoping for the race we will have some nice weather for once. My goal this time is to finish the race and close the gap to my competitors and to Tonio."
Colin Kolles, HRT team principal
"We reached our next goal with our two cars making it to the finish again at Silverstone. Mid-season, we have assessed the qualities of the cars. The pace is improving.
“The Nurburgring is a technical track which is characterised by medium speed levels and a good mix of slow and fast corners. The main challenge will be the weather in the Eifel Mountains which is quite unpredictable just like at Silverstone. Unless the weather disrupts our race, the car should be adapted better to the challenge of our first race in our history on this track. Mechanical set-up is very important here, because of the understeering-nature of this race track and the nature of the corners."
Adrian Sutil, Force India
2010 Qualifying - 19th, 2010 Race - 17th
“The Nurburgring is a great place to go racing. It’s my home Grand Prix and the atmosphere is always very special there. Plus, there’s a lot of history associated with the place. When I go back there it reminds me of my early racing days when I was just starting out in cars and driving in Formula BMW and Formula Three. I’ve spent a lot of time there and I know the circuit very well. Since I’ve been in Formula One, I’ve raced there twice.
“The track is challenging because there is such a variety of corners: high, medium and low speed. So you really need a car that is well balanced for every kind of corner, which isn’t easy. The first sector is technical, while the second sector has a good flow to it, and the final part has the big straight. It’s a smooth circuit with not too many bumps, but you have to be careful with the kerbs at the NGK chicane because they are really high and you can’t really use them. That means we can run a stiffer set-up with the car.”
Paul Di Resta, Force India
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
“Although I’ve been to the Nurburgring a few times, I’ve never raced on the full Grand Prix track. It was always the shortened version used for the DTM races. So I only know parts of the track. During my visits there I’ve learned that the weather can be quite unpredictable. It’s usually quite cold and it rains a lot. So that could be a major factor for the weekend, just as it was in Silverstone.
“I think we should be quite positive going into the race. After strong qualifying performances in Valencia and Silverstone, we’ll be working hard to try and get a race result that reflects our pace. I know the German fans will be out in force with six German drivers to support. But they will have to work hard to match the atmosphere we had at Silverstone, which was very special.”
Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India chairman and team principal
“The German Grand Prix marks the midpoint of the season and is a good chance to stand back and assess our performance over the first nine races. What is clear is that we have an excellent driver line-up and a car that is improving race by race, which gives us cause to be optimistic about the second half of the year. However, we know there is a big task ahead if we are to catch our closest competitors, Toro Rosso and Sauber.
“Looking back on Silverstone, we have to view it as a missed opportunity. With confusion on the pit wall, we failed to convert our excellent qualifying performance into points, which is incredibly frustrating. These things happen in racing, but we have put measures in place to ensure such a situation cannot happen again.
“Although Silverstone became a race of unrealised potential, we can take a lot of positives from our performance. Over the last few races we have demonstrated that the competitiveness of the car continues to improve and we are capable of qualifying consistently in the top ten. What is important now is to deliver that performance in the races where it matters most of all.”
Rubens Barrichello, Williams
2010 Qualifying - 8th, 2010 Race - 12th
“Nurburgring is very special to me as I won there for Ferrari and I really like the track a lot. The circuit has a lot of camber changes and so it is pretty difficult to get the best car set-up, but that just makes it all the more interesting. There is normally a chance of rain as well which adds another element into the mix. The corner onto the back straight is one of the best in my opinion. I hope we can have a good performing car this weekend and I will be giving my very best to score some points.”
Pastor Maldonado, Williams
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
“The Nurburgring is always amazing to visit because of its history, the combination of different technical corners and the fans there. I hope to improve on our last result and be more competitive, especially in the race. The second sector is my favourite part of the track as it has high speed, very technical corners. I first raced at the Nurburgring in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2006 and qualified on pole but I had problems in the race. I also raced at the track during my time in GP2, scoring my best result of fourth in 2007.”
Sam Michael, Williams technical director
“Nurburgring is a high downforce track with lots of challenging corner sequences, some off camber turns and kerbs. Set-up will be focussed on the slow and medium speed corners. We have a new rear wing, front wing and revised engine mapping for the exhaust blowing on over-run that has now been reinstated.”
Timo Glock, Virgin
2010 Qualifying - 23rd, 2010 Race - 18th
“I’m really looking forward to my home Grand Prix in Germany. It’s great to be back at the Nurburgring, a track where I’ve enjoyed some very good races and a lot of success in the past in Formula BMW, F3 and GP2 as well as F1. The track itself is good fun. The first part is quite technical and the rest is really quite easy to drive. I’m looking forward to seeing the German fans. It will be great to feel their support and to have my friends and family around me. It’s always such a special feeling, it’s hard to describe. As I do at every race, I will do everything possible to achieve another strong result for the team.”
Jerome D’Ambrosio, Virgin
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
“I can’t wait to race with a Formula One car at such a historic race track like the Nurburgring. This circuit is known for its understeer, so during the practice sessions we will work hard to minimise this effect. But the biggest challenge will be to make sure the tyres stay up to temperature as the weather conditions here aren’t usually very high. The strong performance we put in at Silverstone has given us a big boost and we are confident we can carry that through into another positive weekend.”
John Booth, Virgin team principal
“After a positive weekend on home soil at Silverstone, we are looking forward to getting to Germany to continue with our positive progress. We have seen an improvement in pace over the last few races and after our sixth double finish of the season last time out, we have clearly demonstrated strong reliability. So we arrive in Germany in high spirits and with the desire to put in another good performance after a weekend in Sochi engaging with our Russian fans. This is also Timo’s home race, so he will be even more encouraged to do well in front of his home crowd. The Nurburgring, where the weather is always notoriously unpredictable, is a historical circuit with a good mix of corners, mostly slow and medium speed. The cars tend to understeer here, so a well matched mechanical and aerodynamic balance is needed to compensate this. It’s a track with quite a lot of grip and it’s not particularly demanding on the brakes.”
Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
2010 Qualifying - 1st, 2010 Race - 3rd
“One of the objectives a Formula One driver sets himself, is to win his ‘home race’. Of course, you always give 100%, but at a home race you’re always more motivated, simply because you feel at home. This year we’re back at the Nurburgring, which is one of the better and more modern tracks; I particularly like the stretch from the Ford corner to the 180° long right corner in the valley. The Warsteiner corner is tricky, as is the sharp left before that. The best place to overtake is before the NGK chicane – which is a challenging left-right bend. It’s possible to overtake on the brakes there, because you come out of the previous corner and have to brake down to 100kph. Hitting the brakes later means you can take the bend first, it sounds easy but it’s not because you have to keep away from the kerbs or the car lifts off and you get overtaken again. The Eifel hills are special because the weather can change there as quick as lightning.”
Mark Webber, Red Bull
2010 Qualifying - 4th, 2010 Race - 6th
“I love racing at the Nurburgring and of course it’s where I won my first race in 2009 so it already has a special place in my heart - I’m looking forward to getting back there. Actually, I was only there a couple of weeks ago when I spent a few fun hours driving around the Nordschleife which has to be the world’s most amazing race track; I’m also driving on it again this week for Renault, and taking some people around on passenger laps. The weather is often unpredictable in the Eifel mountains and if that’s the case this weekend, it means you have to think on your feet and make some snappy decisions to benefit from changing and tricky track conditions. Of course the German and next week’s Hungarian Grand Prix are the closest Red Bull has to a home Grand Prix so the support is going to be pretty amazing for the team and for Sebastian in particular on his home soil, as well as all the other German drivers on the grid. The fans take F1 very seriously and are incredibly passionate about it - I hear those track campsites are pretty wild places to be over a Grand Prix weekend! We can always hear the music pumping out even from our team hotel!”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2010 Qualifying - 6th, 2010 Race - 4th
“Both my previous races at this circuit have been eventful ones. The last time we were here, in 2009, it was such a mixed weekend. We’d been struggling with the car in the early races of the season and the guys back at the factory had been working around the clock to find a solution. From my very first lap, I could feel the difference in the car - it had been transformed. I qualified well, got a really good start thanks to the KERS Hybrid, and I was just about in front at the first corner when I was hit from behind and picked up a puncture, which damaged the car.
“In 2007 we had that crazy race with a huge downpour after just a few laps. I’d pitted for rain tyres after getting a puncture, but even with those it was too slippery. I just hit some standing water and went straight off, along with several other drivers in the same place. Race control made the right call to stop the race, and the Nurburgring marshals did an amazing job, in hazardous conditions, to lift me out of the gravel with the crane. Since I’d kept the engine running I was able to get back and take the restart. I was a lap down but I really enjoyed myself in the race, even though I finished just out of the points.
“The lesson to draw from all this experience is never to make predictions when you come to the Nurburgring. The current circuit may be less epic than the original 14-mile layout, and certainly a lot safer, but it can still bite you. And the weather can turn in a matter of moments - you can have all the seasons in one afternoon. When that happens, I know I can rely on the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team to react quickly and decisively. Another thing you can be sure of is that there will be a fantastic atmosphere. The local fans know how to party and they always enjoy themselves, whatever the weather!”
Jenson Button, McLaren
2010 Qualifying - 5th, 2010 Race - 5th
“This is a truly historic and equally tricky circuit and not to be underestimated. You've got the rest of the 14-mile original layout just next door and there have been some memorable moments in the sport, both good and bad, often in the same weekend. Think of 1976, where James Hunt won in a McLaren but Niki Lauda had an appalling accident, or 1968, where Sir Jackie Stewart was almost blinded by mist and spray but won by four minutes just driving from memory.
“This is a race I’d really like to win. In my championship year I finished fifth and my best position before then was third, back in 2004. To be able to say you’ve won at the Nurburgring is a major achievement because it’s such a historic and challenging location. People don’t drive around with Nordschleife stickers on their bootlids for nothing! There are a lot of heavy braking areas and if conditions are tricky, which they often are, you really have to get it right at every corner. The weather can change from moment to moment so you’re always on your toes.
“Perhaps we’ve lost a bit of the momentum we’d built up in previous races, but not much. Although Silverstone was disappointing, our pace has been good this year. Sometimes we’ve been quickest, sometimes we haven’t. The arrival of DRS and KERS Hybrid has made the racing very unpredictable, and while that’s challenging for us, it’s great for the fans, and I think we’re going to put on a really exciting show this weekend.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“The Nurburgring is a circuit whose name carries tremendous resonance in our sport. The list of previous winners reads like a veritable Who’s Who of Formula One greats, and many of them have driven for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.
“The possibility of adverse weather, and constantly changing track conditions, makes teamwork vitally important. Our most recent victory, at Montreal, demonstrated how superb reactive driving, inspired and clear-minded strategic calls, and efficient pit work can unite to deliver the perfect result.
“This is the home race for our partners at Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines, who have been and continue to be at the forefront of technical excellence in F1. At Vodafone McLaren Mercedes we take considerable pride in the longevity of our partnerships, and we sincerely hope to put on a good show here this weekend.
“There has been a degree of uncertainty in recent weeks, with new restrictions placed on off-throttle exhaust blowing, and our entire team has demonstrated enormous passion and commitment as they come to terms with those challenges. We missed an opportunity for a podium finish at Silverstone, and that race was a reminder that while we are always pushing to make our car even more competitive, are rivals are doing likewise with their own machinery. I’m optimistic that we can move forwards this weekend and be challenging at the front once again. This will be a Santander German Grand Prix to remember!”
Nick Heidfeld, Renault
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
“It is always special to be in Germany, there’s no doubt about that. There are obviously a lot more fans supporting me there, and especially at the Nurburgring - I have so many nice memories from racing at this track. Learning how to ride a bike, driving a go kart and sledging in the snow are all things I did at the Nurburgring. I also won some races in junior categories there, and of course got my first pole position in Formula One at the track, so coming back is like a trip down memory lane.
“There are some bigger developments coming than we had at the last couple of races. There has been a tremendous amount of work going on in the wind tunnel so I am very hopeful that we will take a significant step forward. We have had to demonstrate our patience during what were a couple of challenging races recently, but now is the time for us to take that step forward and compete with the top teams again, which is where we belong. I hope that the car is strong, so that we can go back to qualifying in the top 10 (which is exactly where we should be) and then get even stronger in the constructors’ championship; we will need to take the fight to Mercedes who just overtook us but we know we are more than capable of a fourth placed finish this season.”
Vitaly Petrov, Renault
2010 Qualifying - 13th, 2010 Race - 10th
“The weather can be quite changeable there, which will again have an impact but the main thing we need is a strong set-up for the car. As usual, aerodynamic efficiency will be the key. It (the car) hasn’t performed at the level we know it can, and it has been off the pace for a few races now so we must get it right quickly to turn our season around. Additionally, it’s very important we reach Q3 in qualifying so that we can score more points come Sunday afternoon.
“Once again, we will be aiming for the maximum number of points, but we need to look at the whole weekend and get our performance up immediately from P1 right through until the race. Since Silverstone, we have been putting in the work to ensure we give ourselves the best possible chance at the Nurburgring. The speed with which we introduce our new upgrades is the critical factor in our success and I’m convinced that having these upgrades in place for Germany will give us more of a chance.”
Eric Boullier, Renault team principal
“At Silverstone, we were unable to recover from the tricky period the team has been going through, however since then we have continued to work really hard in the factory to improve the situation. We have some good developments coming, which unfortunately were not available for Silverstone but will be ready in Nurburgring. I am very confident these will take our performance forwards, closer to where it needs to be.”
James Allison, Renault technical director
“I hope that it (the German Grand Prix) will see the start of us clawing our way back to respectability with a reasonable series of upgrades to the car. Nurburgring does not have any particular outstanding features, but it provides a fair all round test of the performance of a car. Probably the most unusual aspect of Nurburgring is that we only go there every two years. It is standard practice to consult the notes from the previous year prior to going to each circuit and, in Nurburgring’s case, these notes are two years out of date and therefore less helpful in offering pre-event guidance. For example: last time we were at Nurburgring not a single car on the grid had a blown diffuser.”
Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber
2010 Qualifying - 12th, 2010 Race - 11th
“I have only raced once at the Nurburgring, and this was when I drove in GP2 in 2009. In those races I finished ninth and third. I remember it being quite a tricky and difficult circuit because it goes up and down quite a lot. Nevertheless, I expect with it being a fast track again, like Silverstone, it should be good for us. We know in high speed corners we are very strong, so hopefully we can show a good performance again. I’m very much looking forward to it. I also like swapping the tracks in Germany as it is nice to have a variety.”
Sergio Perez, Sauber
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
“After being in Silverstone, the Nurburgring is another historical race track and, like in the UK, is in another country where I have lived. I am very much looking forward to going back to Germany and having a good race there. For me, after having missed two Grands Prix this year, it is very important now to push forward for the rest of the season and especially before the summer break, which is a very intense period with three races in one month. I also drove on the Nordschleife once in a road car. Obviously it is an amazing track. On the modern circuit one of my favourites is the chicane in the last sector, which I enjoy a lot. I also think the circuit should suit our car quite well and, summing it all up, we should have a good race there.”
James Key, Sauber technical director
“The Nurburgring is quite a mixed circuit with different features, which makes it hard to characterise. Good braking stability is important into turn one, where there is a potential overtaking opportunity. The first sector is relatively low speed, or at least is after turn one which results in a car which needs good traction and good levels of downforce. Then there is a high speed section down to the hairpin, which presents another overtaking opportunity. The second half to the lap is relatively high speed. Primarily it consists of medium and slow speed corners and a couple of relatively long straights with a chicane in the end and a difficult last corner. This is a challenge for the engineers and drivers to try and get it right particularly in qualifying. It’s going to be an interesting weekend, because there are many different challenges with the big mix of corners and straights. The tyre compounds will be medium and soft. We know the medium tyres were a little tricky in Canada, so we have to work on them. The softs should be okay. The car will continue with the updates we brought to Silverstone, which worked well, and we will have a further small update on the diffuser and the rear brake ducts. After our good performance in Silverstone, we look forward to carrying that momentum forward and trying to score more points in Germany.”
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
2010 Qualifying - 11th, 2010 Race - 9th
"With two home races in a row, we are fortunate to be given an extra boost as we head to the Nurburgring next week for the German Grand Prix, just two weeks after Silverstone. This season has been a difficult one for performance predictions so far; however I can predict one thing for sure: the extra boost we are receiving will be transformed into extra motivation. We saw some improvements over the Silverstone weekend with our new exhaust system, along with improvements to how we work with the tyres, so we go to the next race weekend with a good feeling added to our fighting spirit. We definitely want to show our home crowds our best level of performance possible. It will be the first time that I race through the corner which is named after me (Turns 8 and 9), and obviously I would like to believe that this is not only making me proud, but also even faster."
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2010 Qualifying - 9th, 2010 Race - 8th
"Coming to the Nurburgring for the German Grand Prix always feels very special to me. There is so much history around this amazing track, especially for Mercedes-Benz with great drivers from the past having had such successful times on the Nurburgring and the legendary Nordschleife. This year, I will have the opportunity to drive Juan Manuel Fangio's car from 1954 on the amazing old circuit, and that will be very special. But of course I am also looking forward to the Grand Prix itself. I hope that we can take another step forward with our new package and close the gap to the top a little. It will be exciting to drive in front of a big German crowd in the Mercedes-Benz grandstand. Hopefully they see a good performance from both me and our car."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
"Our second home race in succession is next on the calendar with the German Grand Prix taking place at the Nurburgring next week. It is always a pleasure to race in front of our home supporters, and as the Mercedes works team, we are looking forward to a special occasion for the team. Our car showed positive signs of improvement with the new upgrade package and exhaust system in Silverstone, and we have been working hard since then to further enhance our understanding of its performance capabilities. We are hopeful of continuing this progression and putting on a good performance next weekend, giving our drivers the opportunity to show what they can do in front of their own supporters."
Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The story of the Silver Arrows began 77 years ago at the Nurburgring in 1934, and this year's German Grand Prix will mark the first time that the modern Silver Arrows, and our Mercedes GP Petronas team, will be racing at this historic circuit. This will be a very special weekend for our team, with many of our loyal fans and colleagues supporting Nico, Michael and Mercedes-Benz at our second home race in a fortnight. Formula One is on a high in Germany right now, and the crowd is going to be bigger than when we last raced there in 2009 - hopefully we will see a sell-out on Sunday and a fully packed Mercedes-Benz grandstand at the spectacular Turn 1 as well. The circuit itself presents a complete challenge: there are three corners below 100 km/h as well as three over 250 km/h, so good performance at both low and high speeds is critical. Of course, the famous Eifel weather is always capable of throwing a joker into the pack - even in late July - so we need to remain adaptable and ready to seize every opportunity. Our race performance in Silverstone showed signs of an upward trend, and we hope that the practice sessions next weekend will allow us to extract further performance from our new aerodynamic package. We will certainly be giving everything in order the get the best possible result on home turf."
Credit: Formula One Administration Ltd (www.formula1.com)
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