Showing posts with label Lewis Hamilton. Show all posts

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Silver Arrow drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton visit Sindelfingen factory

As part of the build-up to the German Grand Prix, MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, accompanied by Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Toto Wolff, called in to see their Mercedes-Benz colleagues at the Sindelfingen plant near Stuttgart on Wednesday. At one point during the visit, Mercedes-Benz employees had the opportunity to quiz the Formula 1 stars during a question and answer session.

Works Manager Willi Reiss took Rosberg, Hamilton and Wolff on a guided tour of the assembly line for the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class which entered production at Sindelfingen this year. The two Silver Arrow drivers were given the opportunity to demonstrate their own mechanical skills by fitting the wheels onto a Mercedes-Benz S‑Class. “Working on the assembly line and fitting the wheels onto a new S-Class was a new experience for me,” said Hamilton. “All the same, I’m relieved to have the guys change my tyres on a race weekend; they’re much faster at it!”

“I’m very interested in technology,” said Rosberg, “so for me it’s great that I get all these opportunities with Mercedes-Benz to take a look behind the scenes at their ultra-modern production facilities. I always learn a lot on every factory visit. Today, I’ve helped fit the wheels onto an S-Class at Sindelfingen, but recently I’ve also helped to assemble a 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine at Mercedes AMG in Affalterbach and a Formula 1 engine at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth. If I carry on like this, I may eventually find that I’ve built a whole car...”

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in surprise presentation for Mercedes-Benz customers

How would you like to be presented with the keys to your new Mercedes-Benz by a Formula 1 driver? This dream scenario became a reality for two Mercedes-Benz customers in Sindelfingen. Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were on hand when the customers came to collect their new vehicles from the Mercedes-Benz customer centre at Sindelfingen.

“The surprise was written all over his face as I handed him the key to his new Mercedes-Benz E-Class,” said Rosberg. Hamilton also drew a huge smile from the second customer when he presented the keys of a new Mercedes-Benz E-Class: “It is always a pleasure to meet customers and colleagues at the Mercedes-Benz works. We do our very best for them on a race weekend in the hope of being successful and making them proud of the Silver Arrows team.”

Looking to the future: Innovations for the race track and the open road

On their tour of the Design Department, the two Formula 1 drivers and their boss got a glimpse of the next generation of production vehicles from Mercedes-Benz. The innovative technical features in the pipeline are not just aimed at boosting performance in the top echelon of motorsport; the team at the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center in Sindelfingen are also working intensively on stylish, safe and innovative vehicle concepts for the future. This unique collaboration means that the latest learning from research, development and design are also integrated into the production process.

“I have spoken to various Formula 1 fans today amongst the dedicated team here who work with great precision, apply inventive engineering and invest great passion in the development and construction of the latest Mercedes-Benz premium-class models,” said Toto Wolff. “I have immense respect for the fantastic work they do. A Mercedes-Benz made in Sindelfingen is a car that manages to combine the attributes of quality and comfort, of safety and elegance. As is the case in Formula 1, the focus here is on the right blend of perfectionism, responsibility and passion for one’s work, consistent with the philosophy of Gottlieb Daimler: The best or nothing.”

~ Official photos and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: Silver Arrow drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton visit Sindelfingen factory

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British F1 Grand Prix 2013: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg preview the eighth race of the season at Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton
“Racing at Silverstone is always something special for me being my home race. We had a long break between Canada and Silverstone so I can’t wait to get back in the car on Friday. The build-up to this race is always very busy so it is nice to already be in mood for the weekend. I love the track as well, there are no real heavy braking events so the challenge is more about the high speed corners, you really need to get into a rhythm, a flow, which makes this track so nice and fast. In terms of our own performance, I think we’ve made some small steps in the right direction but we won’t know where we really are until we start our programme on Friday. Hopefully we have another positive step for this weekend and I’m looking forward to see what I can deliver in front of my home fans.”

Nico Rosberg
“Silverstone is one of the team´s home Grands Prix and that´s why we all love the race, especially because lots of friends and family came to watch us. After Monaco and Montreal, now we have a completely different kind of track with lots of high-speed corners. I don´t know how our car is going to perform on such a track and it will certainly be interesting in terms of tyre degradation, because these tyres wear most in high-speed corners so this will be key to getting a good result. For me it´s also very special to stay in the motorhome in the middle of track along with some other drivers. It´s always a great atmosphere and thanks to the BRDC we have a barbecue with fellow drivers and friends.”

~ Official photo and details courtesy of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: British F1 Grand Prix 2013: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg preview the eighth race of the season at Silverstone

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Lewis Hamilton's flying lap with the RAF Red Arrows before Silverstone

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS driver Lewis Hamilton swapped his Formula One car for an even faster form of transport as he flew with the RAF Red Arrows on Friday 21 June as part of the team’s build up to the British Grand Prix weekend.

Lewis joined the BBC’s David Coulthard and the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, popularly known as the Red Arrows, at their base at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at one of their scheduled practice sessions. The day gave Lewis, the Mercedes team and the RAF an insight into how much is shared between the worlds of the Red Arrows and Formula One, and was filmed by the BBC for a feature to be shown during their pre-race coverage of the British Grand Prix.

With engineers and mechanics from the team’s factories in Brackley and Brixworth joining Lewis on the day, the opportunity to see how the Royal Air Force operates behind the scenes and how the Red Arrows pilots rely on the expertise and precision of their engineers and support staff (the Blues) to perform proved invaluable to Lewis and the team.

After going through the rigorous medical and safety preparations with the Blues, Lewis and David got their first experience of the Hawk T1 jets in a three-ship formation with Red1, Red 6 and Red 10. During a 30-minute flight, the pair went through a series of ‘loops and rolls’ in their jets, experiencing forces of up to 4.5G. Following a quick debrief, Lewis took his own Silver Arrow, the MGP W02 demo car, for a spin along the runway at RAF Scampton whilst Red 10 and David flew overhead, with the car and jet reaching respective top speeds of 300 kph and 520 knots (c.1000 kph).

Lewis and David then had the opportunity to take part in a Reds practice display before coming back down to earth to share their experiences with the pilots, the Blues, Lewis’ engineer and the team’s mechanics.

Lewis Hamilton
“We had an amazing day with the RAF Red Arrows last week and I absolutely loved the experience of flying with their team. To see first-hand how skilled the pilots are, and the similarities to the level of team work and precision that we need to get the best out of a Formula One car, was fascinating. The loops and rolls in the jet are such an intense experience and I’ve got so much admiration for those guys and their unbelievable flying skills. They actually let me fly the jet on the first flight; the pilot brought me up into position and then gave me the controls. That was intense and it’s surprising how sensitive the controls are and how tough it is to keep in formation. To then jump out of the jet and drive our Silver Arrow down the runway at 300 kph with a jet screaming 100ft overhead, hitting close to1000 kph, was beyond cool. We’re used to big lateral G loads in Formula One but experiencing negative vertical G is something else. A big thank you to everyone at RAF Scampton for such an incredible experience, for allowing us to go behind the scenes of their practice display, and for making us feel so welcome.”

Squadron Leader Jim Turner, Red 1, Team Leader of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team
“The Red Arrows were honoured to be able to host Lewis Hamilton and the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team at our home base at RAF Scampton. Both Lewis and David Coulthard flew with the team, starting with a shakedown sortie to see if they were up to flying in a practice display. They both did very well so then flew with us for a practice display sortie which the team had scheduled and seemed to relish the opportunity to take part in the show. The importance of effective teamwork and the emphasis on safety were the most obvious similarities between our two teams, with the quality and skill of the engineers and the operators very clear to see. Both David and Lewis were exceptionally friendly and down-to-earth and were very keen to mingle with the personnel, friends and families of the team who were there on the day. I would like to thank the personnel of the Red Arrows, MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS and the BBC for making such a special day possible.”

Squadron Leader Mike Ling, Red 10, Road Manager of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team
“It was a privilege to meet both Lewis Hamilton and David Coulthard and work with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. I was able to speak with David in the cockpit and it was interesting to hear both his and Lewis’ perspective on how the experience of flying at close to 1000 kph compares to driving a Formula One car. They were surprised with how sensitive the jet’s controls are and impressed with the skill it takes to fly in close formation. What came across during the day, and hopefully what the BBC viewers will also see, is the similarity between the teamwork required in Formula One and the Royal Air Force. The driver of the car is the tip of the iceberg when you consider the team of specialists in the Mercedes garage and factory. And, although it is the nine pilots of the Red Arrows who fly the display, there are another 100 engineers and support staff who ensure the team continue to perform to such a high standard.”