Feature: A Closer Look at the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team

Sunday race action - Nico Rosberg of Mercedes AMG Petronas at the 2012 European GP. Image courtesy of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.The following is a feature by Austinite Mike Boone. Mike is an avid F1 fan and he prepared this information to educate guests at tonight's networking event with EuroCircle at Javelina. We think it will be a great primer for new F1 fans, so we'll have copies to distribute at the event.

// What do you need to know about the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team? Here are some helpful facts:

The first Mercedes involvement in Formula One came four years after the first race in 1954. Mercedes has also served as an engine provider to other teams with their engines winning two constructors and four driver’s championships. The current team has been competing since 2010 after the purchase of Brawn GP.  As a constructor Mercedes have won two drivers championships and ten races in Formula One.

Mercedes' drivers for 2012 are Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, although it is now known that Schumacher is retiring at the end of 2012 while Lewis Hamilton, currently at McLaren Mercedes is joining Rosberg at Mercedes AMG Petronas.  Also, Mercedes AMG currently supply McLaren and Force India with engines.

The name for the Mercedes constructor in was changed for 2012, the team removed the GP from their name and added AMG, the high performance division of Mercedes.

At the China race this year Nico Rosberg won first pole position for Mercedes since Fangio last did it in 1955.  Rosberg went on to win the Chinese Grand Prix this race which was the first win in China, in 57 years.

// About the Team

Full name: Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team (2012 – )

Base: Brackley, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom

Team Principal: Ross Brawn

CEO: Nick Fry

Technical Director: Bob Bell

Website: www.Mercedes-AMG-F1.com

Previous name: Brawn GP Formula One Team

// 2012 Formula 1 Season

Drivers: #7 Michael Schumacher and #8 Nico Rosberg

Test Driver: Sam Bird

Chassis: Mercedes F1 W03

Engine: Mercedes-Benz

Tires: Pirelli

// F1 World Championship Career

Debut: 1954 French Grand Prix

Latest Race: 2012 European Grand Prix (photo above was taken there)

Races completed: 57

Constructor's Championships: 0

Drivers' Championships: 1954 and 1955

Race Victories: 10

Pole Positions: 9

Fastest Laps: 9

The information above was compiled from the Mercedes AMG Petronas website and Wikipedia.

European GP: Race Review

There is only one word that is fitting to describe the European Grand Prix this past weekend in Valencia: Thrilling.

There were expected-winner starting on pole, the guessing games on strategy, racing incidents galore, safety car (!!),  botched pit stop by McLaren (again!), 2 front-runners' cars failed in late stages, crash-out in last lap, unexpected podium and incredible joys of unlikely victory. Utterly unpredictable, and completely action-packed, I loved every minute of the intensity at the Valencia race.

Here's how it all went down - Vettel was on pole, if you recall my pre-race prediction, Vettel has won twice consecutively last two years, he was a sure-in to grab the win. And for the most part, I was right until lap 34 of the 57-lap race.  Vettel was leaving everyone in the dust with comfortable margins, no one was close enough to catch him, he was so ahead that he went in for his pit stop, came back out and there was no traffic to slot back in, that's the kind of lead he was having.

Unfortunately for Vettel, his car failed him in lap 34 after the safety car had to come out to clean up Vergne-Kovalainen crushed bits on race track. Oddly enough, another Renault-engine car also failed unexpectedly. Grosjean was chasing Alonso down and doing a brilliant job catching up at the last few laps of the race, then suddenly, car failure and end of race for Grosjean.

There were a couple incidents throughout the race, three big ones to be exact. First, there was Vergne and Kovalainen. Then there was Kobayashi and Massa. Lastly, the most gutting of all incidents of the day, Maldonado and Hamilton at lap 55. I definitely feel for Hamilton, to be SO close to the finish line and suddenly losing it all.

Misfortune for some means gain for others. For this race, the lucky benefactor is Schumacher, who leaped to 3rd place on the podium. Well done for him, however unlikely this was a win for him, Schumacher fought hard through race after race and nothing like regaining glory to re-boost his confidence and drive.

Despite all the drama, in the end the best, the triumph, and the crown goes to the Alonso. I am not always the biggest fan of Alonso, but he raced the Ferrari from 11th to P1, never losing sight of the finish line and kept hustling lap after lap. He commanded and deserved all the respect and congratulations from not just the home crowd in Valencia but F1 fans everywhere. Well done!

So who wins the Best Post-race hair at the European Grand Prix, you ask? It goes to none other than Alonso, who also showed some real emotions on the podium with real tears. And what of the Grid Girls? It's another classy but boring showing - Ferrari-red dress with white bow as belt, reminds me of Christmas present. Are the Valencia Grid Girls the Spanish gifts to the world? Where are all the fashion designers - Grid Girl outfits need some excitement! I'm holding out some hope that the Grid Girl outfits will get better in the next race. It's been an unbelievably exciting Grand Prix weekend in Valencia, can't wait for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 6-8!

"COTA Has Character" Claims Australian V8 Supercars' Winterbottom

Circuit of The Americas is proving their open arms mentality; in August 2011 we saw David Coulthard pilot the Red Bull Racing Showcar on a gravel track, in April of this year Alexis DeJoria took a Toyota Tundra on the pre-asphalt terrain. Earlier this month the newly-announced COTA Ambassador Mario Andretti showed us what a Cadillac Escalade was capable of on the newly-laid asphalt. Today, we got to see what a good 'ol American muscle car could stir up as COTA welcomed the fourth driver to test out the track, Australian V8 Supercars Driver Mark Winterbottom.

V8 Supercars is an Australian-based race series; one of the world's largest and best known touring car categories because it is recognized internationally as a leader in motorsport and entertainment. Mark is in the US as part of a media tour promoting his involvement with the Disney-PIXAR movie Cars 2, whereby he "plays" the character "Frosty" in the Australian version of the film. Before the end of the month, Mark will fly back to California for the opening of "Cars Land" at Disneyland.

While in Austin, he did a great job at hitting up many popular and uniquely Austin attractions - getting a pair of cowboy boots, enjoying great B-B-Q at Stubb's, visiting Jesse James at his Austin Speed Shop and enjoying an antelope burger at Elroy's Wild Bubba's Wild Game Grill (right next to the circuit). Mark had this to say about Austin:

Austin has a really cool vibe. There’s lots to see and do, and I think international visitors will find the city very sophisticated, yet laid back and welcoming. It’s a great destination for motorsports enthusiasts and their families because there’s something for everyone in terms of good food, great shopping, exceptional music and entertainment, loads of parks and recreational activities, and, of course, a purpose-built Grand Prix circuit that will host some of the best auto racing in the world!

But what about the circuit? He drove a Ford Mustang GT through the back portion of the racecourse, from Turns 5-12 and also had the opportunity to preview the rest of it. Like many, he was amazed at the 130' elevation spike going up Turn 1, but he was equally impressed with the changes in height throughout the circuit, adding the numerous turns would make for great driving. He added:

The circuit’s topography, including the dramatic changes in elevation, will make for some really fun racing and a great show for fans. While I didn’t get to drive the full circuit, the sequence of turns I did sample were fantastic, and I can’t wait to come back and take a lap around the finished racecourse. Circuit of The Americas will be a welcome addition to our future V8 Supercar line-up!

 Check it out for yourself in this video clip:

Mark Winterbottom Drives COTA from The Austin Grand Prix on Vimeo.

Now the question remains, when will we see the V8SC here in Austin? Stay tuned for the 2013 race calendar details to be announced.

// V8 Supercars Facts

• The V8 Supercar Championship ("V8 Supercars" or "V8SC") is an Australian-based touring car championship
• 15 annual events across Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, and they raced at the 2012 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix as a support series during the F1 race weekend
• The world's leading Touring Car Championship recognized by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile ("FIA")
• All V8 Supercars run on 85% CSR Ethanol, a renewable fuel made from the bi-product of the sugar refining process
• 2011 race attendance: 1,750,000
• 2011 TV race viewership: 17,500,000
• 130 countries telecast V8 Supercars live (as live or on delay, depending on time zone and programming)
• Estimated annual sponsorship portfolio in excess of $150,000,000

Blast From The Past at Formula Expo

Bud Moeller with Historic Grand Prix at Formula Expo from The Austin Grand Prix on Vimeo.

Learn more about the Historic Grand Prix, "The World's Fastest Museum," with F1 Pilot Bud Moeller.

The goal of the Historic Grand Prix is to preserve motorsports history while showcasing the 3.0 litre era of F1 during 1966-1983. HGP had an amazing collection of Formula 1 cars at Formula Expo in Austin, Texas. What was most interesting to me is that the owners of these rolling artifacts get to personally race them, sometimes competing against former racers!

Some of the handsome cars on display included a Lotus 79 once driven by Mario Andretti, Ferrari 312-T5 driven by Gilles Villenevue, McLaren M-30 driven by Alain Prost and March 821 driven by Jochen Mass. You can see more in our Formula Expo Picture Gallery.

Check Historic Grand Prix's schedule to see if they are coming to a track near you. They will be at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut over Labor Day weekend and at Watkins Glen the following weekend. Hopefully we will see them bring history alive at Circuit of The Americas in the near future.

Sutton Images at Formula Expo

Sutton Images at Formula Expo from The Austin Grand Prix on Vimeo.

It was such a treat to interview Keith and Mark Sutton at Formula Expo. This team of British brothers run Sutton Images, the world's largest indepentent motorsports picture agency.

As mentioned in the interview, GP Week is a free online magazine that is published every Monday morning. You can sign up for email alerts for the latest issue and review F1, MotoGP and World Rally Championship news, results and features accompanied by the best photos from Sutton Images.

Be sure to check out the Sutton Images exhibit of dozens of photos at this weekend's Formula Expo!

Austin's Inaugural Formula Expo is This Weekend

Ian Weightman of Formula Expo from The Austin Grand Prix on Vimeo.

// Overview

Formula Expo is a new event, envisioned by longtime racing fan and Austin resident, Ian Weightman. Ian's dream was to bring multiple elements of Formula 1™ to Austin and allow residents to learn more about the sport, hands on. In conjunction with Circuit of The Americas™, Formula Expo is taking place in downtown Austin this weekend at the Austin Convention Center. The expo hall has been transformed and will consist of various interactive areas, or zones.

// Zones

Formula Expo Race Zone - Formula 1 cars on display from Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, Williams F1 and Lotus F1.

Fun Zone - 8 interactive simulators to hold hourly competitions with the winners being awarded trophies on the podium; Pit-Stop Challenge whereby participants experience what it's like to be part of an F1™ team pit-crew; photo opportunities in an F1 racing suit and while seated in an F1 show car; test your reflexes and peripheral vision against stats set by F1 World Champions using the reflex trainer.

History Zone - showcasing the evolution of cars, technology and safety; seven F1 cars on display from the Historic Grand Prix; Texas All British Car Days and International Motor Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen, New York. Travel through time by enjoying decades of F1 images from Sutton Images.

Technology Zone - learn what makes the formula of Formula 1 racing, including the key technologies KERS (kinetic energy recovery systems), DRS (drag reduction system), the green technology of the sport and more.

COTA Zone - Get an update on progress and see the latest renderings; opportunities to discuss ticket options with representatives; learn more about the Pirelli GP Challenge

Expo Stage - Interviews and talks from faces of F1 (names TBA); live music with performances by the inaugural Band of The Year contestants.

Exotic Car & Motorsports Zone - Showcasing manufacturers including Lotus, Ferrari, McLaren Automotive and Lamborghini.

F1 Sports Bar & Restaurant Zones - F1-themed sports bar with fare from Austin area restaurants.

Austin Zone - exhibits from local Austin businesses and organizations including Austin Music Commission, Austin Technology Council, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, Austin Economic Development Office and a number of local artists.

// Details

What: Formula Expo

When: Saturday, June 16 from 9AM-7PM and Sunday, June 17 (Father's Day) from 9:00AM to 6:00PM

Where: Southwest corner of the Austin Convention Center in Halls 1, 2 and 3. 500 East Cesar Chavez St., Austin, Texas 78701. 512-476-5461.

Admission: $15 for online tickets; $50 for a family 4-pack; $20 at the door. Click here to purchase tickets directly or here to purchase discounted tickets.

Parking: Ample parking in the surrounding Austin Convention Center parking garages. The closest is the 2nd Street Garage. Click here for complete directions, maps and parking.

Beneficiaries: A portion of the ticket sales will go to The Seton Fund to benefit patients at Seton Community Health Centers.

// On-Going Coverage

We spoke to many of the participants today and will continue to share content. So if you can't make it to Austin, keep visiting this site throughout the weekend!