F1: 'We Want To Set The Standard' Says Mercedes' Brawn

Formula 1

F1: ‘We Want To Set The Standard’ Says Mercedes’ Brawn

Confidence is high at Mercedes as the team rolls out its new MGP W02 car in Valencia...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted February 01, 2011 Valencia (ESP)

Michael Schumacher (Left) and Nico Rosberg (Right) pose with the new Mercedes MGP W02 car in Valencia. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

The Mercedes MGP W02 — the car with which Michael Schumacher hopes to return to race-winning form — looked stunning when shown in Valencia Tuesday.

It shows a clear Red Bull influence, but that's hardly surprising, and Mercedes is not alone in going down the pull rod suspension route.

The car is the first from the team to be fitted with KERS, as Brawn GP did not have the time or money to use it in 2009. Not that it proved to be a problem.

Ross Brawn has admitted that the team didn't push the limits last year, but has this time.

“It is always a thrill to see a new car ready to take the track for the first time and this year is no exception," said Brawn. "After our first year as the Mercedes-Benz works team, we are now seeing the benefits of our chassis and engine groups working well together. With a good technical structure and a strengthened race engineering organisation, both at the factory and the race track, I am confident that we have done and will continue to do a better job this year in all key areas.

“The concept development for the MGP W02 started early and we have set challenging targets for the design, combined with a robust plan to ensure that the pace of development can continue throughout the long 2011 season. We have two excellent drivers in Michael and Nico (Rosberg), both of whom are capable of winning races in a good car, and we look forward to seeing them push each other and the development of the new Silver Arrow during the season.

"We want to be setting the standard right from the start but if we are not, we will respond very strongly to get ourselves into the game. Everyone is excitedly waiting to see what the new season will reveal.”

“Finally the waiting is over and things get started," said Schumacher. "For us drivers, the break every year is hard to take because the gap between the last race and the first time out on track seems to be never-ending. Even if I have been involved and updated all winter on the developments, and even if I know the improvements are significant, it is still different to see the new car literally for the first time in front of you.

The F1 world got its first look at the new team Mercedes car on Tuesday in Valencia. (Photo: Adam Cooper, SPEED.com)

"You automatically build up this nice pre-start tension. I very much look forward to the new season. We have said it several times already but again, we are ready to start building up something big together. I am very confident that this season we will be standing on the podium much more regularly — ideally in the middle!”

Rosberg added: “It is always a very exciting time of year to drive the new car for the first time and feel how it performs out on track. This year we have the added challenge of not having an immediate reference due to the change in tire manufacturer to the new Pirelli tires, which felt good during our first tryout at the Abu Dhabi test last year. I am very much looking forward to having a much stronger season than last year, and as always, our targets are aggressive.

"We want to be competing at the front and challenging for race wins. Everyone at our factories in Brackley and Brixworth has worked extremely hard on the new Silver Arrow and we are all looking forward to seeing how it performs.”

Adam Cooper notched up his 26th season as a racing journalist in 2010. Born in London, England, he saw his first F1 race at age 10 in 1976. He began freelancing for Autosport magazine in 1985 and was on the fulltime staff from 1987-92. He then went freelance again, initially spending two years in Japan before following the 1994 Champcar series from a base in Indianapolis. He has not missed a Grand Prix since Suzuka ‘94, a run that has extended to Abu Dhabi ’10. Adam has written books about Eddie Irvine, Piers Courage and Michael Schumacher. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Check out Adam's Blog or follow him on Twitter.