A little history lesson regarding FranceNorbert Haug, Vice President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, informs us of the almost century-long relationship between the German manufacturer and French motorsports events.
"Our brand and motor racing have both a long tradition
in France. 113 years ago, the first-ever automobile race in the world was staged here, and it was won by a car with a Daimler engine," related Haug.
"101 years ago, the first race with the name Grand Prix was held in France. Mercedes-Benz won this event 99 years ago with Christian Lautenschlager," he continued.
"In the brand's first Formula 1 race, Mercedes-Benz took a 1-2 victory with Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling on 4th July 1954. Compared to that, our balance in Magny-Cours so far is not as good –- only one win with David Coulthard in 2000."
That trend might change this year however, as the team approaches the French Grand Prix with renewed confidence.
"In 2007, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have so far achieved results which are unique in the history of Formula 1," stipulated Haug. "The team have always finished in the points with both cars and have taken 12 out of 14 possible podium positions. On average, we scored more than 15 points per race with 18 points as the maximum in best case."
Notwithstanding the good results so far, Norbert Haug does not believe the McLaren-Mercedes team can ease its efforts.
"We will all continue to work hard, to assure our reliability and to further improve our speed. The upcoming ten races are even more important than the first seven," he concluded.
Source McLaren Mercedes
