European GP - McLaren Mercedes - PreviewFormula One arrives in Germany next week for round ten of the enthralling and ultra competitive 2007 World Championship. The European Grand Prix, which takes place at the Nürburgring, is Mercedes-Benz’s home race.
Fernando
Alonso and Lewis Hamilton’s second and third positions in the =British Grand Prix last weekend have seen the team retain the lead of the Constructors’ title, now with a total of 128 points. Hamilton and Alonso also kept their positions in the Drivers’ standings, with 70 and 58 points respectively.
Lewis Hamilton
"Despite having a mixed weekend at Silverstone, we still came away from the track with a good haul of points and I am now really looking forward to getting back to the Nürburgring. I had a great weekend there last year, taking my first double win of the year and I enjoy driving the track. In 2005 I also won one race there in F3; my team ASM was powered by Mercedes-Benz, and as a result the support from the crowd was fantastic."
"It will be great to race in front of them again, this time in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 car. I am sure the grandstands are going to be packed. The track has a very mixed layout, probably with more slow corners than anything else, so you need good traction for the acceleration on the exit. Through the first sector of the track you can really make up time, the corners are very slow so with good balance and under braking you can find the time.
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Fernando Alonso"We had a positive test at Spa this week, with a lot of dedication from everyone within the team. This season is very competitive and we all have to push hard to find more performance from every part of the car, particularly for the Nürburgring. It is not a track that depends on a particular part of the car and it is difficult to get the maximum performance here. The layout of the track, with the range of corners, means that you have to have a consistent balance for the different speeds, so there will be a lot of hard work with my engineers to get a competitive set-up."
"As with Silverstone there are some bumps here on the track, that you have to watch out for, and you have to use the kerbs very aggressively to be fast. You can overtake here. The changes to the track a couple of years ago have added another chance, under braking into the Mercedes Arena at the first corner. This will be my first time as a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver racing in front of all the Mercedes-Benz employees from Stuttgart, who, I have been told, mostly sit in this section of the track. I am really looking forward to it and hope we can give them a good race. I’ve had a positive couple of races here over the past two years and I hope to continue that into the race next weekend."
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren Mercedes CEO
"Whilst we left Silverstone satisfied with the points Fernando and Lewis took from the race, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team exists to win. The team is approaching the race at the Nürburgring looking to win; the motivation is there, as is the performance with Fernando, Lewis, the MP4-22 and the team. We had a constructive test in Belgium, as I am sure have the other teams, and we now need to translate that onto the race track. We have to raise the bar internally with regards our performance and continue to ensure that if the win doesn’t happen, then we take the maximum points total possible."
Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, Vice President
"We arrive at our home Grand Prix at the Nürburgring with a positive balance from the first half of the season. In the first nine of the 17 Grands Prix this year, Fernando and Lewis have achieved 15 out of 18 possible podium finishes, and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is the only team to score points in every race with both drivers. However, the most recent races in Magny-Cours and Silverstone showed that we have to improve further, and everybody in the team works to achieve this in a disciplined manner and with all their power."
"The Nürburgring and its history is synonymous with the brand and Mercedes-Benz’s motor sport history, after Rudolf Caracciola won the opening race here 80 years ago, and the Silver Arrow was born at the Eifel race 73 years ago. With an attractive and popular entertainment programme next to the track at our home Grand Prix, we traditionally create additional value at no extra cost to our fans, as well as to those of the other teams who want to visit us. However we also do not forget that the most important part happens not next to, but on the track, and we will try to be at the very front at the Nürburgring."
Source McLaren Mercedes
