Mercedes GP unveils amazing suspended display

This spectacular display, called View Suspended II, has just been unveiled at Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey, UK. The piece, consisting of 3200 parts, was created by Dutch artist Paul Veroude.

Nick Fry, Mercedes GP Petronas CEO, was on hand for the official opening and said, “It is fantastic to see View Suspended II here at Mercedes-Benz World. Formula 1 is a sport watched by over 580 million people worldwide annually, so to be able to see a racing car in this way is something very special and a unique look at the heart of the sport.”

Meanwhile, late last month Daimler AG and Arabar Investments upped their stake in Mercedes GP to take a 100% controlling interest. Mercedes now controls 60% of the company, while the remaining 40% is owned by Arabar. This means Ross Brawn has relinquished the remaining 24.9% of the company he owned. The full press release from Daimler AG is available after the break.

Mercedes-Benz World brings Formula 1 closer to everyone

On 3 March, Nick Fry, CEO of the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team unveiled the incredible View Suspended II display at Mercedes-Benz World, Surrey. This captivating deconstructed art form of a Formula 1â„¢ car is now available to be seen every day by guests visiting the brand experience centre alongside the Formula 1â„¢ exhibition. The display also adds to the Grand Prix screening events scheduled for 2011.

View Suspended II

The display is a breathtaking work of art and brings a whole new perspective to literally everything that goes into creating a modern day Formula 1â„¢ car. The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS branded car comprises over 3200 precision engineered components that have been meticulously arranged by Dutch artist Paul Veroude. The result is a striking monument to the advanced-technology of Formula 1â„¢ that dramatically deconstructs the racing chassis to reveal its inner-most secrets.

This uniquely impressive work has enabled the chassis’ detailed systems and components to become visible, from the large bodywork items such as the engine cover and floor to the minutiae of the powertrain such as gear ratios and clutch plates. Every piece is suspended individually, hung by wire from a purpose-made frame. The chassis and its associated components were all supplied by the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team, with the engine supplied by Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines.

The structure combines engineering and sculpture. As a picture it would be attractive, but as a physical entity in the form of View Suspended II it displays a Formula 1â„¢ car in the most visually stunning, innovative and exciting way imaginable.

Each of the 3,200 parts on display has been purpose-designed for Formula 1™ racing. Comprising over 90,000 man hours of design time, over 200,000 man hours of manufacturing and utilising carbon fibre, titanium, aluminium and magnesium, a Formula 1™ car weighs little more than 600 kgs. 85% of the volume of the car is made from carbon fibre which accounts for only 30% of the cars mass. The chassis, floor and almost all of the car’s aerodynamic surfaces are manufactured from carbon fibre. Aerodynamics has been big news in Formula 1™ ever since the late 1970s and the concept of ‘ground effect’ – where the entire under-body of the cars acts like an upside down aircraft wing, literally sucking the car into the ground – was developed. Today, ‘ground effect’ is limited through the use of the ‘mandatory’ plank seen suspended towards the bottom of View Suspended II. Yet aerodynamic development remains critically important absorbing around 15% of the team’s car development budget.

Nick Fry, CEO, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS commented: “It is fantastic to see View Suspended II here at Mercedes-Benz World. Formula 1™ is a sport watched by over 580 million people worldwide annually, so to be able to see a racing car in this way is something very special and a unique look at the heart of the sport.”

View Suspended II is an art form, and not intended to be an exact replica of a current MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula 1â„¢ car. The racing car displayed is however entirely representative of modern-day Formula 1â„¢ technology.

Formula1â„¢ Exhibition

You don’t need to be in a pit garage or on the starting grid to get up close to a Formula 1™ racing cars. This exhibition that includes View Suspended II enables guests stand next to a number of race machines, all powered by Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines. The cars on display are the 2010 season MERCEDES GP PETRONAS car driven by Nico Rosberg and former World Champion Michael Schumacher who made his return to the grid after three years, the 2009 Force India driven by Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella, the 2007 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes car driven by Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso and Mika Hakkinen’s 1999 championship winning Team McLaren Mercedes car.

The exhibition also shows the highly successful Mercedes-Benz FO108W HighPerformanceEngine. The 2.4 litre V8 engine revs at a legislated 18,000rpm with a maximum output of 750PS. In 2009 this engine model achieved 10 race wins across the three teams powered by Mercedes-Benz.

Grand Prix Sundays at Mercedes-Benz World

Once again, if you can’t be there, be at Mercedes-Benz World to watch the Formula 1™ action from around the world in 2011. This year there is even more reason to join the high octane atmosphere with the Formula 1™ exhibition allows visitors to get up close to cars from recent seasons and also the 2009 SL 63 AMG Safety Car.

The tracks will also be alive with thrilling AMG passenger rides and driving experiences available from £15 per person – for adults and kids. And a spectacular driving display from the Silver Arrows Display Team will see four professional drivers in AMG cars perform sensational synchronised manoeuvres with perfect car control on the tracks. There will even be the chance to win a place in the passenger seat on the day.

Grand Prix Sundays will run for the following races:

May
8th – Turkish Grand Prix Sunday
22nd – Spanish Grand Prix Sunday
29th –Monaco Grand Prix Sunday

June
26th – European Grand Prix Sunday

July
10th –British Grand Prix Sunday
24th – German Grand Prix Sunday
31st – Budapest Grand Prix Sunday

August
28th – Belgian Grand Prix Sunday

September
11th – Italian Grand Prix Sunday

November
13th – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sunday
27th – Brazilian Grand Prix Sunday

More information is available at www.mercedes-benzworld.co.uk or by calling 0870 4004000.

Daimler AG and Aabar Investments PJS complete full acquisition of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

Stuttgart/Brackley 28 Feb, 2011

• Daimler AG and Aabar Investments PJS acquire 100 per cent of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
• Daimler AG and Aabar Investments PJS acquire remaining 24.9 per cent from the team management
• Dr. Dieter Zetsche: “This majority stake holding demonstrates our determination to build a long-term Formula 1 involvement on an even more successful platform.”

Daimler AG today announced that, together with Aabar Investment PJS, it has acquired the remaining 24.9 per cent stake in Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd located in Brackley, UK from the management team led by Team Principal Ross Brawn. Daimler and Aabar together now own 100 per cent of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix. Daimler has increased its stake from 45.1 per cent to 60 per cent, while Aabar has increased its stake from 30 to 40 per cent. Aabar is the biggest single shareholder of Daimler AG, with nine per cent. The acquisition is conditional on clearance from the German Bundeskartellamt.

On 16 November 2009, Daimler AG acquired a 45.1 per cent stake in Brawn GP, the 2009 world champion team, and together with Aabar held a majority stake of 75.1 per cent.

The acquisition by Daimler AG of a majority shareholding in the Formula 1 team sends a clear signal concerning the long-term ambitions for the company’s premium brand in Formula 1.

“This majority stake holding demonstrates our determination to build a long-term Formula 1 involvement on an even more successful platform,” explained Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “Our company’s founders invented the automobile 125 years ago and the very first Mercedes was a racing car. These are the reasons why we see our Formula 1 programme as an important element of our brand history. The acquisition of a majority stake holding in our Silver Arrows team sends a clear signal that we intend to achieve technical and sporting success on world motorsport’s biggest and most important stage – and to do so in cost-effective conditions.”

His Excellency Khadem Al Qubaisi, Chairman of Aabar Investments PJS continued: “Aabar’s and Daimler’s joint investment in Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix is a further testament to our strong commitment to the sport of Formula 1 and to Aabar’s strategic partnership with Daimler. As Abu Dhabi is increasingly placing itself as a recognised host of international sporting events, and particularly in light of the continuing success of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Aabar is proud to be supporting one of the most successful Formula 1 racing teams in the field. Aabar wishes Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix a successful start to the 2011 season.”

Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Group Research and Development Mercedes-Benz Cars, and Chairman of the Board of Mercedes Grand Prix Ltd., added: “Our acquisition of the remaining 24.9 per cent together with our partner Aabar underlines our long-term commitment to Formula 1, the pinnacle of motor racing and the best international motorsport platform for demonstrating our willingness to compete and our technical expertise. This step will bring the colleagues from our Formula 1 chassis and engine groups even closer together and thereby help to develop our team step-by-step into a winning Formula 1 outfit. We now also fulfill Ross’ wish of being in a position to focus wholly on the complex technical challenges of Formula 1 and on his role as our team principal.”

Ross Brawn, Team Principal of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix commented: “Daimler and Aabar’s acquisition of the remaining 24.9 per cent stake in Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix will be a further step in the consolidation and strengthening of our team for the future. Motor racing, particularly Formula 1, is a very specialised industry, and we are privileged to have such strong and understanding partners as Daimler and Aabar to support our joint ambitions. I remain fully committed to our team for the long-term, along with the management team and all of our employees. We all look forward to the challenge of making our team successful, and proudly representing Mercedes-Benz and the racing tradition of the Silver Arrows.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport stated: “It is a logical step to acquire the remaining 24.9 pr cent of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix together with our partner Aabar. Daimler and Aabar will be joint owners, in the ratio of 60/40, of our Formula 1 company and Silver Arrows works team. This lays the foundations for a successful long-term involvement at the pinnacle of motorsport.”