FORMULA 1 - 2012

[MIKA27]

Ferrari speeding up development

Ferrari are not resting on their laurels following their Malaysian GP win with the team set to introduce five updates to their car for this weekend's race in China.

Not much was expected from Ferrari at Sepang, but Fernando Alonso conjured up some magic in the wet to win the race and take the lead in the Drivers' Championship.

Despite Alonso's impressive drive last time out, the Scuderia know they need to continue to develop the F2012 if they want to keep battling for race victories.

"We are constantly working on improving the issues we have," technical director Pat Fry told the official Ferrari website.

"New parts are coming through and we are trying to get them to the race track as quickly as possible. We will have five updates for China, some are quite visible others less so. Then there will be a bigger upgrade package for Spain. It would be nice to have them earlier, but we have already brought forward some parts we were developing for Spain and we should have them in China."

The Englishman admits that while there have been several positives during the first two races of the season, quite a few things were not up to scratch.

"If I was asked to rate the overall performance of the Scuderia so far, I'd mark it differently depending on different sections of the company," Fry said.

"The team, the mechanics at the track have worked very well: in Melbourne we had the quickest pit stops and in Malaysia the speed of the pit crew and the strategy saw us gain position or time on others every time we pitted.

"However, ranking the actual performance of the package, I'd rate it much lower. Another plus is the way the team is responding, dealing with the stresses of trying to play catch-up. The Manufacturing department, working on some of the more aggressive requests we've made, has responded very well. So, it's been a great team effort, but we haven't done a good job in getting the car out on track to be quickest from the start."

Although Alonso leads the Championship, the McLaren duo of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have been the ones to beat so far this season, much to Fry's surprise.

"I was slightly surprised by Red Bull's comparative lack of pace," he said.

"McLaren were relatively quick but I would have put these two teams the other way round if you'd asked me a month ago.

"Mercedes also seem quick, but they have similar rear tyre degradation to the past, so while they are good in qualifying, their race pace drops away and Lotus is the other team that has done a good job, looking quick from the very first test in Jerez."

[MIKA27]

Hulkenberg: We can't afford to relax

Force India admit they can't afford to take their foot off the pedal if they are to reach their targets this season.

The Silverstone squad are sixth in the Constructors' Championship with nine points after both Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg finished in the top 10 at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The pack, especially the midfield, is likely to be a lot more compact this season and Hulkenberg admits it is hard to know where they stand after just two races.

"We're only at the start of the season - we've only had two race weekends, so we still need to wait and see," the German said.

"Because the midfield is so compact nobody can afford to relax. We all need to push hard to improve performance and with 18 races still to go there's plenty of time to do that."

Team principal Vijay Mallya echoed his comments, saying it will be hard to score points regularly this campaign due to the stiff competition.

"I said last year that the competition in the midfield was close, but this year it seems to be even more so with the majority of the grid capable of fighting for points," he said.

"It's a good situation for Formula One, but it also means points are harder to come by. It's encouraging that we have scored points in both races and that will be our aim once again in China."

He added: "In terms of car development, the factory at Silverstone continues to work at full capacity to improve our performance. The first two races have given us a great deal of information to work with and we will put it to good use in the coming races."

[MIKA27]

Merc look to up race-day pace

Ross Brawn says Mercedes have plans and actions in place to improve their tyre management following their problems in the first two races.

While Michael Schumacher qualified on the second row of the grid during the first two grands prix in Australia and Malaysia, the team went backwards on race days and failed to keep up with the front-runners.

Team principal Brawn admits that they struggled to get the tyres into the correct working window in the first two races, but says they feel they have ironed out those problems and it will hopefully lead to an improvement in their speed on Sundays.

"Our objective is to build the best car we can for the race - and our qualifying performances are a consequence of that," he told the official Mercedes website.

"Nothing has been consciously done to focus on making the car quick in qualifying, and not so good in the race, because under the current rules - with DRS and the number of pit stops - there are no real rewards for doing so. Using the tyres properly is vital for success, and it depends on a number of factors, including set-up, the downforce the car is generating and the drivers' approach.

"Within the set-up variations we can choose, we have the opportunity to find the right solution. But it's a learning process, and we missed the mark at the first two races."

He added: "Our analysis since Malaysia has given us an even better understanding, and we have plans and actions in place to improve our tyre management.

"We clearly have a reasonably quick car - we have shown that in qualifying - and now we have to convert our speed into race performance."

[MIKA27]

FIA opts for shorter DRS zone in China

The Chinese Grand Prix will feature a single drag reduction zone this weekend in the same position as 2011, though a little shorter following feedback.

The detection point will be between turns 12 and 13 before drivers can 'open' their rear-wing half way down the back straight, one of the longest on the calendar.

The activation zone has been reduced in length by around 50m following analysis of the 2011 race.

[MIKA27]

Piston to blame for Maldonado engine failure

Renault Sport have identified a faulty piston as the cause for Pastor Maldonado's engine failure in Malaysia a fortnight ago.

The Williams driver was running tenth but had to retire with just two laps remaining after the Renault engine in his FW34 gave up on him.

Rémi Taffin, head of track operations for Renault Sport, says they used the time between the two races to investigate the matter, finally pinpointing a faulty piston as the cause.

"We used the intervening time between Malaysia and China to thoroughly investigate the engine failure we had on Pastor's car in Malaysia and quickly identified it as a piston failure."

Taffin added that safeguards will be put in place to ensure a reccurence doesn't happen to any of its customers which include Williams, Red Bull, Lotus and Caterham.

"As a result we are looking to put in place safeguards to prevent it happening again to Williams or our other clients."

[MIKA27]

Williams preview the Chinese GP

Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer: Having secured our first points of the season in Malaysia with what is a much improved and competitive car the team are eager to move onto Shanghai as soon as possible. The fundamental characteristic of the circuit is that it is aggressive on the tyres and the track will prove a stern test for the FW34 and will be a good indication of how improved our tyre management is compared to last season. Pirelli are bringing the medium (white band) and soft (yellow band) tyres as the prime and option respectively. Whilst having one of the highest maximum speeds of any circuit, overall brake severity is low to medium and most other performance metrics are of a medium severity. The loss through the pit lane is high and the chance of a safety car is quite high too, with typically one per race. The weather can be pretty changeable in Shanghai with large temperature swings and the chance of rain - although hopefully not so dramatic as that encountered during the last race in Kuala Lumpur!

Pastor Maldonado: Shanghai is one of my favourite circuits on the calendar so I am really looking forward to the race. The circuit has a nice combination of slow and medium speed corners and good sequences that are fun to drive. It is also very challenging because it is difficult to get close to the car in front to take advantage of the long DRS zone. We have shown good pace in the first two races and hopefully we can continue to improve here and pick up some points.

Bruno Senna: The car is performing well and showing strong pace so I am confident about our chances in China. I have not raced there for two years so I will have to work hard to re-learn the track, but I have good memories of the circuit because it has a good mix of high speed and low speed corners and good overtaking opportunities. I had a good race in Malaysia and hopefully I can continue that form in Shanghai.

Rémi Taffin, Head of Renault Sport F1 Track Operations: Shanghai is quite a different challenge from Sepang, with the long straight at the back of the circuit and the pit straight raising the percentage of time spent at full throttle. The slower corners, particularly the first complex, however mean the engine is used at relatively lower revs for the rest of the lap. We used the intervening time between Malaysia and China to thoroughly investigate the engine failure we had on Pastor's car in Malaysia and quickly identified it as a piston failure. As a result we are looking to put in place safeguards to prevent it happening again to Williams or our other clients.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director: For China, we're bringing the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft tyres, which we think will be well-suited to the circuit. Last year, we witnessed one of the best races of the season in China, so there is a tough act to follow. Nonetheless, we're confident that the choices we've made should put an even greater emphasis on strategy - and will form a different challenge to Melbourne, when we first used this combination.

[MIKA27]

Ferrari is still almost a second off the ultimate pace says technical director Pat Fry

Ferrari technical chief Pat Fry believes the team is still almost a second off the pace in normal dry conditions, even though Fernando Alonso is leading the Formula 1 world championship.

Alonso took a shock victory in the damp in Malaysia, and finished fifth in Australia - despite Ferrari struggling for speed.

Fry said Ferrari owed its position to both Alonso's heroics, and the Sepang weather working in its favour.

"I certainly wasn't expecting to have one driver leading the championship," he said. "From quite early on in testing, we realised we had quite a few issues we needed to sort out.

"Everyone at the factory has been working hard at that, as we still have a long way to go. I think our dry qualifying performance is still around 0.8s off the best while we want to be the best ourselves.

"Damp low grip conditions suit our car and flatter some of the issues we have with the F2012 at the moment. You could see that in Melbourne on Friday and again in the race in Malaysia."

He added that Ferrari was trying to accelerate its development to get out of its current plight, and would have some upgrades for China this weekend then a major package in Spain next month.

"We are constantly working on improving the issues we have," said Fry. "New parts are coming through and we are trying to get them to the racetrack as quickly as possible - we will have five updates for China, some are quite visible, others less so. Then there will be a bigger upgrade package for Spain.

"It would be nice to have them earlier, but we have already brought forward some parts we were developing for Spain and we should have them in China."

[MIKA27]

Technical director Paddy Lowe says McLaren must capitalise on its current advantage

McLaren must capitalise on its current pace advantage while it can, believes the team's technical director Paddy Lowe, as he admitted that there was a sense of slight frustration that it had 'only' achieved a win and two third places from its front row sweeps in the first two Formula 1 races of 2012.

Although Jenson Button won in Melbourne, with polesitting team-mate Lewis Hamilton taking third, in the damp Malaysian Grand Prix Button failed to score following an incident with HRT's Narain Karthikeyan, and Hamilton did not have the pace to join Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez's battle for victory.

"I think it was fantastic to get the grid positions that we got in Australia and Malaysia. Very, very pleased with those," said Lowe in a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes teleconference.

"Even though there were no points for it, getting the front row was tremendous for the team and a great illustration of what they'd achieved.

"We do come away from the first two races slightly disappointed that we haven't translated those two qualifying results into more points.

"We have got some good points, but in this championship - which is long and hard - you need to score the points when you've got the performance, because you can't rely on maintaining it throughout the season.

"We're determined to go to China and not only get the front row again if we can, but to turn that into a good performance on Sunday."

Although Lowe believes McLaren has not really had a chance to show its true race pace yet this season, he acknowledged that it may well have a greater advantage in qualifying.

"It's very difficult, I think, to conclude anything from the Malaysian race itself. That was dominated by tyre condition and particularly tyre temperature," he said.

"I think we'd look to Australia for a better reference for our race pace. We were a bit challenged for fuel consumption in that race and it wasn't a particularly clean race.

"It does look as though we have a greater advantage in qualiying that the race, and that is something we need to work on. It's a characteristic that we had in reverse with Red Bull last year, where we felt that they were very strong in qualifying and got good grid positions, but actually in race pace they weren't particularly better than us, they just had track position."

Lowe added that McLaren was bringing a substantial upgrade package to China for round three of the title chase.

"We have quite a few upgrades for this event, on pretty much all sectors of the car," he said. "We're hoping for a reasonable step in performance, however we expect that will only be what we need to do to stay where we are in terms of qualifying and race pace.

"I'd be surprised if our principal competitors aren't also coming with reasonable steps forward, that's the name of the game. We're into the relentless battle of in-season development, particularly between the top teams. That's started already and we'll have to play our part and see if we can maintain the qualifying lead we have."

[MIKA27]

F1: Still some 'gentlemen' in F1 - Sauber

There are still some "gentlemen" in F1, team boss and owner Peter Sauber insists.

Amid the recent F-duct debate, it was suggested that Mercedes' Ross Brawn had broken a teams' 'gentlemen's agreement' that the technology should not be pursued.

"I think you need gentlemen in formula one for this" Sport Bild reporter Ralf Bach jibed sarcastically during a news conference recently.

But Sauber, arguably one of the few gentlemen in the paddock, told Sonntagsblick that he still has some peers.

Asked if he was privately congratulated after Sergio Perez's second place in Malaysia recently, the Swiss said: "Martin Whitmarsh, of McLaren, offered me a very nice congratulation.

"Franz Tost (Toro Rosso) wrote me a lovely text. And then Domenicali and the people at Ferrari; we have a very friendly relationship," added Sauber.

As for whether there are many other gentlemen in F1, he insisted: "In this business, you don't really ask this question.

"I didn't know Colin Chapman. Ken Tyrrell was someone who appealed to me greatly, but he didn't take us (Sauber) seriously. It was the same with Frank Williams."

Indeed, in the paddock, scepticism and cynicism are more widespread, which explains why Sauber's 2012 car - although fast throughout winter testing - was not regarded as a serious threat until mere days ago.

"We knew our car was good after the tests in Jerez and Barcelona. But the others just thought that we were running light, which is common when a team from the midfield shows something," said Sauber.

Also amusing, according to Peter Sauber, is the story of Sergio Perez.

"A year ago it was said he just paid for his cockpit. So it makes me chuckle now when I see them say he is going to Ferrari," he smiled.

[MIKA27]

F1: Vettel says McLaren 'the team to beat'

McLaren remains "the team to beat" despite the topsy-turvy outcome of the recent Malaysian grand prix.

That is the claim of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel, having slumped to sixth in the drivers' standings after a dire weekend in Malaysia.

The formerly-dominant Red Bull driver now lags a Ferrari and even a Sauber, after Fernando Alonso and the unlikely Sergio Perez proved the cream of the slippery Sepang circuit.

Vettel, however, is still thinking silver.

Asked by the French-language RMC Sport to name the 'best team' of the moment, the German answered: "There are several.

"But McLaren seems very strong right now. They are the team to beat," said Vettel.

The trophy enthusiast received a small memento on the Melbourne podium last month, but a more impressive prize was the prestigious Grand Prix de l'Academie des Sports that he collected from FIA president Jean Todt recently in Paris.

"That was my first trophy (of 2012)," he laughed, "but I want much more than that!

"It's a long championship," Vettel argued. "We did quite a good job in Australia, and Malaysia was chaotic with the weather.

"We have a good car and the objective is to fight for the title."

[MIKA27]

F1: Lotus to keep F1 name until at least 2017

It emerged late last week that the sponsorship agreement between the team formerly known as Renault, and the Proton-owned carmaker Group Lotus, has ended.

But the team will at least keep its new chassis name for the foreseeable future, the French sports daily L'Equipe reveals.

"We are pleased to keep the name," said team owner Gerard Lopez, "because it's a great brand for F1."

Group Lotus confirmed: "The F1 team uses the strength of the Lotus name to promote themselves, and in return Group Lotus benefits from F1 exposure and the ambassadorship of its drivers."

The carmaker confirmed that the "financial arrangement" between Group Lotus and the F1 team has ended.

L'Equipe said the Genii-owned team is currently in talks with a major North American company about becoming the new title sponsor.

[MIKA27]

Hi all - Just letting you all know that for the next few days, I won't be posting on this thread as I will be away on annual leave, a short break away with my family.

So, there will not be any Formula 1 updates which will also mean news on Qualifying etc will not be posted for the Chinese GP.

Apologies all, but I will be back in time to watch the grand Prix!

Enjoy the race and feel free to post news and or your own views on how you think the F1 in China work out, winners, losers and let me know what you think about Bahrain, will the race go on.

Be well all - Mika.

Taking some of my 'friends' with me on my break away from the grind!

[MIKA27]

F1: Insider expects F1 to lose two races in 2012

A respected F1 correspondent is expecting F1's 2012 calendar to shrink to eighteen races this year.

Livio Oricchio, who writes for Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo, thinks the sport is now on the verge of cancelling next weekend's visit to Bahrain.

And he also thinks November's US grand prix, scheduled to take place at the brand new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, is in doubt.

"The construction has fallen way behind," said Oricchio, "and there are serious problems between the promoter and the Texas government.

"Each side is looking to the other on the obligation to pay the fee, estimated at $18 million, to FOM (Formula One Management).

"So the championship that should have 20 races will most likely have only 18," he concluded.

At least publicly, however, the Circuit of the Americas is continuing to take shape.

This Thursday, a private ceremony is scheduled to take place as circuit contractor Austin Commercial celebrates the milestone of completing the full height of the main three-storey pit building.

The Austin Business Journal reports that "several business and civic leaders are scheduled to attend".

[MIKA27]

Pass the buck: Why Bahrain won't be cancelled

Much has been written about the Bahrain Grand Prix and whether it should, or should not go ahead. The list of those calling for the event to be cancelled is steadily growing, but as of yet, nobody with any real power has added their name to it.

Indeed an anonymous team principal has admitted he, and the majority of the grid don't want the race to go ahead, but by remaining anonymous, the claims don't hold the same power they would if they came openly.

I believe the race will go ahead, not because it's the right thing, but because nobody wants to make that decision - to cancel it.

The buck is being passed like a relay baton, in a race between Bernie Ecclestone, the teams, the FIA and the Bahrain organisers.

Ecclestone, who can ultimately make the decision if he wanted to, will not decide, because he stands to lose the most, has put pressure on the teams, organiser and FIA to make the decision.

"At this time, there are no indications it won't go ahead," he told the BBC, before claiming: "It's really not up to me to decide whether it should go ahead or not.

"It's up to the people in Bahrain to decide. At this time, they are not cancelling the event, so presumably they are happy(?)

"We can't force teams to take part. They would be in breach of contracts with [F1] if they didn't, but we would deal with that matter as a separate issue."

The teams, or seven of them (Caterham, Force India, Lotus, Marussia, McLaren, Mercedes and Williams) represented by FOTA, claim in a statement that they have no power to cancel the race - which is true, but they could boycott it, but they won't.

"There's been some media speculation recently to the effect that the teams may seek to cancel this year's Bahrain Grand Prix," it read.

"That wouldn't be possible. Teams are unable to cancel grands prix. We race in an international series called the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, and it is therefore for the FIA to offer the teams guidance on these issues."

Read that last part again. "It is therefore for the FIA to offer the teams guidance on these issues." The FIA holds the most power. They're there to ensure safety, not just on the track, but off it as well.

Despite this, where is the FIA getting its information from?

"The FIA is constantly monitoring and evaluating the situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We are in daily touch with the highest authorities, the main European embassies and of course the local promoters at BIC (Bahrain International Circuit) as well as the international promoter," a spokesperson told Reuters.

"The FIA is the guarantor of the safety at the race event and relies, as it does in every other country, on the local authorities to guarantee security. In this respect we have been repeatedly assured by the highest authorities in Bahrain that all security matters are under control."

That's right, the FIA is getting its information from the local authority and organisers - both of which are controlled by the government. This is a government which owns the circuit.

Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, initiated the construction of the circuit and through a government owned company, Mumtalakat Holdings, funded the construction. Mumtalakat also owns 50% of the McLaren Group, which includes the F1 team.

Bahrain has much to lose from not hosting the race. It's estimated that F1 contributes $300-400 million annually to the Bahrain economy - a significant amount for a tiny island with a population of just over 1.2 million.

Ecclestone says it's down to the teams and the FIA. The teams say it's down to Ecclestone and the FIA. The governing body is taking responsibility, but relying on information from a government which will never cancel an event of such importance.

This "to-ing and fro-ing", denial of responsibility and blind ignorance to events taking place, mean the event is unlikely to be cancelled, even if it should be, but you decide as to whether it's right to race in Sakhir. To me, it's a "no brainer!'

[Nate31]

Austin would be very nice this year. A short drive for me! We still as yet have a professional sports team in the Texas capital.

Thanks for all the articles, too! I wish F1, and other sports (soccer) were more popular here but I guess people would rather watch cars go around an oval for 500 laps.

[MIKA27]

Austin would be very nice this year. A short drive for me! We still as yet have a professional sports team in the Texas capital.

Thanks for all the articles, too! I wish F1, and other sports (soccer) were more popular here but I guess people would rather watch cars go around an oval for 500 laps.

Well you're more than welcome here Nate, to read up on the latest F1 news and on occasion, opinions of others.

Fell free to post anything you like on the F1 topic.

[MIKA27]

Susie Wolff joins Williams development team

Williams have become the second team to include a woman in their development programme following the decision to add Susie Wolff to the line-up.

Just weeks after Marussia appointed Spaniard Maria de Villota as a test driver, Williams revealed that the Wolff will take on a development role at the team.

The 29-year-old Scot, who will compete in her seventh DTM season this year, will help the team's technical development.

Wolff is married to Williams shareholder Toto and the decision had to be approved by the board, although he recused himself from the process.

"Susie is a talented, successful and highly professional racing driver who competes in one of the world's most fiercely-contested series," team principal Sir Frank Williams said.

"Susie will join Williams as a development driver, in which capacity she will assist us with the development of our simulator and other technical challenges.

"She will also undertake some aerodynamic testing of the FW34 and a full track test in the coming months, and will attend a number of races with us."

Wolff is determined to prove that "women can play a role at the highest levels of motorsport".

"Formula One is the ultimate challenge for any racing driver and it offers me the chance both to apply and to improve the skills I have developed racing in DTM," she said.

"In return I shall be offering some of my own technical insight and experience - coming from a different discipline - and helping the team engage with its partners. I hope also to demonstrate that women can play a role at the highest levels of motorsport and I shall be working closely with the team on its social responsibility programme in the areas of education and road safety."

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone added: "If Susie is as quick in a car as she looks good out of a car then she will be a massive asset to any team, and on top of that she is very intelligent.

"I am really looking forward to having her in Formula One."

[mikec]

Hi all - Just letting you all know that for the next few days, I won't be posting on this thread as I will be away on annual leave, a short break away with my family.

So, there will not be any Formula 1 updates which will also mean news on Qualifying etc will not be posted for the Chinese GP.

Apologies all, but I will be back in time to watch the grand Prix!

Enjoy the race and feel free to post news and or your own views on how you think the F1 in China work out, winners, losers and let me know what you think about Bahrain, will the race go on.

Be well all - Mika.

Taking some of my 'friends' with me on my break away from the grind!

I hope you had the opportunity to witness Mercedes first victory since 1955. A brilliant drive by Nico and of course stellar strategy from Ross Brawn. I must admit I didn't predict this wonderful result and my faith in Merecedes has been restored. Cant wait until Bahrain.

[mazolaman]

Bahrain shouldn't go ahead, as there are some pretty horrible things going on there.

But, I guess it's about the 40 million the FIA would not collect if it didn't happen.

Anyway...the Chinese was a good race, all these DRS type thingies are making it far more competitive than previous years.

Rosberg drove it well, while behind him all manner of fun was going on....

[winelover]

Thanks Mika for your updates. Have a good trip and enjoy the sticks. Still believe this year's F1 is going to be a classic and as Mercedes recent win shows, no one team is dominant. Vettel also having a reality check is refreshing given his dominance over the last two seasons.

I have a nasty feeling that this season might be blighted by holding the Bahrain GP a decision I believe F1 will live to regret although I am hoping there won't be any "surprises".

Go Maclaren!

[Nate31]

Congrats to Mercedes and Rosberg! Shaping up to be an interesting season. Too bad about Schumacher's pit stop.

[mazolaman]

Congrats to Mercedes and Rosberg! Shaping up to be an interesting season. Too bad about Schumacher's pit stop.

Yep, there's a chap on his way to the job center....

You'd better come back soon Mika, we're not as good as you at this....

[MIKA27]

Hi guys!!

Just returned Sunday and yes, I did get to watch the Chinese GP!

I'm really pleased that FINALLY Mercedes AMG F1 team have won their first GP and whilst lamenting does not change the course of history, 'What could have been' regarding Schumacher is what slightly frustrates me as it seems to me, a Mercedes historic 1+2 could have been on the cards.

The scrap towards the 2/3rd stint was incredible, 8 cars battling it out, Kimi's pit attack at Hamilton on exit stands out in my mind, boy was Kimi aggressive and a shame he went from a huge finish to the back of the pack all within a singe lap!?

Like the title for this thread, 'Battle of the Champions' and possibly some newer faces such as Rosberg though 111 GP's took him long enough!

Thanks so much to you all for posting, it's really great to see you all on board and as always, thanks for reading!

[MIKA27]

'Rosberg win one of the good ones'

Norbert Haug believes Nico Rosberg's Chinese GP victory should be ranked amongst the best ever achieved by Mercedes during their F1 history.

On Sunday, having secured pole position the day before, Rosberg became the first works Mercedes driver since Juan Manuel Fangio back in the 1955 Italian GP to win a F1 grand prix.

And Haug reckons his triumph - the first of Rosberg's career - should be ranked right up there with David Coulthard's first win with a Mercedes engine in Australia 1997 and the German manufacturer's 1994 American GP.

"This was one of the very, very good ones," Haug told Autosport.

"We have had David's first in 1997. That was certainly a landmark as well, as we painted the car silver and won the first race.

"We had a splendid Indianapolis in 1994 too.

"We have had quite a few victories together with McLaren and Brawn GP, but this is certainly a very important one for us - especially in this country and because there was so much hard work behind it."

And the fact that Rosberg's win came in Mercedes's third year as a works team is another reason for Haug to smile.

"I don't think it is that long if you look in the history books. Winning in the third year is not something that lots of teams are achieving.

"I would not have had something against wins in the first year that is for sure, but whatever we have now I am happy with."

[MIKA27]

Merc fined after pit-stop blunder

Mercedes have been slapped with a fine by race stewards after Michael Schumacher's pit stop woes at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The seven-time World Champion was looking good for a podium finish after running P2 behind his team-mate Nico Rosberg during the early stages of the race. However, he was hit by bad luck on lap 13 as he was forced to retire after his front right tyre was not properly attached during his one and only pit stop.

Although the German made it back onto the track he picked up the problem at Turn 3 and "already by Turn 6 there was quite a bit of smoke and damage" and he decided "it was better to stop before I did some serious damage to the car".

Stewards confirmed during the race that the incident would be investigated and they decided to hit Mercedes with a 5,000 euro fine for the unsafe release.

"The prompt action of the driver, in stopping the car as soon as the problem was noticed, is taken into account in the penalty determination," said the stewards.