2011 Mercedes passes FIA crash tests

Mercedes has become the second team to have reportedly passed the mandatory FIA crash tests with its 2011 car.

On the day before New Year’s eve, Italian reports said Ferrari’s next single seater had passed through a series of monocoque crash tests at the CSI facility near Milan.

And on Monday, French commentator Jean-Louis Moncet wrote in his Auto Plus column that the 2011 Mercedes – the W02 – has been similarly crash-tested to FIA standards.

On the same day, the Brackley based team’s famous German driver Michael Schumacher turned 42.

Moncet also reported that Force India will announce officially on Tuesday that Paul di Resta will race alongside Adrian Sutil in 2011, with Nico Hulkenberg as third driver.