Mercedes eager to end the European season on a high

Mercedes are hoping to end what has been an enthralling European season on a high during this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, as the Formula 1 fraternity gears up to end the overall season with seven flyaway races in Asia, North and South America. Mercedes head to the Italian Grand Prix after a relatively unsuccessful Belgian Grand Prix.

After Chinese Grand Prix winner Nico Rosberg incurred a 5-place grid penalty for a gearbox change, the German driver was forced to miss the majority of third practice and subsequently started the race from the last row of the grid in 23rd position. Although this enabled Rosberg to dodge the worst of the large first corner incident, the 27-year-old German could only manage 11th in the race and therefore failed to score any valuable World Championship points. Rosberg is undoubtedly striving for a better result this weekend, and is confident the Mercedes W103 will be better suited to the low-downforce Monza circuit.

"After a difficult weekend in Spa, I believe that our car will be much better suited to the amazing and high-speed Monza track.” Explained Nico Rosberg, “We will also have a different package there for the long straights with the low downforce required. We are continuing to work hard on improving our car, and I’m quite positive about the news that I hear from the factory, although we know that it will be a tough job with all of the other teams developing quickly as well."

Michael Schumacher was able to finish 7th during last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, after initially starting his 300th race from 13th on the grid. With the German legend winning five of his seven World Drivers’ Championships with Ferrari, and also winning five times at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza for the Scuderia in front of the fanatical Tifosi, Schumacher still views the Italian Grand Prix through a “red veil”.

"When I think of Monza, I immediately see everything through a red veil. It is the beating racing heart of Italy, everything there lives and breathes Ferrari, and I must inevitably think of the good times I spent there.” Said Michael Schumacher, “What makes me particularly happy is that after all these years, the Tifosi still welcome me so warmly, and I would like to thank them for that. They can be just as sure as our own fans that everybody in the team is looking to have a successful finale to the European season, and is therefore fully motivated to put on a good show in Monza."

Mercedes have been very competitive around the quickest circuits of the season, after winning their first race since 1955 at this year’s Chinese Grand Prix, a track which features the longest straight in Formula 1. With the nature of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, with it’s incredibly long start/finish straight, Mercedes will be unquestionably aiming for success once the action starts this weekend.

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