F1 Preview: Mercedes

"tomtom615" (tomtom615) 02/21/2014 at 11:03 • Filed to: F2014, F1 Preview

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For the next couple weeks, I'm gonna put out a preview for every F1 team for the 2014 season. I will try and be consistent and do it every weekday at 11:00 AM, but I know I'm lazy and may not get it every day, but I try!

The Team:

Mercedes AMG Petronas

Origins:

Brawn GP (YAY!), Honda, BAR, Tyrell

Team History:

Since buying Brawn GP in 2010, Mercedes hired Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, and stuck as a midpack team. However, last year things changed as Lewis Hamilton took the helm of the Mercedes and the results improved. The team has four wins since returning as a constructor, with three being collected in 2013. Their highest finish in the Constructor's Championship is 2nd, also in 2013.

The Car:

The W05 is Mercedes powered (duh) and has a similar livery to past years. Expect it to perform similarly to last years car and score a couple wins.

Is the Nose a Gentleman's Sausage?

Nope, like the Ferrari, they went for the catfish/vacuum cleaner angle on their front.

The Drivers:

Nico Rosberg: Nico has been floating around F1 since 2006, starting with Williams before moving to Mercedes in 2010. He started as a midpack guy and has made slow but steady progress marching up as high as 6th last year in the Driver's Championship. He has 3 wins and 4 poles in his career. I expect him to continue to build on last year's success and gain another win or two this year and finish in the top 5 in the standings.

Lewis Hamilton (World Champion 2008) : Everyone loves Lewis Hamilton because he seems like that kid who grew up and gets to live his dream. His helmet design is even loosely based on his childhood hero's, Ayrton Senna. He has always been a strong competitor in the series with consistent finishes in the top 5 in the standings. he has accumulated 22 wins and 31 pole positions. This will be Hamilton's second year with Mercedes after starting his career at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I would expect another couple wins and a top 3 finish in the Driver's Championship this year.

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The Sponsors:

Petronas stays on as primary sponsor with Blackberry and and Monster Energy playing roles as secondary sponsors.

Why You Would Like This Team:

Mercedes is a team you will see towards the front of the field and should be able to score a few wins, and watching your team win and run up front is always fun. Hamilton is quite likable and the girls think Nico is sexy.

My Expectations:

Mercedes has the most carryover from last year's team and should perform similarly to last year. Expect weekly podium finishes, a few wins, and a top 3 in the manufacturers standings and a bit of a run at Red Bull early in the year only to fall late in the season. They will gain on Red Bull some overall, but will still fall to them.