mercedes-w02

F1 2011 Season Preview: The Drivers and Teams

Mercedes Grand Prix
#7 Michael Schumacher
#8 Nico Rosberg

Obviously, the big question heading into this season is will Michael Schumacher return to the form that made him a seven-time World Drivers’ Champion. At 42-years-old, it might be too much to ask of him to return to peak form. However, he has shown a couple of sparks that indicate that he can be one of the best on the grid. Maybe the talk will turn from when will Schumacher regain form to when will Schumacher retire again. If seven-time doesn’t get some early results, that will inevitable be the talk of the paddock. Nico Rosberg routinely outshone his teammate last year but some put that down to a car designed to be a bit more understeery which favoured Rosberg to Schumacher. The tendency of the car to oversteer or understeer will likely determine which Mercedes driver will finish on top. As for the car, it was off the pace for most of the winter but the W02 topped the time sheet at Barcelona for the final test of the pre-season. Testing times don’t mean much but that’s a good sign for the Silver Arrows.

Teams