As one of the most prestigious brands on the planet, the majority of Mercedes-Benz’s models are associated with luxury, style, comfort and speed. The typical Mercedes car is usually more powerful, faster and smoother to ride than many of its competitors on the road, but in motorsport, the German manufacturer has much more competition.
Mercedes
Road to track
Three teams in Formula One, the biggest and most lucrative motorsport circuit, have Mercedes engines. Mercedes, McLaren-Mercedes and Force India-Mercedes are all competing with the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull and Lotus for wins and podium finishes, and all have experienced various degrees of success and failure in recent years.
Although all three teams have more or less the same engine under the bonnet, they find themselves outgunned by the super-rich Red Bull, who have reigning drivers’ champion Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in their cars. Ferrari are also believed to have a better engine too, but Mercedes and McLaren-Mercedes are at least competitive.
What’s the difference?
A lot of work goes into making all Mercedes’ models whether they’re destined for the road or the F1 track. There are quite a few differences between Mercedes road-legal and F1 models though, with the main one being that the latter are designed purely for speed.
The wheels are spaced far apart for each model, while down-force (essential when driving at speeds in excess of 200mph) is generated by a combination of the front and rear wings and the floor at a ratio of 60:40. Every year before the start of a new season, all teams make alterations to their cars in the hope that their prospects of success will improve.
Mercedes punch above their weight
With the Chinese Grand Prix – the third race of the 2013 season – drawing closer, the prospects of all three Mercedes teams are pretty similar. However, the best performers after the first two races are Mercedes, led by Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton switched from McLaren late last year, and has finished 5th and 3rd in the first two races.
Nothing much was expected of Hamilton’s new team, but he’s made a good start. He’s fourth favourite to win the upcoming race source (Ladbrokes Sports), with team-mate Nico Rosberg not far behind. McLaren’s Jenson Button and Sergio Perez aren’t far behind in the betting, while the Force India pair of Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil are dark horses.
