Mercedes-Petronas 2011 F1 struggles continue, Nico/Michael finish Malaysian GP in 12th and 9th

[Sticky]

Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished the Malaysian GP in 12th and 9th place respectively. The struggles for the Petronas team continue in 2011 but the Mclaren-Mercedes team finished has a 2nd place finish thanks to Jenson Button. Both Petronas cars ran without issue and Schumacher scored the first points for his team this season. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel took the victory, his 2nd having won the first two races this season.

Michael Schumacher

“I had a straightforward race today which was even a bit exciting towards the end but really full of ups and downs before. The start was quite good and then it was mainly about managing the tyres. We probably couldn’t have expected to take more than two points today and we certainly have to work on our race pace which is not yet where we want it to be. We are all aware of that and we are more than ready to keep working hard to make the necessary steps forward. Over one lap, we can already be at a good level when the car is working well, but we need to continue to work on our race performance.”

Nico Rosberg

“It was not my race today and it’s been a tough weekend. I had a poor start and lost positions which made it very difficult to try and get into the points. Our race pace was not good enough, and it was very difficult to push, so unfortunately we could not perform at the level that we wanted to here. Looking at my qualifying laps, we can take heart from a small step forward from Melbourne so we will keep the hard work up to make further improvements.”

Ross Brawn

“The team and drivers did a great job today but obviously we are not fast enough at the moment. We had a couple of stints which proved to be a little too long, as we stayed out to see if the weather might bring an opportunity. That was our decision, and when it didn’t rain as had been predicted, we paid the price with the loss of perhaps a position or two. Overall, the work from the team was strong today with good pit stops and the cars were reliable in very challenging conditions. We will continue to work at it and I look forward to having a more competitive car and being able to mix it where we want to be.”

[Mort]

Thanks for the F1 update. I haven't followed F1 for a long time but these reports may just pique my interest again.

To bad MB is not more in the running. Any hope they will be able to sort that out as the season progresses?

[Sticky]

To bad MB is not more in the running. Any hope they will be able to sort that out as the season progresses?

I'm sure they will get better but but it may be too late by the time they figure it out. Red Bull looks really strong. On the bright side, the Mclaren-Mercedes team is in second.

[blkclk550]

Ferrari inserted Schumacher to make Mercedes slow =D

[MiamiAMG]

They're definitely competitive. I'm sure they will be doing much better by the end of the season.

Until then, GO McLaren!!!!

[Sticky]

They're definitely competitive. I'm sure they will be doing much better by the end of the season.

Until then, GO McLaren!!!!

McLaren seems to be the team to root for...

At least Mercedes GP is improving though.

[MiamiAMG]

McLaren seems to be the team to root for...

At least Mercedes GP is improving though.

I've been a diehard McLaren-Mercedes fan since the days of Mika. Mercedes GP is my second team, i think they're doing all the right things. Regardless of point standings, i think they're a top 4 team. They will get much better as the year progresses. Nico is a bad ass!

[Sticky]

I've been a diehard McLaren-Mercedes fan since the days of Mika. Mercedes GP is my second team, i think they're doing all the right things. Regardless of point standings, i think they're a top 4 team. They will get much better as the year progresses. Nico is a bad ass!

You are right, and for me the main thing is that they are improving. Nico has talent, clearly. McLaren just seems to be much stronger same with RedBull.