NICO ROSBERG TO DRIVE FOR MERCEDES IN FORMULA 1

NICO ROSBERG TO DRIVE FOR MERCEDES IN FORMULA 1

Stuttgart - From the 2010 season, German driver Nico Rosberg (24) will
drive for the new Mercedes team in the Formula 1 World Championship,
Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced today. 

Three years after his father Keke had won the Formula 1 World
Championship, Nico Rosberg was born in Wiesbaden, Germany on 27 June
1985, inheriting his racing DNA from his father. 

At the age of eight, Nico Rosberg began racing karts. From 1997 until
2000, he raced for the MBM team (the talent support programme of
Mercedes-Benz McLaren); with this team, the two Formula 1 partners
encouraged young talents. Nico's team-mate at that time was Lewis
Hamilton, McLaren Mercedes driver since 2007 and 2008 Formula 1 World
Champion. In 2000, Nico was runner-up in the Formula A European
Championship. Two years later, he entered his first car races in Formula
BMW ADAC and clinched the title in his debut year with nine victories
out of 18 races. A Williams Formula 1 test drive was the reward for the
championship win - at the age of 17, Nico was the youngest driver ever
to get such an opportunity.

In 2003 and 2004, Nico Rosberg participated in the then new Formula 3
Euro Series; in his first year he came home second in the rookie
rankings and in 2004 he finished fourth overall. One year later in 2005,
he moved up to the GP2 series which is staged alongside Formula 1 events
and won the title.

The 2006 season opener at Bahrain on 12 March was Nico's first Formula 1
race; he finished seventh and posted the fastest lap. To date, he has
taken part in 70 Grands Prix, all for the Williams team; scoring a total
of 75.5 points and achieving second place at the 2008 Singapore Grand
Prix as his best Formula 1 result. The 2009 season was Nico's best in
Formula 1 so far; finishing seventh overall with 34.5 points.

Nico Rosberg grew up in Germany, Monaco and at Ibiza; in addition to his
mother tongue he is fluent in English, Italian and French.

Nico Rosberg: "I am really happy to be a part of the Silver Arrows
re-launch in 2010 as a driver for Mercedes. No other brand in Formula 1
can look back on such a long and successful tradition in motor racing. I
am very proud that I will now drive for the new Mercedes team and work
with Ross Brawn. I am more motivated than ever and can hardly wait to
start testing with the new Silver Arrow and for the first race of the
new season at Bahrain on 14 March 2010." 

Ross Brawn, Team Principal: "We are delighted to welcome Nico Rosberg to
our Mercedes team and are very much looking forward to working with him.
Nico is a great talent, and with four years of experience in Formula 1,
is a driver who will be able to make a valuable contribution to our team
right from the outset. I had the pleasure of working with his father
Keke during his Formula One career and it is great to see Nico following
in his footsteps. 2009 was Nico's best season in Formula 1 to date and
we look forward to seeing his development continue with us at Mercedes
next year."

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "I saw Nico
racing karts alongside Lewis Hamilton and later in the support programme
of the DTM events - I have known him since he was a young boy. Early on
it was obvious that he would make his way as a race driver and we are
glad that after four years with Williams he will now be one of our
drivers at Mercedes. It makes our re-start even nicer, that we have as
talented and sympathetic a driver as Nico in our line-up. Nico has
positive ambitions, we have positive ambitions and together we want to
achieve a great deal. I am really looking forward to working with him."


Contacts:

Wolfgang Schattling, Tel. +49 711 17-84008
wolfgang.schattling@daimler.com

Nicola Armstrong, Tel. +44 1280 844096, narmstrong@brawngp.com 

Frank Reichert, Tel. +49 711 17-84012, frank.reichert@daimler.com 


More information about Mercedes-Benz is available online:
www.media.daimler.com 


The PDF attached is safe and free from viruses.

If you no longer wish to receive this information, please reply to this
email typing UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject box.


Brawn GP Limited.  Registered in England No. 787446.
Registered Office at Brawn GP Formula One Team, Brackley, Northants NN13 7BD.

Please consider the environment before printing this email