Valtteri Bottas becomes the 11th driver to compete in Formula One with the Silver Arrows

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will race for the Silver Arrows in 2017

• Valtteri Bottas becomes the 11^th driver to compete in Formula One with the Silver Arrows
• Nico Rosberg accepts ambassadorial role with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport
• Toto Wolff: “It’s time to see how Valtteri can step up to challenge for wins and Championships”
• Valtteri Bottas: “I’m grateful to Mercedes for trusting my skills and giving me this opportunity”

It’s been 55 days since Nico Rosberg dropped the bombshell of his immediate retirement from Formula One. And it left the team with a conundrum: how to best fill the vacant seat alongside three-time champion Lewis Hamilton in order to defend the Constructors’ Championship?

Following six weeks of detailed evaluation, deliberation and negotiation, the answer can now be confirmed officially: we signed Valtteri Bottas this morning. The 27-year-old native of Nastola, Finland has completed four seasons in Formula One with Williams, making 77 starts and scoring 9 career podiums so far.

“Sometimes in life, unexpected circumstances provide interesting opportunities. Nico’s decision in December was a big surprise – certainly a challenging situation for the team to handle. 

But weathering the storm makes you more resilient and we see this as another opportunity for the team to grow,” explained Toto Wolff as he introduced the fourth driver to race for the Silver Arrows in the modern era.

“Valtteri is a no-nonsense guy: down to earth, straightforward and very focused. Pretty Finnish, to be honest, and a great fit for us. He has an impressive track record in the junior categories and nine podiums in F1. 

But now it’s time for the next level, to see how he can step up to challenge for race wins and for Championships. We know that we are already behind the curve in terms of preparations for the new season, so we’ve got a busy programme to get him integrated into the team. One thing is for sure: as I know Valtteri, he will give it everything.”

Valtteri was cautiously optimistic when he met his new team-mates in the factory today. “It’s very exciting times for me,” he grinned. “I think it’s going to take a while to understand that this is really happening. 

It’s definitely another dream come true, to race in another team with such great history – especially in the recent years, which have been so impressive. I’m really proud to become a part of that and grateful to everyone at Mercedes for trusting my skills and giving me this opportunity.

“I’ve had a really warm welcome so far. Of course, I have a lot more people to meet and new faces to remember. But initially everything has felt very good. I’m really impressed with the facilities and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone better. My first experience with Mercedes power was in F3 back in 2009 and, of course, I know the Power Unit well from the last three years with Williams. But there are a lot of new things to learn with the car and also with how the team operates at the factory, in testing and at the races.”

The scale of the challenge ahead cannot be underestimated. New aerodynamic regulations mean a reset for the entire field and there is genuine uncertainty about which team will emerge on top; Valtteri is paired with probably the most ferociously fast team-mate in the sport, Lewis Hamilton; and there are just 70 days until the red lights go out at the start of the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

“We have confidence in Valtteri’s ability and it’s one of the reasons that he is the driver we set our sights on this winter,” continued Toto. “The next weeks will be busy as we work to build relationships so Valtteri understands the team and the car. But that’s an exciting challenge that will bring us fresh energy and a new dynamic between the drivers. And, of course, we’re working hard to give Lewis and Valtteri the car they need to do the job.”

Valtteri is under no illusions about the task ahead: “I’m ready to work hard, to prove myself to the team and to prove my skills. It’s going to be a challenging season and joining a new team makes it more work than normal. But I’m 100% ready for that. I’m training hard to be at my physical best because it will be much tougher with these new cars. I always set the bar really high, so my target is to perform from the first race. I’m full of energy and ready to get to work for this year and hopefully many more to come with Mercedes.”

The agreement for Valtteri to join Mercedes has not happened in isolation. With today’s announcements that Pascal Wehrlein will join Sauber for 2017, and that Felipe Massa will return to Williams, the final pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place for this year. And that has only been possible thanks to positive working relationships between all the teams involved in a complex chain of negotiations.

“On behalf of Mercedes, I must thank Williams for their cooperation in allowing Valtteri to make this move – and also Monisha and Sauber for their patience during the past weeks,” concluded Toto. 

“It’s been a busy day in the driver market and I am pleased to know that Pascal will be racing at Sauber to continue his development in F1. He had a good first season with Manor and we feel this is the right path for him in the sport. 

It’s satisfying to have both of our Young Drivers taking on new challenges in F1 this year, with Esteban also racing at Force India. We’ll be following their progress closely; I’m sure we’ve got an exciting season ahead of us.”

From Valtteri, too, there were warm words for his friends and colleagues at Williams: “I had a great seven years there, starting as a test driver in 2010. I’m very proud of what we achieved together and I leave with some very good memories. 

My debut in F1, my first points and nine podiums all came with the guys and girls at Grove, so I must say a big thanks to everyone and I wish them all the very best for the future.”

As Valtteri now begins a busy week of technical and physical preparations for the new season, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport is pleased to confirm that Nico has accepted an ambassadorial role with the team for 2017.

His first commitment will be tomorrow, in Geneva, alongside former team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) on behalf of team partner IWC Schaffhausen.

Mercedes to launch the All New A-Class to the world at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Capturing the theme ‘Flat-out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’, Mercedes-Benz is set to mark the 22^ndrunning of the Goodwood Festival of Speed in spectacular style with global debuts and on-track action featuring the mightiest Mercedes-AMG cars for the track and the road as well as special celebrations, marking 60 years since the W 196 Silver Arrows last raced.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed will host the worldwide debut of the new generation A-Class, with the mightiest production hot hatch, the new Mercedes-AMG A 45, in action on the challenging, 1.16-mile Goodwood Hill – its 4MATIC system, agility and compact proportions making it ideally suited to the narrow, twisty route.

Joining the Mercedes-AMG A 45 on the Hill will be the most dynamic Mercedes-AMG on-sale today – the GT S. The GT S will be joined by the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S in aiming to make a crowd-pleasing ‘spirited’ start off the line. 

The quickest Mercedes-Benz of all at Goodwood will be the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W04 V8 Formula One car – set to be driven by World Endurance Champion Anthony Davidson on the Friday and Saturday, and Nico Rosberg on the Sunday. 

The predecessors of Anthony and Nico are also being celebrated, and in few instances is ‘Flat-out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’ more apparent than in the 1955 racing season for Mercedes-Benz.

Brave men drove fearsome Silver Arrows on tracks and roads around the world to victory – with the most incredible drive of them all coming almost exactly 60 years ago when Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson took their W 196 S to victory in the Mille Miglia in 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds – a record never broken.

Nine of the surviving W 196 series racers, each powered by magnificent – and loud - straight-eight engines - will be at Goodwood, six of them taking to the Hill. 

The Mercedes-Benz Pavilion, located beside the first corner of the Goodwood Hill, allows visitors to get up close to the most exciting new cars created by Mercedes-Benz, including the all-new A 250 Sport. 

The Mercedes-Benz Pavilion is also hosting special guests from the world of racing. There’s the chance to experience the cars in vivid, 360 degree action too, via incredible Oculus immersive films, available to be viewed on Samsung Gear Virtual Reality headsets.

Since January 2014, special moments have been captured using 360 degree filming techniques – from the championship-winning MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One car making its first ever run on track to World Champion Lewis Hamilton drifting an E 63 AMG, a Mercedes-AMG GT S being driven as hard as we dared around the Laguna Seca Raceway and Mercedes-Benz racing cars spanning a century taking on the Goodwood Hill.

Held every summer since 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed was attended by over 200,000 people in 2014, a year that saw Mercedes-Benz celebrate 120 years in motorsport.

Mercedes at the Goodwood festival of Speed 2014

Mercedes-Benz is set to be leading marque at the 21^st Goodwood Festival of Speed between June 26 and 29 – celebrating some of the greatest cars both on the road and track, the most skilled, passionate and dedicated drivers to have steered them to victory and a commitment to motorsport, spanning 120 years.

The Central Feature – a sculpture created by Goodwood’s artistic genius, Gerry Judah – the over-arching theme of which will be Mercedes-Benz, is guaranteed to be the most dramatic yet and will be officially launched on the evening of the Moving Motor Show, Thursday, June 26.

The on-track action will be led by Lewis Hamilton as he lights up the tyres of his MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One machine as he takes to the 1.16-mile Goodwood Hill on Sunday. He’ll be joined by iconic cars spanning a century – from the Mercedes Grand Prix racing car that formed part of the trio that scored a one-two-three at the French Grand Prix in 1914 – to the beautiful and brutal W 125 and W 165 Silver Arrows.

Among the rarest of the cars to be taking on the Hill with be a 300 SLS from 1957, joined by the wide-arch eccentricity of a 500 SL rally car from 1981.

Some of the most focused and successful racing machines ever built will also be present, from the Sauber-Mercedes C 9 to the Penske-Mercedes PC 23 IndyCar from 1994 and the CLK-LM from 1998. Adding a modern twist will be an SLS AMG GT3 racer along with the DTM Mercedes AMG C-Class Coupé and roadgoing siblings in the most extreme AMG yet, the SLS AMG Black Series and the mightiest hot hatch of them all – the A 45 AMG.

On static display meanwhile will be the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept – first seen last year at the Los Angeles Motor Show and making its UK debut at Goodwood. Visitors to Goodwood will be able to drive the car virtually on the Goodwood Hill via the Sony PlayStation 3 and Gran Turismo 6.

The tech doesn’t end there – the Mercedes-Benz Exhibition will this year host a trio of Oculus Rift experiences. They will allow visitors to get closer than ever before to the feeling of going up the Goodwood Hill with special 360 degree footage being played through the virtual reality devices. Likewise, visitors will be able to lap Silverstone virtually in the current MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W05 Hybrid or to indulge in some drifting with Lewis Hamilton in an E 63 AMG S Estate.

Driving Mercedes-Benz racers and road cars for real at Goodwood will be a line-up of legendary drivers – from Roland Asch to Anthony Davidson and Dario Franchitti, Johnny Herbert and Silver Arrows driver Hans Herrmann, Klaus Ludwig and Jochen Mass, Sir Stirling Moss, Paul and Sir Jackie Stewart, Bernd Schneider and Karl Wendlinger.

The event promises to be a fitting celebration with more surprises and announcements to come as the Festival draws nearer.

Note: images and footage summarising the day’s action at Goodwood will be released on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 17:00.

Now Mercedes can have their own BMW X6 coupé competitor, and it's not pretty.

With the Concept Coupé SUV, Mercedes-Benz is raising the standard to a new, higher level in literally multiple respects. This extremely sporty study impresses as a typical representative of the long-standing coupé tradition at Mercedes-Benz, with a flowing sideline, stretched cabin and striking radiator grille with central chrome louvre. At the same time, the Concept Coupé SUV stands out with its muscular wings, large wheel arches, imposing 22-inch wheels, high beltline and generous ground clearance. Its dynamic handling on the road is also of a superior level. The variable dynamic control system "Dynamic Select Control" provides four fundamentally different transmission modes and an individually programmable setup.

"Sensual as a coupé - visionary as an SUV," is the succinct choice of words used by Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz, to describe the physiognomy of the Concept Coupé SUV. The four-door, all-wheel drive Coupé has a length of almost five metres, and an imposing width of a good two metres thanks to its broad shoulders and flared wheel arches. At the same time, it has a modest height of around 1.75 metres, exhibiting the flat, extended roofline that is typical of a sports coupé. "The Concept Coupé SUV stands out thanks to its extreme proportions and in doing so interprets our hallmark Mercedes coupé design idiom perfectly. With its superior sportiness it conveys a sense of modern luxury and aesthetic aspirations of sensual clarity," continues Gorden Wagener. Like the recessed door handles, frameless side windows blend perfectly into the vehicle flanks to accentuate the coupé-like character even further.

In line with a tradition and like all recent study vehicles, the Concept Coupé SUV is painted in the "Alu Beam" paint finish, which is also reminiscent of the technically ground-breaking Silver Arrows of the 1930s and 1950s.

The upright sports grille with single louvre, framed by the three-dimensionally designed modern, all-LED Multibeam headlamps, is the major feature of the front end with its short, stylish overhang. Soft cubes dominate the grille insert, and the forward-sloping bonnet with its typical Mercedes power domes underlines the membership of the Concept Coupé SUV in the line-up of particularly sporty Mercedes-Benz models. A discreet reference to the SUV genes of this study is provided by the harmoniously integrated, illuminated side sills, which are reminiscent of the running boards found on classic SUVs or off-roaders. Indicators have always pointed the way in the best sense of the word, however in the Concept Coupé SUV they take on a new form. The direction indicators operate with a moving digital light band whose lighting elements light up sequentially from inside to outside, indicating the change in direction in two ways.

Elegant rear end: in the style of the S-Class Coupé

The coupé-like nature of the Concept Coupé SUV is also emphasised by the design of the rear end with its obvious elements of the design line first presented with the S-Class Coupé, which will be followed by all coupé models from Mercedes-Benz in future. The styling characteristics of this include the slim band of rear lights with their ruby-like, three-dimensional look and the registration plate now incorporated into the rear bumper. Another feature that has for generations distinguished the large coupé models from Mercedes-Benz is the typical shape of the rear window, which is rounded off at the top.

The simulated underguard into which the tailpipes of the dual-flow exhaust system are integrated makes a discreet SUV reference. Polished aluminium dominates here, as on the integral door handles, the side sills, the front air intakes and the edging of the cabin.

Wide, flush-fitted 22-inch wheels with tyres in size 305/45 R 22 make the vehicle sit squarely on the road, and leave no doubt about the passion of the Concept Coupé SUV: at very first glance, this trailblazing study signals its sporty, dynamic ambitions.

Haute Couture: the Mercedes-Benz coupé range

Developing and creating new model families and vehicle classes has traditionally been one of the strengths of Mercedes-Benz, the inventor of the automobile. This is particularly obvious in the history of its coupés, and most especially in the very recent past. Models such as the four-door Coupés or the Shooting Brakes in the CLS-Class have not only created completely new vehicle classes, but have also had a lasting influence on the model policies of different manufacturers, found numerous imitators and proved to be an outstanding sales success.

The same can be said of the CLA-Class, which has been able to transfer the success of the CLS into the compact class and is extraordinarily popular with customers. With the Concept Coupé SUV, Mercedes-Benz is now taking a similar approach. The study follows this coupé theme within the SUV sector consistently and demonstrates how a four-door, all-wheel drive series production coupé might look.  

Technical data

Body type/construction	Four-door, four-seater coupé study, frameless side windows
Engine	V6, 4 valves per cylinder
Displacement	2996 cc
Rated output	245 kW (333 hp) at 5500 rpm
Rated torque	480 Nm at 1400- 4000 rpm
Mixture formation	Electronic direct petrol injection, piezo injectors, 2 turbochargers
Transmission	9G-TRONIC PLUS nine-speed automatic transmission with torque converter lock-up, twin-turbine damper with centrifugal pendulum and DIRECT SELECT gearshift, ECO start/stop
Drive	4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive, ASR, ESP®, 4ETS,
Chassis and suspension	Double wishbone at the front, multi-link at the rear, special air suspension with selective damping, ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM active roll stabilisation
Braking system	High-performance ceramic composite brake system, electric (parking brake, ABS, BAS PLUS PRE-SAFE© Brake
Steering	Electromechanical power steering
Transmission modes	COMFORT, SLIPPERY, SPORT, SPORT+, INDIVIDUAL
Wheelbase	2916 mm
Track, front/rear	1683 / 1768 mm
Wheel/tyre size front/rear	10J x 22 305/45 R 22 / 11J x 22 305/45 R 22
length	4935 mm
Width with/without mirrors	2208 / 2044 mm
Height	1739 mm