Mercedes facing Chinese puzzle
MERCEDES stars Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are hoping the team will not crack in China.
The pair head into Sunday’s grand prix praying the tyre troubles that plagued Merc in Formula One’s first two races are not repeated in Shanghai.
Schumacher and Rosberg know they have a fast car, as proved by their strong performances in qualifying.
But in both races, they slipped back from the front runners due to strangely contrasting tyre problems.
In Australia their rubber overheated, while in rainy Malaysia, after a lot of work to avoid the problems they encountered in Melbourne, they found the tyres did not get hot enough.
Team chief Ross Brawn said: “Like other teams at the front of the grid, we spent two days in Malaysia getting tyre temperatures down and then, in the race, found we needed to work the tyre harder.
“The cooler conditions reversed what was needed from the cars.”
Brawn admits the window in which Merc’s tyres work properly is too narrow.
And the team are working flat out on car set-up alternatives to find a solution.
Brawn added: “We are looking at all areas of the car and we challenge ourselves collectively.
“We clearly have a reasonably quick car we have shown that in qualifying and now we have to convert our speed into race performance.”
F1 fans will be hoping Mercedes can challenge 2012 pacesetters McLaren and Red Bull in China.
And there is one good omen that might boost the chances of it happening Schumacher's 91st and last win to date came in Shanghai, when he was with Ferrari in 2006.