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Rosberg's Mercedes wins Chinese F1 GP - 57 years since Fangio gave Silver Arrows last victory

Rosberg's Mercedes wins Chinese F1 GP - 57 years since Fangio gave Silver Arrows last victory
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Rosberg signs autographs
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Rosberg signs autographs
Michael Schumacher
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Michael Schumacher
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Rosberg in the 2012 Mercedes Silver Arrow F1 Car
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Rosberg in the 2012 Mercedes Silver Arrow F1 Car
Nicco Rosberg
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Nicco Rosberg
A long winning history has just had an extra chapter added
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A long winning history has just had an extra chapter added
Fans at the Shanghai circuit during practive on Friday
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Fans at the Shanghai circuit during practive on Friday
Rosberg
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Rosberg
The Silver Arrow of Rosberg leaves the pits
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The Silver Arrow of Rosberg leaves the pits
Schumacher's Mercedes in Shanghai
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Schumacher's Mercedes in Shanghai
The spectacular Shanghai circuit
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The spectacular Shanghai circuit
The spectacular Shanghai circuit
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The spectacular Shanghai circuit
Schumacher's Mercedes in Shanghai
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Schumacher's Mercedes in Shanghai
The Mercedes Silver Arrow 2012
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The Mercedes Silver Arrow 2012
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Schumacher is more relaxed these days
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Schumacher is more relaxed these days
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Nico Rosberg
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Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Michael Schumacher might well have been on the podium too but for a mistake in his first pit stop
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Michael Schumacher might well have been on the podium too but for a mistake in his first pit stop
Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Nico Rosberg
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Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
Michael Schumacher
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Michael Schumacher
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After qualifying in Shanghai - Hamilton, Rosberg and Schumacher - a grid penalty to Hamilton meant Mercedes locked up the front row for the first time in 57 years
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After qualifying in Shanghai - Hamilton, Rosberg and Schumacher - a grid penalty to Hamilton meant Mercedes locked up the front row for the first time in 57 years
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The Mercedes team in China
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The Mercedes team in China
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Nicco Rosberg in the 2012 Mercedes Silver Arrow
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Nicco Rosberg in the 2012 Mercedes Silver Arrow
Rosberg now joins the front runners of Grand Prix racing
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Rosberg now joins the front runners of Grand Prix racing
Nicco Rosberg
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Nicco Rosberg
Fangio and “The Blue Wonder” racing car carrier from Mercedes-Benz with a W 196 R Formula 1 racing car on its loading platform at Hockenheim in 1955.
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Fangio and “The Blue Wonder” racing car carrier from Mercedes-Benz with a W 196 R Formula 1 racing car on its loading platform at Hockenheim in 1955.
The 1955 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps was won by Fangio in a Mercedes-Benz W 196 R.
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The 1955 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps was won by Fangio in a Mercedes-Benz W 196 R.
Fangio winning the 1955 Argentinean Grand Prix in Buenos Aires. He was the only top driver to go the duration of the race without being relieved and won easily.
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Fangio winning the 1955 Argentinean Grand Prix in Buenos Aires. He was the only top driver to go the duration of the race without being relieved and won easily.
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Fangio at the 1955 Argentinian GP
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Fangio at the 1955 Argentinian GP
Fangio at the 1955 Argentinian GP
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Fangio at the 1955 Argentinian GP
Stirling Moss and Fangio lead the 1955 British Grand Prix at Aintree on July 16, 1955, both driving Mercedes-Benz W 196 R monopostos.
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Stirling Moss and Fangio lead the 1955 British Grand Prix at Aintree on July 16, 1955, both driving Mercedes-Benz W 196 R monopostos.
The last win for the Silver Arrows was this one - Fangio takes the flag at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, on September 11, 1955.
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The last win for the Silver Arrows was this one - Fangio takes the flag at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, on September 11, 1955.
The 1955 Grand Prix of Buenos Aires saw Juan Manuel Fangio win the race in a Mercedes-Benz W 196 powered by the engine from the 300 SLR.
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The 1955 Grand Prix of Buenos Aires saw Juan Manuel Fangio win the race in a Mercedes-Benz W 196 powered by the engine from the 300 SLR.
Juan Manuel Fangio in the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R racing car on his way to winning th Argentinean Grand Prix in Buenos Aires on January 16, 1955. Winning driver.
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Juan Manuel Fangio in the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R racing car on his way to winning th Argentinean Grand Prix in Buenos Aires on January 16, 1955. Winning driver.
Juan Manual Fangio
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Juan Manual Fangio
The covers are pulled over the Silver Arrows for the last time in 1955. Pictured are Stirling Moss, the colourful Mercedes race manager Alfred Neubauer and probably the greatest of all-time, Juan Manuel Fangio
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The covers are pulled over the Silver Arrows for the last time in 1955. Pictured are Stirling Moss, the colourful Mercedes race manager Alfred Neubauer and probably the greatest of all-time, Juan Manuel Fangio
Fangio after winning the first Grand Prix of the 1955 season in Argentina
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Fangio after winning the first Grand Prix of the 1955 season in Argentina
Fangio leads the 1955 Belgian Grand Prix.
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Fangio leads the 1955 Belgian Grand Prix.
One of the most talented driver pairings in Grand Prix history - Sterling Moss (centre left) and Juan Manual Fangio (centre right)
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One of the most talented driver pairings in Grand Prix history - Sterling Moss (centre left) and Juan Manual Fangio (centre right)
Juan Manuel Fangio winning the Italian Grand Prix on 11 September 1955. It was the last Grand Prix won by the Silver Arrows before today
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Juan Manuel Fangio winning the Italian Grand Prix on 11 September 1955. It was the last Grand Prix won by the Silver Arrows before today
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Fangio
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Fangio
Fangio won the 1955 world title easily as the Silver Arrows dominated the 1955 Grand Prix season.
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Fangio won the 1955 world title easily as the Silver Arrows dominated the 1955 Grand Prix season.
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Nico Rosberg on the winner's dias
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Nico Rosberg on the winner's dias
Nico Rosberg on the winner's dias
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Nico Rosberg on the winner's dias
Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
Nico Rosberg finally gets the F1 winning feeling
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Nico Rosberg finally gets the F1 winning feeling
Michael Schumacher in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Michael Schumacher in the FW03 Silver Arrow
Michael Schumacher in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Michael Schumacher in the FW03 Silver Arrow
Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
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View gallery - 156 images

Mercedes Benz won its first Formula One Grand Prix for 57 years in China today, completing the successful comeback many thought it could not achieve.

Winning driver Nico Rosberg took pole position for the race ahead of teammate and seven time champion Michael Schumacher, before driving a calculated race to put the famed Silver Arrow back in the winners circle for the first time since Juan Manual Fangio drove his last race for Mercedes at Monza in September 1955.

In addition to being Mercedes first win since it pulled out of all racing in 1955 following the disaster during the 1955 Le Mans 24 hour race, it was Nico Rosberg's maiden pole and win, and Ross Brawn's first win with the Mercedes marque after a long and successful period at Ferrari, an unchequered one-year stint at Honda and a glorious year with his own team under his own name in which Jenson Button won the drivers title and Brawn F1 won the constructors title.

This is what a Formula One car looked like the last time Mercedes won Grand Prix as constructor at the Italian Grand Prix in 1955.

Though Mercedes Benz has continued to compete successfully in Formula One as an engine supplier, it did not compete as a constructor between the last race at Monza in 1955 (which was won 1-2-3-4 by Mercedes cars), and the purchase of the Brawn F1 team at the beginning of 2010.

Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow
Nico Rosberg in the FW03 Silver Arrow

In both full seasons (2010 and 2011) since Mercedes purchased the Brawn F1 team, it has finished a distant fourth in the constructors title, but 2012 dawned with an obviously much faster car. In both the first two rounds of the 2012 season in Australia and Malaysia, the Mercedes cars showed much improved speed, but had failed to produce that speed for full race distance.

Even today a critical mistake saw Rosberg's teammate Michael Schumacher forced to withdraw after a front wheel nut was not locked during a tire change.

It was interesting today to watch the live betting odds for the race during the event - even with Rosberg in a winning position, the bookies were betting against a Mercedes win until the final laps.

Now that Mercedes has once again returned to the winners circle, we might reasonably expect the three-pointed star to grace the podium on a far more regular basis.

In the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix, Mercedes engines finished in all three podium positions, with McLaren Mercedes drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finishing second and third.

The remaining goal for the Mercedes F1 team is now the winning of a title. Though Nicco Rosberg is now in sixth place in the drivers' title with 25 points from his win today, the unreliability of the Mercedes cars in the first two races, which netted a total of one point to Michael Schumacher, means the team is realistically already too far behind to win the 2012 constructors title.

Though the odds reflect that Mercedes has more chance of winning the Constructors title (10/1) than Rosberg has of winning the Driver's Title (17/1), if the Mercedes Silver Arrows continue to show such speed, I think Rosberg is still in with a chance of the title.

Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher has mellowed considerably in his old age, and might be prepared to play number two driver to the young Rosberg - if that were the case, and the Mercedes continue to qualify well, think back to the 1999 Championship where Schumacher returned from injury late in the season and drove in support of his Ferrari teammate Eddie Irvine winning the title. As Irvine pointed out at the time, "he's also the best number two driver in the world."

When Mercedes left all racing in 1955, the reasons were simple - the marque had been involved in the worst accident in auto racing history.

Youtube videos of the accident, which claimed the lives of Mercedes Works driver Pierre Levelgh and 83 spectators, can be found here, here and here.

One of the most talented driver pairings in Grand Prix history - Sterling Moss (centre left) and Juan Manual Fangio (centre right)
One of the most talented driver pairings in Grand Prix history - Sterling Moss (centre left) and Juan Manual Fangio (centre right)

Though the team dominated World Championship Grand Prix racing that year with one of the most talented driver pairings in Grand Prix history (Sterling Moss and Juan Manual Fangio as pictured above), the Mercedes factory pulled out at the end of the season from both Grand Prix and Sports Car racing. The Silver Arrows dominated the 1955 Grand Prix season.

Fangio won the 1955 world title easily as the Silver Arrows dominated the 1955 Grand Prix season.
Fangio won the 1955 world title easily as the Silver Arrows dominated the 1955 Grand Prix season.

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