Paddy Lowe says dropping the German GP resulted in “a huge omission” from the 2015 Formula One calendar, with Mercedes’ home race returning this weekend at Hockenheim.
The event did not feature on the schedule for the first time since 1960 following contractual issues between the sports’ commercial rights holder and the Nürburging, which was supposed to host the grand prix 12 months ago.
Despite low attendance figures in Germany across recent years, the country remains strongly linked to F1, as highlighted by Mercedes’ significant investments and subsequent success over the past few seasons.
Germany also has the biggest contingent enrolled in the championship with four drivers, including four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and 19-time grand prix winner Nico Rosberg.
“It's great to go back to Germany after not having raced there in 2015 - which was a huge omission from the calendar,” Lowe said.
“It's also a fantastic opportunity for our colleagues from Stuttgart to see their Silver Arrows close up - and a fantastic privilege for us to represent the 280,000 Daimler employees worldwide at this home event for the company.
“Of course, that brings with it a lot of pressure - but we'll go out there and do our best to deliver a top result. It's a great venue for spectators, with the stadium section providing fantastic views of the final sector.”
Talking about the track, the Mercedes technical director added: “Hockenheim is a great circuit. With a good range of cornering speeds, it places a high demand on every aspect of car performance, so we hope our package will be strong there.
“We have the same tyre compounds available as in Hungary with the medium, soft and supersoft - but the track is quite a bit more aggressive than the Hungaroring, so we will likely see a range of different strategy options emerging as potential candidates for the race.
“After an emphatic win for Nico [Rosberg] and a superb recovery drive for Lewis [Hamilton] back in 2014, we'll be hoping to bring even more excitement and success this time around.”
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