George Russell drove a 100-year-old Mercedes to gather the Trofeo Bandini Award within the medieval village of Brisighella. The 1924 Targa Florio-winning automotive was restored by Mercedes-Benz Heritage to rejoice the centenary of the landmark victory. Thousands of locals took to the streets to witness the demo run. George will even drive the automotive at Imola later.
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George Russell accomplished a historic demo run via the streets of the medieval Italian village Brisighella on Wednesday, fifteenth May. The 26-year-old drove one of many authentic Mercedes vehicles that participated within the 1924 Targa Florio, a race gained by the German marque. The Brit did so en path to amassing the Trofeo Bandini Award forward of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
George Russell mentioned:
It has been superb to get behind the wheel of a 100-year-old Mercedes. It’s a automotive you anticipate to be sitting in a museum for folks to admire slightly than being pushed and entrusted with its first public outing since its restoration, which was an absolute honour. The method it drove was distinctive! The noise was unbelievable, and the dealing with of the corners, contemplating the slender tyres, was very spectacular. It was an absolute pleasure to get the possibility to drive it, so I need to say an enormous thanks to the Mercedes-Benz Classic staff.
Collecting the Trofeo Bandini Award was additionally a real privilege. So many nice F1 drivers have gained this award, and it was an honour so as to add my identify to that checklist. It has been an excellent day, and I’m excited for the remainder of the weekend in Imola.
Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage, commented:
Yesterday, our authentic Mercedes Targa Florio racing automotive from 1924 returned to an Italian street – 100 years after the Mercedes victory on the race in Sicily. It was an extremely emotional second for everybody concerned. This purple racer thrilled the Italian crowds a century in the past, and now, it has introduced the same response with George Russell behind the wheel. We are completely satisfied and proud that the automotive efficiently made its first public look after its complete restoration at our Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre.
Francesco Asirelli, President of the Trofeo Bandini Association, added:
We had been delighted that George was right here to gather the thirty first version of the Trofeo Bandini. He is a really educated younger man and an incredible sportsman. We have been working to make this occur for almost a yr, and the second lastly got here. He introduced the solar to Brisighella, and it was a unbelievable day.
Many because of Mercedes-Benz Classic for restoring such an unimaginable automotive and having its first public working at our occasion. Everyone was overjoyed to see it on the village streets, and it was a unbelievable expertise. An enormous thanks should go to Mercedes-Benz and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team for making it occur.
The award was established in 1992 for the well-known Italian racing driver Lorenzo Bandini, who handed away in 1967. The trophy is given to an F1 determine and chosen by a particular committee. The presentation takes place in Brisighella, a village within the Emilia-Romagna area of the nation. George drove the century-old 2-litre machine from the close by city of Faenza to the ceremony within the village sq., celebrating the award and commemorating Mercedes’ total victory and triple class victory within the Targa Florio 1924.
A public street endurance race held within the mountains of Sicily, Italy, the Targa Florio started close to the beginning of the twentieth century. First run in 1906, it was one of many hardest competitions. It grew to become one of the vital vital for automotive producers seeking to exhibit the efficiency of their racing vehicles and the abilities of their drivers. After first tasting success in 1922, Mercedes entered the 1924 race with the 2-litre Targa Florio race automotive. It was the primary challenge that then Chief Engineer Ferdinand Porsche developed additional till it was prepared for racing.
Painted purple to discourage native followers from impeding its progress, Christian Werner gained the distinguished race over 432 kilometres in 6 hours, 32 minutes, and 37.4 seconds to take the German marque’s second victory. It was the primary victory within the Targa Florio for a driver from exterior Italy. Werner additionally led the staff in a triple-class victory for racing vehicles with a displacement of as much as 2 litres. His teammates completed within the total standings in eleventh place (Christian Lautenschlager) and sixteenth place (Alfred Neubauer).
In 2022, Mercedes-Benz Heritage determined to rebuild the unique 2-litre Targa Florio racing automotive from the corporate’s assortment as authentically as potential for the anniversary – by the excessive requirements of a manufacturing facility restoration. It is the automobile through which Christian Lautenschlager accomplished the Targa Florio in 1924. Werner’s profitable automotive has not survived. The elimination of the racing automotive from the Mercedes-Benz Museum was adopted by a meticulous evaluation from paintwork to the motor to the automobile’s physique and by in depth analysis within the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives – the model’s “memory”. Original technical drawings and historic images had been essential sources for genuine restoration, and the Classic Centre carried out this with a community of consultants.
