set racing cars developed collaboration house tuning division specialists designed meet grand touring prototype regulations intended compete sports car events notably hours mercedes won series sports cars raced mercedes following debuted respectively like predecessors retained elements production cars including engine loosely based design models based lower overall height produce drag entered team performed nearly testing cars suffered aerodynamic circuit long high speed straight sections car australian airborne crashed qualifying requiring rebuilt repaired returned track final practice session morning race lap circuit car airborne landed roof mercedes withdrew damaged chose continue race despite accidents remaining cars hastily altered drivers given instructions avoid closely following cars nearly hours race battling race leaders suffered instability airborne time circuit safety barriers crashing open field earlier incidents led mercedes withdraw remaining car event immediately cancel entire programme company sports car racing accidents led changes regulations design racing cars alterations circuit increase safety background programmes included support cars formula following collapse end season mercedes attention shifted new international series racing partners tasked developing design meet automobile regulations new championship new cars known designed use racing road cars available public series regulations required racing cars based production models successful debut season winning seven races earning drivers teams championships season refined design launch new major change new design replacement engine smaller thought mercedes suitable longer endurance events hours race calendar despite earning pole position new cars unreliable lasted hours retiring mechanical failures race won mercedes rivals mercedes win second straight championships later year winning races dominance mercedes class competitors chose return leading eliminate category series organisers hours chose follow lead longer allow category cars enter concentrated solely lower category created new category race car known grand touring prototype regulations closed cockpit cars similar regulations shared elements existing open cockpit category mercedes longer able compete chose concentrate new category development work designing new car meet regulations began september mercedes closing second championship season development led division independent company following year rules require road versions cars built chief designer free develop concern road legality issues inclusion driver transition allowed decrease minimum allowed weight new design smaller cockpit carbon aluminium derived design lower half combination carbon steel tube frame required carbon aluminium upper half new load tests mandatory shorter overall height compared nose substantially lower predecessor shorter allowing longer aerodynamic development design carried wind tunnel assisted aerodynamic specialists aerodynamic emphasis placed low drag maximum speed brand image retained reuse class tail lights based new class engine variant design valve loosely based engine road cars time previous variant won mercedes displacement increased compensate new air limitations category allowed motor produce approximately engine completed began testing december speed gearbox came directly continued team tyre supplier suspension setup largely carried central spring added rear suspension mercedes publicly announced programme february days car began private testing california united_states testing continued march california florida team moved france completed hour test session covering april shown press time test session germany point development process covered testing major failures preparation initial schedule consisted participation pre qualifying testing session preparation race june team test session plans announced enter races scheduled july exhibition event consisting races street circuit germany mercedes planned enter event team end season final races american series hour endurance road atlanta shorter races las motor personnel formed crew cars team officially known launch announcement february mercedes named drivers team retained programme test driver mercedes formula team added team experience sports cars grand prix winner japan formula champion came open wheel racing background champion drafted team participate mercedes transferred squad test driver served team reserve driver practice qualifying winning championship mercedes awarded single guaranteed entry assigned entries pre qualify event free use pre qualifying session testing purposes pre qualifying involved entry teams setting lap times long session final entry cars combining guaranteed entries fastest cars pre qualifying respective classes prototype category combining cars allowed cars entries competitors prototype category included factory supported programmes toyota entries toyota set fastest pre qualifying time overall followed mercedes sixth fastest car nos 14th 15th respectively cars succeeded passing pre qualifying suffered setback suspension torn suspension failure major fault suffered testing debut february weeks pre qualifying mercedes returned days practice qualifying sessions week leading race sessions set starting grid race based fastest overall lap time car end day mercedes entries fifth sixth eighth provisional grid toyota led session seconds ahead fastest mercedes early second day sessions driving following portion circuit connecting indianapolis complex moved overtake suddenly lifted nose wheels circuit airborne upwards backwards rotating car impacted right perpendicular circuit flipped wheels safety barriers circuit extracted car track taken nearby hospital suffering sore neck chest accident occurred area generally accessible public seen television cameras accident car unable improve qualifying time previous day relegated car tenth starting grid competitors improved times mercedes improve lap time finished session seventh able quicker time previous day lap car toyota took pole position lap car placed fourth final starting grid wreckage returned mercedes end qualifying session team issued press release confirming repair car start race days later spare taken test car rebuild able recover injuries spending following day physical training cleared saturday morning participate race warm morning race warm session lasting half hour held final preparation teams mercedes repaired thursday accident joined teammates circuit session began driving car trio way straight approaching trailed teammates approximately entered team hill approach corner car lifted nose air rose track backwards twisting right hitting right rear car inverted engine cover rear wing nose car roof run area short roundabout corner coming halt eventually able right mercedes extract sustained major injuries television cameras located captured aftermath accident broadcast pictures roof worldwide audience photographers location captured car flipped later published photographs mercedes immediately withdrew event race hours beginning head activities contacted chief formula team consultation modifying remaining prevent accidents drivers consulted believed cars dangerous race felt car light high speeds voiced concerns team drivers felt issue cars mercedes opted modifications remaining cars adding dive planes increased sacrificing overall speed drivers instructed follow cars closely race remaining mercedes started fourth seventh place grid positions able place opening laps progressed fourth pit stops followed eventually suffered transmission issues dropped field leaving positions swapped remaining mercedes pit stops different schedules driver changes later pit stops getting replace replaced reported despite initial problems dealing car new running end stint close fourth hour race mercedes came contact class racing team ford continued apparent damage lap place catching toyota second place mercedes toyota nose tail run indianapolis nearly mph drivers partially blinded setting sun ahead slight right straight ran small apex suddenly lifted wheels ground backwards entire car airborne mercedes rotated times flew air reaching height nearly car continued trajectory circuit curved right clearing post safety barrier left track missing large advertising billboard track ahead television cameras broadcasting live world feed captured went view trees car impacted ground area woods alongside circuit cut cleared weeks prior inaccessible spectators car dug dirt continued clearing impact forced tree limb penetrate driver seat fuel tank came rest right track rushed stopped car track officials quickly slowed race caution flags safety cars dispatch recovery vehicles knocked unconscious initial impact climbed car found local officers area later given test officers use public roads transported ambulance local hospital examinations released end lap ordered team bring remaining directly garage car arrival shut garage doors signifying official retirement event national rivals went win race following day aftermath following race national body investigated incidents questioned decision allow mercedes continue compete accidents prior race start argued indications problems shared mercedes entries argued design longest rear prototype field cause problem similar design suffered nearly identical accident year road atlanta united_states changed regulations category decreasing length instructed develop new regulations prevent similar airborne accidents racing cars class abandoned teams toyota cancelled programme concentrated open cockpit cars class reappeared response accident initially blamed height run car airborne responded stating blame lie circuit entire circuit approved race french government modifications route forms straight decreasing height hill approach warm accident race concluded addressed criticism drivers teams decisions believed team data practice incident adequately analysed drivers feel problems cars traffic cause incidents prompting decision continue stated belief contact damaged led aerodynamic shortly conducted examination accidents running remaining airfield verify wind tunnel data conclusions published mercedes company cancelled rest programme withdrawing exhibition event final rounds american series team change plans eventually led entire event cancelled lack manufacturer involvement mercedes returned touring car racing onwards participated capacity despite failure project felt cars favorite drive year career praising cars handling technology following damage nos week remaining car rarely seen begun recent years celebration retirement publicly displayed germany car appeared hands private owner event held driven circuit failures lore general speed channel tenth anniversary named broadcast accident fourth memorable moment network history magazine list infamous crashes named warm accident seventh crash second
Mercedes-Benz CLR