Mercedes-Benz C11

Mercedes-Benz C11
Category Group C Prototype
Constructor Mercedes-Benz
Sauber Motorsport
Designer(s) Leo Ress
Peter Sauber
Predecessor Sauber C9
Successor Mercedes-Benz C291
Technical specifications
Chassis Carbon-kevlar monocoque
Suspension (front) double wishbones, push-rod operated coil springs over shock absorbers, torsion bar stabilizer
Suspension (rear) double wishbones, push-rod operated coil springs over shock absorbers, torsion bar stabilizer
Length 4,800 mm (189.0 in)
Width 2,000 mm (78.7 in)
Height 1,030 mm (40.6 in)
Axle track 1,560 mm (61.4 in)
Wheelbase 2,770 mm (109.1 in)
Engine Mercedes-Benz M119 4,973 cc (303.5 cu in) HL 90° 5.0L Turbo V8 Twin KKK Turbos Mid, longitudinally mounted
Transmission 5-speed Sequential Manual
Weight 905 kg (1,995.2 lb)
Fuel Bosch Motronic MP 1.8 Fuel Injection
Tyres Goodyear
Competition history
Notable entrants Germany Team Sauber Mercedes
Notable drivers Italy Mauro Baldi
France Jean-Louis Schlesser
Germany Jochen Mass
Austria Karl Wendlinger
Germany Michael Schumacher
Germany Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Germany Fritz Kreutzpointner
France Alain Ferté
United Kingdom Jonathan Palmer
Sweden Stanley Dickens
Denmark Kurt Thiim
Debut 1990 Trofeo Caracciolo, Monza
RacesWinsPolesF.Laps
12789
Constructors' Championships 1
Drivers' Championships 1
1990 Mercedes-Benz C11
Sauber-Mercedes C11 at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009

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The Mercedes-Benz C11 was a Group C prototype race car introduced for the 1990 World Sports-Prototype Championship. Built by Sauber as a successor to the Sauber C9, the C11 used the same Mercedes-Benz M119 5.0L twin turbo V8. It was the first time that Mercedes-Benz chose to put their name on the car, instead of simply using Sauber.

Debuting at the first race of the 1990 World Sports-Prototype Championship, the car did not actually race, choosing instead to run only in practice while the team used the reliable C9 from the previous year. However, for the 2nd race the C11 did race, and was able to successfully come home with first and second. Throughout the rest of the season, the C11 won all but one race and easily took the team's championship for the year.

Although Sauber-Mercedes had been successful in winning the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team choose not to defend the title in 1990 due to the race not being part of the 1990 World Sports-Prototype Championship schedule. The team chose instead to concentrate on winning the championship.

Although the C11 was to be replaced by the Mercedes-Benz C291 for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season, problems with the C291's new engine led Mercedes-Benz to continue to campaign the C11 alongside the C291. The C11 was able to gain three more class wins in the 1991 season before the C291 fully replaced it.

The legendary car also won Le Mans Legend two times, in 2012 and 2014.

The reason that Sauber skipped from C9 to C11 is due to the difficult pronunciation of C10 in German, with C and 10 being pronounced nearly identically.

1990 Mercedes-Benz (Sauber) C11

Complete World Sportscar Championship results

Year Entrant Class Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Points WEMCP
1990 Team Sauber Mercedes Group C SUZ MNZ SIL SPA DIJ NUR DON MON MEX 67.5 1 1st 1
Italy Mauro Baldi 1 1 Ret 8 1 1 1 1 DSQ
France Jean-Louis Schlesser 1 Ret 8 1 1 1 1 DSQ
Germany Jochen Mass 2 2 DSQ 1 2 2 2 9 1
Austria Karl Wendlinger 2 1 9
Germany Michael Schumacher DSQ 2 2 1
Germany Heinz-Harald Frentzen 2
1991 Team Sauber Mercedes Group C SUZ MNZ SIL LMS NUR MAG MEX AUT 70 2 3rd 2
France Jean-Louis Schlesser 1 3 4 16
Germany Jochen Mass 3 4 16
France Alain Ferté 16
Austria Karl Wendlinger 2 14
Germany Michael Schumacher 14
31 5
Austria Karl Wendlinger 5
Germany Fritz Kreutzpointner 5
United Kingdom Jonathan Palmer 32 20
Sweden Stanley Dickens 20
Denmark Kurt Thiim 20

^1 Points also scored by the Sauber C9.
^2 Points alsp scored by the Mercedes-Benz C291.

See also

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References

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