Mercedes Challenges Race Drivers and Footballers to Find the Best

MercedesMercedes-BenzGermany, 1924 > present197 models
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has challenged football players and racing drivers to see how they would do at the other’s job in recognition of the German national football team playing against Italy in Milan on Friday and against England in London on Tuesday.

It brought together a former football player and racing driver from Germany, Italy and England to see who is the best at their sport. The German team was Thomas Doll and DTM driver Pascal Wehrlein. Italy had former F1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi and Salvatore Schillaci, and England had Owen Hargreaves and Formula 3 driver Alexander Lynn.

There were four challenges in the competition - three driving and one football. In the driving portion, they raced a 360hp A45 AMGMercedes-Benz A45 AMGGermany, 2013 > present7 photos
around a racetrack and skid pad. They completed as many laps as possible around a wet skid pad in 90 seconds. England won with nine laps; Germany did 8.75 laps, and Italy did 8.5 laps.

Then, they raced through an Auto-X cross. Germany beat Italy and England in the challenge.

In the football challenge, they checked to see who could kick the ball hardest. England had the highest average of 104km/h.  

The final challenge was two lap of Mercedes test track. The race drivers were required to do it in 51 seconds. Any added time was counted as a penalty. Liuzzi won with a 51.04-second lap time. Wehrlein did it in 51.11 seconds, and Lynn completed the laps in 51.61 seconds.

With all of the events complete, England won the event. Germany was second, and Italy came in last.