Mercedes hopeful of more progress thanks to diffuser upgrades

The team seemed to take a step forward thanks to the latest modifications to its car's diffuser at Silverstone, and Brawn believes Mercedes can put on an even stronger showing it its home race next week.

"Our car showed positive signs of improvement with the new upgrade package and exhaust system in Silverstone, and we have been working hard since then to further enhance our understanding of its performance capabilities," said Brawn in a team preview.

"We are hopeful of continuing this progression and putting on a good performance next weekend, giving our drivers the opportunity to show what they can do in front of their own supporters."

Michael Schumacher is equally upbeat about his prospects of a strong race at home after finishing in the points in Britain despite a crash and a penalty.

"We saw some improvements over the Silverstone weekend with our new exhaust system, along with improvements to how we work with the tyres, so we go to the next race weekend with a good feeling added to our fighting spirit," Schumacher said.

"We definitely want to show our home crowds our best level of performance possible."

Team-mate Nico Rosberg is also hoping to close to the gap to the top teams thanks to the latest upgrades.

"I hope that we can take another step forward with our new package and close the gap to the top a little. It will be exciting to drive in front of a big German crowd in the Mercedes-Benz grandstand. Hopefully they see a good performance from both me and our car."