2023 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[mstar]

For me its clear either Toto/Lewis have pushed for James to take more of a role. Lewis comments seem to be having a dig as the car DNA seems to be similar i am sure Mike is too data driven. They all know by now what lewis needs they know his driving style but lewis comments seem to be "this car plays nothing to my strengths to go fast". Do you remember 2017 lewis was saying he wanted a shift in the car balancing as the 16,17 was hard for him to extract maximum with his driving style, and James listen and late 17-20 the car changed to having a more stable platform for him to extract from the car. So he knows what he is talking about maybe he wants James back as they spent a lot of time together perfecting the cars from 17-21, so he can get the maximum with his driving style.

I think it was around France when lewis said he had to change his driving style this year (2022) which he told the team isnt the quickest way for him to drive so he was hoping the (2023), they change the car so he doesn't have to change his driving style again.

[FW17]

Maybe what Lewis wants is not possible with the current rule set.

[SiLo]

Maybe what Lewis wants is not possible with the current rule set.

Does anyone know what he wants? His driving style from his early years seems to have matured so much that it's hard to tell.

[chrisc90]

Maybe he can’t adapt to the new style of driving?

Already been reported other top drivers have changed their style

[mendis]

For me its clear either Toto/Lewis have pushed for James to take more of a role. Lewis comments seem to be having a dig as the car DNA seems to be similar i am sure Mike is too data driven. They all know by now what lewis needs they know his driving style but lewis comments seem to be "this car plays nothing to my strengths to go fast". Do you remember 2017 lewis was saying he wanted a shift in the car balancing as the 16,17 was hard for him to extract maximum with his driving style, and James listen and late 17-20 the car changed to having a more stable platform for him to extract from the car. So he knows what he is talking about maybe he wants James back as they spent a lot of time together perfecting the cars from 17-21, so he can get the maximum with his driving stle.

What you are saying is, Lewis want Mike to go back and lead the aero like he used to do until 2021 when Mercedes was winning and James to take back that managerial role that Mike currently has, where one does nothing significant, but just manage stuff.

[AMG.Tzan]

I don’t see Mercedes turning it around any time soon!

So I won’t be surprised if Mercedes drops that last 33% from the Brackley team and continues just as an engine supplier! This move was rumoured 2-3 years ago but since they are losing to a customer, now there’s no reason to still race with the Brackley team! It’s just defamation for the parent company to lose to a customer that doesn’t even have its name on the car!

I’m expecting Mercedes to turn into the Ineos F1 Team (which sounds awful btw) in the years to come…

*crazy prediction: Brackley becomes the works Honda F1 team by 2026

[JordanMugen]

So I won’t be surprised if Mercedes drops that last 33% from the Brackley team and continues just as an engine supplier!

Given Mercedes can't demand the team use their engines if they don't own the team, could Honda buy the 33% and reinstate the team as Honda Racing F1 with Honda engines -- but carrying Ineos sponsorship from the other part owner?

The Mercedes engine supply could perhaps continue elsewhere -- say at Aston Martin-Mercedes.

[AR3-GP]

So I won’t be surprised if Mercedes drops that last 33% from the Brackley team and continues just as an engine supplier!

Given Mercedes can't demand the team use their engines if they don't own the team, could Honda buy the 33% and reinstate the team as Honda Racing F1 with Honda engines -- but carrying Ineos sponsorship from the other part owner?

The Mercedes engine supply could perhaps continue elsewhere -- say at Aston Martin-Mercedes.

This doesn’t sound that crazy.

[ValeVida46]

Couple of bad seasons and Aston Martin is being touted as a replacement for the factory team?

[Big Tea]

Couple of bad seasons and Aston Martin is being touted as a replacement for the factory team?

If you class second and third as bad.

[ValeVida46]

Couple of bad seasons and Aston Martin is being touted as a replacement for the factory team?

If you class second and third as bad.

Exactly. Relative to their previous run I meant though. As last year wasn't great but hardly a failure.
We could compare Aston to Merc the last 2 years, 1 race in 2023 and suddenly Aston is being touted as a replacement for the factory team. Fans man

[chrisc90]

Cant see anyone changing engine suppliers in this rule set. It would probably mean too many big changes in concept/aero design. Only time Mercedes will pull the plug on F1 is when they are no longer interested in it

[organic]

Nobody's saying Merc would stop supplying engines

[organic]

Scarbs says in the latest Peter Windsor video post-bahrain "what will Ferrari/Mercedes do" that Merc have a floor upgrade coming for Saudi Arabia.

[Matt2725]

In other news, this Spanish publication is reporting that if Mercedes don't improve and Aston keeps beating them then the engines with the best numbers will go to Aston Martin, which would mean an increase of 4 hp for them rather than Mercedes. Not too sure about the reliability of the portal but I share it anyways.

https://theobjective.com/deportes/2023- ... formula-1/

That sounds like nonsense. Surely the engines are randomly distributed?

That's illegal too. FIA mandates all hardware and software to be of same level of performance and specification of any given release of a PU. There shouldn't be a distinction between factory and customer teams. Different teams might use different engine maps, but even those maps should be of same spec of a given manufacturer.

It's quite common knowledge.

All the engines are dyno tested and the ones with the most promise and power output are reserved for the works team. The rest are distributed to their customers.
Ferrari do it, as do Honda (the better engines go to RBR rather than Alpha Tauri).