Mercedes GP - Inauguration and 1st season

[NewtonMeter]

we want aero parity as well..

--- yeah! I keep on harking on about this, I realise, but where was the sympathy when Merc made hand grenades for McLaren? When they were at a disadvantage? --- red bull and all the others!

The guys at Brixworth and Stuttgart worked hard to have the best engine just as red bull worked hard to have the best aero.

If they want a better engine then either:
a) Renault should do a better job
b) Build it themselves

I've no sympathy at all.

[marcush.]

maybe they feel important dwelling on this theme.. they sure know nobody will say...ah yes you got a magnficent car beating up the rest of the field and you enjoy the best fuelconsumption allowing you to take 10kg of fuel less on board....tell you what go and
develop your engine so you have the best of all worlds.. wow thats a good strategy..
good technical department ,good drivers ,good Team owner,but the team leaders could do well either keeping their mouth closed for longer periods..

[andrew]

Kind of states the obvious, but very true none-the-less:

http://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/Braw ... acher.html

[xpensive]

Am I alone thinking that the idea of Mercedes GP was hatched already when they agreed to supply Brawn with engines, but only after learning about their "unfair advantage" with the double diffuser of course?
After running away with the first half of the season, it was an easy sell for Haug to get the Stuttgart-suits on board?

Then Schumacher started to think with his old three-pointed heart and got carried away as well, what a mess.

[WhiteBlue]

There have been increasing rumours in the continental press, that Haug is to be replaced. But Mercedes are reported to have denied the rumours. But remember, "there's no smoke without fire". Watch this space....

complete nonsense, according to the team

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=383688

One idiot releases a flatulence on the internet and you call it "increasing rumors in the continental press".

[andrew]

X - very possible.

The rumours about Haug being replaced are not "a flatulence on the internet". [-X There are numerous rumours being reported in several authoritative sources, so not nonsence at all.

[WhiteBlue]

would you care to give sources

[xpensive]

Well WB, what do you xpect Mercedes to say? I've read the same thing about Haug, even stories that Ross Brawn have suggested he wouldn't mind to recreate the dream-team with Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds from the Benetton days.

[strad]

Must be true:
From Motorsport

Mercedes has rejected suggestions that Norbert Haug might be moving on.

In his Auto Plus column, French commentator Jean-Louis Moncet said he had heard from unconfirmed sources that Haug, Mercedes' motor sport vice-president, could be called on by the German marque "for other duties".

But a Mercedes GP source said the news is "complete nonsense".

[WhiteBlue]

Nobody can give an original source except that frenchman who started the rumor. All others just copy and paste. I have not found one word in the German press.

[xpensive]

It only makes sense as the Stuttgart board must feel suckered by Haug and lured into an embarassing position,
which is difficult to get out of, while Mercedes seems to have lost a fruitful alliance with McLaren, long-term anyway.

[marcush.]

it was Mclaren who wnted to get out of this nt the other ways round.
Haug gave Stuttgart a possibility to stay on with less money in a time when a signals were towrds ending the involvement altogether.
the mclaren involement would not have survived the last winter anyways.so in fact it was an achievement to stay in business.
Maybe they played the drum or whistle to strong or may it be that the board was not hearing their concerns just were flashed by the results...how often can you buy the current championship winner AND save a lot of money..it was a winwin situation.
I seriously doubt the original plannings laid out a constant winning and being a contender for the championship from the outset there is a business plan and corrective action is unavoidable when internal targets are not met.

[WhiteBlue]

It only makes sense as the Stuttgart board must feel suckered by Haug and lured into an embarassing position, which is difficult to get out of, while Mercedes seems to have lost a fruitful alliance with McLaren, long-term anyway.

[xpensive]

I'm glad you see things my way for once WB.

[Morteza]

Guys is it just me or you also think that Schumacher and Shovlin are not getting along very well with each other? From what I saw today how they talk with each other and the body language don't seem friendly.