Mercedes GP MGP W01

[segedunum]

Yay. Fourth. Success! I'm sure the Stuttgart suits are absolutely ecstatic. We all know the only reason Renault aren't fourth is because of Petrov.

Anyway, if I was a Mercedes powered team I'd be scratching my head. The Renault powered cars have clearly been deficient in straight line performance this year where it's been important, and yet, they've been extremely competitive overall. That same team were beating Red Bull last year and Red Bull have simply moved on with exactly the same car. That's the elephant in the room here.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

That's the elephant in the room here.

Words taken right out of my mouth

[LionKing]

Maybe Mercedes being the best engine is just a myth now. I was expecting Red Bull to lose a few tenths in the last sector in Brasil due to the long uphill acceleration section. It did not happen... Renault might be better in lower revs and have better torque too, who knows...

[autogyro]

More likely that Merc like Ferrari is running out of engines.
Both seem to want to cool them more.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

More likely that Merc like Ferrari is running out of engines.
Both seem to want to cool them more.

I dont have any evidence of Mercedes powered teams wanting to run cool any more so than Renault or Cosworth.
But Im not privy to the facts, do you have any more on this gyro?

[marcush.]

the fact that RB have a car that is looking quite similar to their 2009 contender does not say they have not moved the goalposts considerably...
the Renault is not better than w01 .considering Kubica is deemed to be a future champ he is not exactly in front of Rosberg in the points table.
the myth of the Renault engine down on power is what it is :a claim not really proven to hold much truth..
Everyone applauded Renault for their ambitious development programme but realistically they did not leave mercedes behind who did barely touch their front wing all season..

[segedunum]

Words taken right out of my mouth

Well, you said it.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Precisley Marcush,

The reality is that actually 4th isnt bad. No its not stellar, but you can certainly call it competant.

When you consider the noises Renault were making about overtaking Mercedes, the noises have certainly quietened these last few races.

And the Petrov story is total tripe. The guy pays them to drive the car, so Renault have taken on a paydriver. Any questions regards his performance are made up by the millions of roubles Renault recieve for that.

Mercedes are just plain quicker than Renault. Simples.

[segedunum]

the fact that RB have a car that is looking quite similar to their 2009 contender does not say they have not moved the goalposts considerably...

It's an evolution of the same technical rules and the same car. You then ask why Mercedes didn't move on given the considerable headstart they had with that car. The W01 should never have been a completely new car, but this has all been done before.

The fact that we're now ever so proud that Mercedes seems to be faster than a team that almost didn't exist this year and really did have no money kind of proves the point.

the myth of the Renault engine down on power is what it is :a claim not really proven to hold much truth..

Apart from Renault powered cars relative drop-off in performance at circuits where top end power is a must......

Everyone applauded Renault for their ambitious development programme but realistically they did not leave mercedes behind who did barely touch their front wing all season..

Petrov. You get a driver who can score anywhere near the points that Kubica did and it's done and dusted. He's blown all their hard work, but, I suppose they need the immediate money. We all know that's true but are trying ever so hard to find ways not to.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

The fact that we're now ever so proud that Mercedes seems to be faster than a team that almost didn't exist this year and really did have no money kind of proves the point.

Really?

Ask Brawn what his thoughts were on survival last year in July prior to Mercedes takeover.
But then again you think a team losing 400 staff or 40% from every technical department is a walk in the park and have ZERO effect on the car

[marcush.]

you know you are not quite right here ,seg .
Schumacher was total crap this year compared to Rosberg and did underachieve far more than Petrov could ever do in his life.And tbh he did fare well at times so he has speed but somehow I feel he was treated as paydriver which is not the best of ideas.

Back on topic ..the W01 was not capable of winning this year ,but the same could be said of the Brawn BGP01 in the closing stages of the 2009 season as well.It was RedBull reeling in the points towards the end of the year with Hamilton punching in that league with a very weak basecar.
so Merc is really stagnating somehow whereas Ferrari and Macs have done their work over winter and got their act together.
so really it was Brawns fault to not put enough recources behind the 2010 contender that let them down.In a ways it was good for them as now the finger is poking in the wounds and you bet they know very well know that Mercedes is not a synonym for the rich uncle from germany who pays for all the nice toys. He carries a big stick even though you will never catch him not soft spoken in public

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Can you not see that Schumachers early season performances also left something to be desired? That he is getting result of late vindicates Mercedes patience with him.
But then its also clear Mercedes is a better racecar.

Take those anti mercedes glasses off for a minute....

[segedunum]

Ask Brawn what his thoughts were on survival last year in July prior to Mercedes takeover.

You have never got the concept of writing off a person intimately involved in his own failure explaining the reasons for said failure, have you?

It turns out that the team was the richest on the grid (something you paint right over), RB tried to laugh that off when it was found out and the funniest thing I heard was when he told us he simply fired 40% from every department. Like I said at the time that was said, that just doesn't happen in any 'downsize' anywhere and immediately tells you he's talking rubbish. I'm also sure that Mercedes got to September and said "Actually, I think we'll buy a team".

Rationalise away though JET. It's never stopped you before. I'm sure we'll have a set of different reasons next season.

[Francesc]

It's been long time without seeing or listening Nick Fry on the media, Does anyone know what's going with him?

[xpensive]

I have long belived that Ross Brawn is street-smart more than anything else, this way compensating for his lack of theoretical education. Behold his ability to be in charge of FOTA's technical arm, holding a straight face, when at the same time his team was circumventing the new diffuser-rules in the most blatant of ways?

Little wonder he also could fire 40% of the staff with a straight face by complaining that the team was broke, while both himself and small-Fry were busy filling their bank accounts with tens of million GPSs from Honda (or Mercedes).