Mercedes GP 2011

[xpensive]

So JET, what are your prediction as to what will happen with management for 2012, will they all stay, like a BIG happy family?

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

I'm not privy as to who has the final say.

We do know that Haug's role in the team is that of a PR officer. He gives interviews and the usual air fairy rubbish we hear all the time from people in these positions. I really like norby, but a job is a job and so he is paid to present it like this. But his primary role is liasing between the team and Stuttgart.
We know Brawns role in the team is also non technical. He oversees the everyday running of the squad, and it's preparations for GP weekends.
Before bob bell, there was no technical head. And I think the mistake brawn made was in trying to do too many things at once.

So these "structures" are gradually being placed. I think it prudent to get the right people more so than just any old person. And Mercedes did well getting Bell.
He may have identified whom he feels necessary to push the team forward, and these appointments will happen now mercedes have gone on a recruitment drive.

Should the right ethos be instilled, then we may see Mercedes drive forward. Regardless of what criticism is being levelled at the current setup, it's still miles ahead of what 700 Honda staff could do years ago.
But of course mercedes demands more.

I do wonder if they nail it, will people give mercedes credit, or will they call it a rehashed rebadged squad painted in fancy livery?

[xpensive]

I believe the structure starts at the top, Mercedes shouldn't had engaged with such a non-affirmative management situation.

So here we are, according to your own picture JET, two years down the road and restructuring the team, something's wrong.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Mercedes are 100/150 staff short of the top three.

That can be a couple of departments entirely. Both Brawn and Mercedes took the RRA on its literal meaning that meant all team would scale backe spending and reduce staff numbers.

Herein lies the problem.

From the very start of Mercedes takeover, they were very vocal of being the only "top team" adhereing to the RRA. In this scenario, others would need to scale back and inevitably this would have an adverse affect on car performance.

We now know the RRA was just a red herring put in place by the previous regime and it had no real support from within the FIA. It has become more of a freeze on resources than anything remotley attested to the scaling back or resources.

So Mercedes are now left in the position of having to ramp up its own efforts to match those of the top 3.

If anything, this is probably the biggest weakness of Mercedes GP. Who is to blame for the decision? Who knows, but I cant help feel that the FIA could word these initiatives more strongly.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Schumacher referred to a clause in the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA), a pact agreed by the teams to keep costs down.

Earlier reports had accused Red Bull of also breaching some of the RRA’s guidelines about budgetary spending in 2010.

“There was an agreement that everyone would have the same size, but certain teams don’t respect that,” the seven time world champion is quoted as saying by the Daily Express.

“Now there seem to be different visions,” added Schumacher. “Will Mercedes have to go to an open field again or will the teams respect what they agreed?

“We are not on the same playing field,” the German added. “If you take the number of people we have compared with Red Bull, that is very different.”

Its very stark...

[Pierce89]

Schumacher referred to a clause in the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA), a pact agreed by the teams to keep costs down.

Earlier reports had accused Red Bull of also breaching some of the RRA’s guidelines about budgetary spending in 2010.

“There was an agreement that everyone would have the same size, but certain teams don’t respect that,” the seven time world champion is quoted as saying by the Daily Express.

“Now there seem to be different visions,” added Schumacher. “Will Mercedes have to go to an open field again or will the teams respect what they agreed?

“We are not on the same playing field,” the German added. “If you take the number of people we have compared with Red Bull, that is very different.”

Its very stark...

When Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mclaren all employ in the neighborhood of 550 , but Merc interprets the RRA to only allow 450, it sounds like Merc misinterpreted the RRA. Either that or they weren't very serious about winning.

[Just_a_fan]

Schumacher referred to a clause in the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA), a pact agreed by the teams to keep costs down.

Earlier reports had accused Red Bull of also breaching some of the RRA’s guidelines about budgetary spending in 2010.

“There was an agreement that everyone would have the same size, but certain teams don’t respect that,” the seven time world champion is quoted as saying by the Daily Express.

“Now there seem to be different visions,” added Schumacher. “Will Mercedes have to go to an open field again or will the teams respect what they agreed?

“We are not on the same playing field,” the German added. “If you take the number of people we have compared with Red Bull, that is very different.”

Its very stark...

When Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mclaren all employ in the neighborhood of 550 , but Merc interprets the RRA to only allow 450, it sounds like Merc misinterpreted the RRA. Either that or they weren't very serious about winning.

Got to love a guy moaning about other teams "interpreting" the rules when he has benefitted so much from the same sort of thing in the past.

Seriously though, if Merc thought X = W but everyone else things that X = Y where Y = W+100 then they need to look at their senior management fairly seriously. Somewhere at the top appears to have dropped the ball a bit if that's the case.

[xpensive]

...
Seriously though, if Merc thought X = W but everyone else things that X = Y where Y = W+100 then they need to look at their senior management fairly seriously. Somewhere at the top appears to have dropped the ball a bit if that's the case.

This was precisely my point a few posts back, when I suggested that any "restructuring" of Mercedes Grand Prix should start from the very heavy and somewhat confusing top.

[mep]

Seriously though, if Merc thought X = W but everyone else things that X = Y where Y = W+100 then they need to look at their senior management fairly seriously. Somewhere at the top appears to have dropped the ball a bit if that's the case.

Don't you somethimes think F1 is a nice reflection of europe?

[Ferraripilot]

Seriously though, if Merc thought X = W but everyone else things that X = Y where Y = W+100 then they need to look at their senior management fairly seriously. Somewhere at the top appears to have dropped the ball a bit if that's the case.

Don't you somethimes think F1 is a nice reflection of europe?

very funny yet so true!

[wunderkind]

Seriously though, if Merc thought X = W but everyone else things that X = Y where Y = W+100 then they need to look at their senior management fairly seriously. Somewhere at the top appears to have dropped the ball a bit if that's the case.

Don't you somethimes think F1 is a nice reflection of europe?

very funny yet so true!

I think it was a matter of the precarious circumstance at the time in 2009. Brawn crash-dieted his team just so it could survive and dressed up(down) his team as a viable, small, nimble, and above all, a WORKABLE alternative to McLaren for Mercedes Benz.

Brawn had to cut his staff to the core because there were some serious doubts that his team would not make it through thr 2009 season and he was getting piecemeal sponsorship on a race-by-race basis (Virgin, Canon, etc). Also, Bernie was slow in advancing BAR-Honda's TV money to Brawn.

When Brawn was negotiating to sell his team to Mercedes Benz. He had to convince the Mercedes Benz group that it was more economical to buy out his team than it was to continue with the dysfunctional relationship with McLaren. You couldn't go back to the Mercedes board with the hat in hand right after the takeover was completed. That would have been bad style. Brawn tried to make it work with the bare minimum and he didn't deliver. Now he will do it properly with resources that are more in line with the top teams.

So if you ask me, I don't think Brawn got his numbers wrong. It was just a case of survival.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

+1 wunderkind

Exactly my sentiments.

[n_anirudh]

http://planetf1.com/driver/18227/708934 ... his-future

More likely MS may quit Merc by this year end.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

If Schumi does go, I think Mercedes ought to look very closely at what Kobayashi is doing at Sauber. Bringing an uncompetitive car home in the points and always putting up a fight.

Said it befoore and I'll say it again, Kobayashi in a Merc is a must.

[marcush.]

the one little bit missing here is:
Brawn made himself a rich man in this and deliberately sold Mercedes short for a lot of money.they clearly knew what was going to happen.
BTW ..hiring Schumacher saved Rosbergs career methink...just think what would have happened to his reputation if he constantly had outqualified Heidfeld but would not have scored wins..no question Schumacher is the reason why Mercedes cannot point towards the drivers for underperforming.

Schumachers comments himself being to relaxed to drive the team forward enough is on the other hand makes me worry about Rosbergs ability to do so.