Mercedes GP 2011

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Agree 100% with Wunderkind

Haug has no part in designing the car or employing staff. His primary role in the team is that of PR and reporting back to mercedes on events on the ground.

As for the discreprancy in engines, I think that is unfounded speculation being touted mischievously by X.
No way would Mercedes-Benz take away an oppurtunity of victory to McLaren if it meant them being 0.2KMH quicker down the straight due to an engine that has a fraction more grunt.

McLaren are still Mercedes liveried and badged.

[xpensive]

I'm sure you do JET. However, my reaction was to the boy wonder's previous post;

Besides, it would xplain why MGP haven't had an official Technical director until now and, just like marcush says, why no heads at Brackley have rolled yet.

I think Dieter Zetsche has not swung the axe at Mercedes GP because of the very simple reason that it is best to leave it to Ross Brawn to sort things out. Also, Dr Z would not have made any such decision without the recommendation of Norbert Haug.
...

If the Daimler board are making their calls based on recommendations from an old journo, it would be most surprising indeed, but it would also xplain a few confusing things around MGP, wouldn't it JET?

But what do I know, Zetsche is perhaps not so comfortable with the English language, why he has to rely on Haug and his interpretation of the situation? Good Lord, say it isn't so...

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

X,

Haug has been advising Mercedes in all form of motorsport for the last 25 years.
He may be an old journo to you, But Haug has steered a very good ship for Mercedes in Motorsport.

[marcush.]

the language issue ...also something worth considering .
So Brawn working out presentations and Haug having them translated in Stuttgart and presenting them to the board?
The official press kit for the Mercedes GP outfit this year speaks volumes about the proceedures ...

[mep]

Do you really think they can't understand English?
In my opinion they don't deserve their job if they can't even understand English.
What do you mean with press kit?
Any links available?

As I remember from checking their homepage they rather have some trouble with German. Some mistakes can be found there. Not that I want to criticise them I just noticed it. I hate people (usually Germans) who criticise others for spelling/grammar mistakes.

[marcush.]

my last boss -german - made me translate his german presentations and I really know what you are talking about ...we ended up him ordering me to translate into GERMAN english as he insisted this way around his point was coming across better.....I was speechless but that´s how it went...germaans abroad: a big shame.
media kit :

http://media.daimler.com/Projects/c2c/c ... 180211.pdf

[xpensive]

Do you really think they can't understand English?
...

It's not about "understanding English", it's about mastering the subtle xpressions, ironies and nuances, unfortunately and sometimes embarrassing, many Swedish engineers and business people have an over-inflated opinion of their ability to do so.

Perhaps the most famous xample is BP's chairman of the board, formerly with Ericsson, speaking live to the cameras outside the White House last year, self confidently improvising in his belief that he was a master of the English language.

It all ended in tears of course when he was referring to the victims of BP's oil-spill as "small people", with a pronounciation like the Swedish chef in the Muppets, which didn't xactly go down well in the US, but was also ridiculed by the media of course.

In all honesty, my xperience of German business people is not much better.

[mep]

I was rather talking about mistakes made in German language than English. Some Germans seem to have a habit for searching mistakes and handle it like a serious crime.
I just mention this because I noticed the Mercedes homepage could be improved little bit in that regards. I mean Mercedes is a very big company with lots of people working there so you would imagine they can afford to hire some proper staff for it.
We are talking about their public image here and companies of their magnitude usually make a big almost ridiculous hype around such things.

BTW.: Does anybody have this book?
http://www.amazon.de/Mercedes-Benz-Renn ... 018&sr=8-9
It's a nice read but by far the worst book I have ever read when it comes down to mistakes. In average you can expect 1-2 mistakes per page. The funniest spot is when the text of one page is completely repeated on the next one.
Even when these are minor things it is not a representation of good quality.

[dren]

Jabba the Haug speaks:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93786

"It is very difficult if you're carrying a deficit into the season. I think there are some interesting figures we can provide you with. In Australia, the difference to the leaders was 2.3 per cent, in Malaysia 2.0 per cent, in China 1.0 per cent, in Turkey 0.6 per cent - more than half a second - in Spain 2 per cent, Monaco 1.5 per cent, Canada 1.1. per cent, Great Britain 1.1 per cent, Germany 1.3 per cent.

"Anyway, I think it's stabilised in a way. The rhythm that the front cars are having is changing, but we have at least kept the same margin. The target is to start on a higher basis and then go from there.

"I think the most important point is that we are focussed, have a long road ahead of us and we are working very hard."

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Its an admission that things arent going the way they wanted.

No harm in admitting your mistakes. Spot on observation with Red Bull and also, how Torro Rosso with less resources(half in fact) actually won a race before Red Bull.
In my opinion the management is not the issue here. They just need more manpower and better direction.

Both are being seen to, But I think with the W03 on the drawing board already, we wont see the kind of shift needed until perhaps maybe the W04 gets the full benefit of what is currently being done.

Either way, you have to respect Mercedes for not shirking away from a tough task. They are getting their hands dirty when others(no names) may not have been so commited.

[raymondu999]

I don't think the W03 will win yet either. Maybe it'll be a regular podium contender though. The W04 would probably pick up the odd win here and there, before 2014, as you always say, JET, will see them winning

[marcush.]

The whole thing is based on the assumption that building up of something inside is necesary and possible.The question is: what are they talking about?
What is going to be better with W04 what is not possible with W03 and obviously is not in W02 and missed in W01? Why would you think the next car will help you erase ALL your shortcomings ,when your main shortcoming maybe that you don´t understand what´s the next hot property to have on the car and you are unable to integarte it from the beginning...
To install and live a working system will not take too long .I´m sure Bell has already
brought across his point to everybody and the train is at full song ...maybe with already some casualties .Is there a magic technology available to RedBull and Macs and Ferrari ? If so they would be better advised to hurry up to get it.I´m not speaking of some fancy simulator technology here btw.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Marcush think about it though.

Once a system is found wanting, then changed as is happening ... You have to give time for it to work. I'll say the W03 will not be a winning car out the box, but with time if we see the system an the team making progress who can argue?
We know the reasons why the team are we they are. We have flogged that horse to deathon this thread.

1. Sticking to the RRA literally where the top 3 didn't. Mercedes own fault on that, granted.
2. No real technical director.
3. A team that had gone through transition from 700 to 450 staff.
4. Possible case of some staff not being up to winning standard.

All these things are being addressed.

All these things will take time.

[xpensive]

Its an admission that things arent going the way they wanted.
No harm in admitting your mistakes.
...
In my opinion the management is not the issue here. They just need more manpower and better direction.
...

I could hardly disagree more JET, the way I read this piece, Jabba the Haug is not admitting any mistakes whatsoever,
it's more of a menu of xcuses and the comparison with Red Bull is wide off the mark. RBR was the old Jaguar team,
which was an utter mess never winning anything, while Mercedes took over the reigning WDC and WCC team.

As for the management of MGP, that is obviously be the root of the problem, when Brawn, Fry and Haug should always be accountable for the interpretation of the RRA(1), Technical director(2), downsizing(3) and staff(4). And conclusively the results.

[marcush.]

jet ...Ferrari was not much quicker at the start of the year ...yet they mastered the turnaround .Mclaren were absolutely nowhere in testing but look at them now.
You hire good people ..they will deliver from the word go ..given they are put in the right position and someone understands what makes them tick.

I understand that Ross had to layoff people in 2008 /2009 which would have been very valuable for W01 already ..but he needed to shrink the ship to reduce his risk without slaughtering the campaign.So you lay off people in R&D and the good ones get snapped up so they won´t come back ...
They even lost their Carbonfibre Gearbox expertise by the looks of things...

Still all this is no excuse for a flawed basic car concept and the half baked explanations we are provided with .In two years no significant steps are visible in terms of gaining momentum and the team looks more likely to be under pressure to lose 4th place than making any inroads into the big three.

btw ..stewart gp won a race 1999 methinks