Mercedes GP 2011

[Pierce89]

Just face it, MGP is a team in serious disorganization where Ross Brawn seems to be way out of his league as Team Principal,
when adding the Stuttgart-suits, Norbert Haug and small-Fry to the mix the picture becomes almost bizarre.

Brawn not denying Costa will join next year should make Bob Bell worried, unless he has already decided to leave.

How this team can be in fourth in the WCC is a small miracle in itself, shows that drivers can still make a difference?

Why couldn't Bell and Costa work together like any other team?

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

The all-seeing sage Xpensive can't see why merc should be 4th?

Just because of their management structure?
X, are you an xpert in management?
Do you know something we don't regards the workings of brackley?

You seem to berate the team, the management, the structure, even the previous encumbants of the team and also the Xhausts!!!

By the sounds of it mate, you are the next F1 genius destined for great things.

[marcush.]

frankly speaking I´m very much with X these days.
The car is not a complete fail ,but it is not any better than STR6,C30,R31 or VJM04 considering the sheer size of the company that´s simply not enough .

To me it´s rather obvious that since 2009 the management has failed to improve the situation and create the environment to produce increased competitiveness and let´s face it 2012 is the last year of the initial 3 year period already and they have yet to produce a performance curve pointing steadily upwards.What I see is a stagnation in reducing the gap towards the sharp end of the grid when others have showed it is entirely possible to close that gap even in a few months.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Marcush,

Sheer size of whom? Mercedes gp are near the same staffing levels as Renault and Sauber.
Remember this is a new project for Mercedes. Whatever it did in it's previous guise is irrelevant as it is now mercedes.
So far we have seen them invest heavily in new technology at brackley and bring bell onboard as well as the mooted appointment of Costa.
Then we have the 100 additional staff which are in due course about to be appointed.

Do you think these guys thought... "hang on, we need 100 more bodies", or do you not think Bell had an assessment, and it meant beefing up manpower in each division of MGP?

I swear, by some of the posts on this thread it seems there is a magic wand you can wave just because your mercedes. The fact of the matter is winning in f1 takes time, and mercedes are building towards this patiently.

The other point that I have repeatedly made is that mercedes took over 3 full seasons to win with McLaren. Sometimes in life you just gotta be patient and work hard.

[Morteza]

X is right as Seg was. We have not seen any improvement from the team. You are right, Marcus. James Key turned Sauber team with that unreliable car into a very strong middlefield team this season. Force India and STR are also strong teams. We've seen them improve every year. Mercedes claims that they want to be on top, but there is no sign of it. I know recruiting Bell is a good sign and Costa may be another fine addition.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Moteza

You say there is no sign, but it's a good sign Bell was appointed?
Cmon bud, there are more reasons to be positive than negative regards this team...

[Morteza]

Moteza

You say there is no sign, but it's a good sign Bell was appointed?
Cmon bud, there are more reasons to be positive than negative regards this team...

Maybe that's because I'm a pessimist. I hope you're right and I'm wrong about the team. I want to see this team succeed very badly. I want to see Rosberg get his first win in a Mercedes, Schumacher on podium again.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

They know what they are doing mate, regardless what some so called experts here deduct.

Im optimistic because mercedes have the appetite to succed. 3 years has become 5, and mercedes are getting their hands dirty... Something I like seeing. It just means if they do eventually win it will be a very very sweet moment and a large 2 fingered salute to many people on this thread

[xpensive]

My humble self, I would like to see Nico and MS taking the VJM04 for a spin over a weekend, that might be an eye-opener?

[munudeges]

Isn't this the way MGP was/is/to-be set up when you think about it, Zander, Bigois, Wilson, Cooley, Bell, and potentially Costa and Prodruomo, all individually reporting directly to Ross Brawn?

Possibly because that's what Ross Brawn will be used to, but at least Mercedes actually have someone in a position called 'Technical Director'. How much he can actually influence the technical direction is another matter, and I've only ever seen Bob Bell at one race not long after he was appointed.

Aldo Costa's name (not denied and Brawn being very touchy about it) being associated with them raises some pretty serious questions, because you would only appoint him to be a technical director. Perhaps Bob Bell has realised what he's got himself into?

[munudeges]

Get into your head. Ross Brawn is Team Principal now. Bob Bell is the Technical Director.

As I've said to someone before, what your job title is, what influence you have and what you actually end up doing are different things and people have a horrible tendency to stick with what they know and stay close to it even when they're in another position.

That's why you see ill-advised regular visits from Ron Dennis at races and why Norbert Haug hangs around like a spare part, irritating marshals by taking pictures of them with his iPhone. I couldn't help but chuckle at that because it tells you everything you need to know about what the Head of Mercedes Motorsport is useful for and how top heavy that organisation is.

They are supposed to report to Bob Bell.

Maybe that's what should happen but that's not what is happening at Ferrari, and the guy who is actually responsible for designing and overseeing the car has never been in charge there for a long time. It's probably not what Bob Bell will be used to.

[munudeges]

Brawn not denying Costa will join next year should make Bob Bell worried, unless he has already decided to leave.

I can't imagine he'll be worried, but he will have certainly taken notice which is probably why Brawn was very short when Costa's name was mentioned. With Bell being the experienced hand he is I'm sure he will have long since thrown the towel in if he feels it's not worth it. This is a guy who has not only been in technical positions at many teams but has already filled Brawn's job shoes at Renault and had to pick that team out of the mire, so he's not going to be taking any of the brown stuff.

EDIT: I wonder if Bell might end up at Lotus with Gascoyne again?

How this team can be in fourth in the WCC is a small miracle in itself, shows that drivers can still make a difference?

.....and 500 odd people at the engine company. It's funny that they've obviously identified the engine and the resulting straight line speed as their strong point and are a country mile away at Monza.

[Mr.S]

I am bored by the hatred from MERC haters. BORED. I have bashed them but for a reason. Where is Torro Rosso???Strong???Really???Where is Sauber??

Merc is a solid 4th at this point behind Ferrari,Mclaren & Red Bull. There is nothing to be ashamed about it. The problem is the big gap.

I dont get it why comeone could take Costa coming as a sign that there will be problems with Bob. Why would Merc recruit Bob & make it Tech Director if they dont consider him as TD for a decent point of time. Besides he has had only had positive influences on the car. The car has had a solid improvement since the first few races.Costa can easily take up the CHIEF DESIGNER OR HEAD OF ENGG. role as i shouted for like 48347389748934th time.


ROSS BRAWN IS NOT A TECHNICAL DIRECTOR neither is his role factory based. Ross Brawn is a team principal like Martin Whitemarsh is.How is Paddy Lowe working as TD or Mclaren???Bob Bell will have a similar role in Mercedes.

[Mr.S]

Brawn not denying Costa will join next year should make Bob Bell worried, unless he has already decided to leave.

I can't imagine he'll be worried, but he will have certainly taken notice which is probably why Brawn was very short when Costa's name was mentioned. With Bell being the experienced hand he is I'm sure he will have long since thrown the towel in if he feels it's not worth it. This is a guy who has not only been in technical positions at many teams but has already filled Brawn's job shoes at Renault and had to pick that team out of the mire, so he's not going to be taking any of the brown stuff.

How this team can be in fourth in the WCC is a small miracle in itself, shows that drivers can still make a difference?

.....and 500 odd people at the engine company. It's funny that they've obviously identified the engine and the resulting straight line speed as their strong point and are a country mile away at Monza.

Actually they are not. They are about 0.7-0.8 seconds off which is much closer than most other circuits.MSC had 1 single run in which he was attempting to use the slipstream when Lewis was ahead,Lewis had a lock up & as a result so did MSC. Nico was on hard tyres.

Both saved 1 & 2 options repectively. They were obviously more focussed on the race,qualifying does not give you any points

[munudeges]

Actually they are not. They are about 0.7-0.8 seconds off which is much closer than most other circuits.

Whatever, that is an absolute country mile sweetheart.....at a circuit where they would have seriously expected to be at their strongest because straight line performance is all they have going for them. You think they're the thick end of a second away at their strongest possible circuit........and that's closer?! It's a joke.

ROSS BRAWN IS NOT A TECHNICAL DIRECTOR neither is his role factory based. Ross Brawn is a team principal like Martin Whitemarsh is.How is Paddy Lowe working as TD or Mclaren???Bob Bell will have a similar role in Mercedes.

I'm afraid you obviously have zero clue about what goes on in these kinds of organisations and re-quoting peoples' job titles is not going to help whatever it is you're arguing.