Mercedes GP 2011

[munudeges]

For what it's worth, Zander has just signed for HRT

Not a big surprise, and he's gone there because of what Geoff Willis is putting in place. It might take quite a bit of time but the teams at the back might turn out to be examples of how to go about doing it.

The fact that Zander has come back into Formula 1 just raises more questions as to why he left Brawn. When a team can't retain staff like that it points to problems.

[MIKEY_!]

Obviously there are things going on behind the scenes that are making it a difficult working environment. Its also true that changing direction too much (or even to many 'clean sheet' designs in a row) will have a negative effect on any teams ability to produce a race winning car.

[Hemsy]

When the W03 design is surely past the point of no return since quite some time, how could it possibly help to have people like Costa, Prodromou or even Byrne around?

The W03 will surely be yet another direction change in development under the current regulations, as the W02 was from the W01, and that can't be good. You just make it less likely that you can catch up and move forwards compared to the teams who have just kept building on their previous work.

On top of that you've got a new technical director coming into the team where that will surely create interference with and questions from the current TD. I can see this turning into the same mess as we saw with Honda and Willis exiting, as well as Gascoyne jumping into the water from Toyota.

I also believe that this uncertainty for 2013, is the reason for McLaren not having decided on their 2014 power yet.

Well, they need to do something soon. Red Bull have already made sure they tied Renault down.

Like it or not Merc will start with a clean sheet for 2012 because the W02's concept is flawed and hence they are forced to do so. Might I ask that where is it mentioned that Costa will be joining the team as TD?! Bob Bell is now the TD at Merc and it would be stupid to hire someone as TD just for one year only for him to be replaced by someone else. Also if anything Costa's tenure at Ferrari has proved that he is not a very good TD. He may be a brilliant engineer but not a very good TD. Which is why he might be more suited to a senior role like chassis director but not one as important as TD.

[xpensive]

For what it's worth, Zander has just signed for HRT

Not a big surprise, and he's gone there because of what Geoff Willis is putting in place. It might take quite a bit of time but the teams at the back might turn out to be examples of how to go about doing it.

The fact that Zander has come back into Formula 1 just raises more questions as to why he left Brawn. When a team can't retain staff like that it points to problems.

For a chief designer to leave a winning-every-race-and soon-to-be-Mercedes BGP in 2009, only to return in the same role with HRT at the far end of the grid two years later, might seem like an unfathomable miss-calculation to an outsider.

But I can understand Zander perfectly, when success, reward and satisfaction can be measured in many different ways, not only the size of your retirement-fund. In particular for a competent design-engineer with the concept of self-respect.

[mach11]

read the recent interview with ross brawn in formula 1.com,

the thing is... Next year how will bob bell add to the development of the car? I am not very familiar with the workings of a formula 1 team and so i would like to know more?

How will his experience from renault add to the merc's development for next year?

[Hemsy]

read the recent interview with ross brawn in formula 1.com,

the thing is... Next year how will bob bell add to the development of the car? I am not very familiar with the workings of a formula 1 team and so i would like to know more?

How will his experience from renault add to the merc's development for next year?

He will add to the development of the car in the same way as Newey. He is the technical director of the team. He is the one who has the final say as regards to what direction to take the development of the car in. It was the very lack of such a person which meant that Merc had no one to correct them from making fundamentally mistakes with their cars be it weight distribution, wheelbase, COG etc. As regards to how his experience at Renault will contribute to Merc, well, for one he has won two world championships with them. Hence he knows the right organizational structure needed for the team to win consistently. Secondly, he also would also know a lot of good aerodynamicists, engineers & other technical personnel at Renault as well as other teams and would be able to lure them thereby improving the quality of the team at a technical level (something which Merc is not renowned for).

[marcush.]

wait a moment.
TD fine and I´m all happy to have one.
But you really think a TD KNOWS spontaneously what is the best compromise for placement of suspension pickups or wheelbase?
The trick is ,he will challenge the guys right to the edge when they come up with this fancy new SWB double rad concept and he will kick them out of the office within 5 minutes if they cannot come up with proof they are able to manage the thermal side of it.
He will kick them out of the door second time when they come up with their exhaust system when one other option only 6 months later has emerged as feasible and better suited to even the shortest wheelbase car on the grid.

I think a Td is there not to know it all but to get the young guns back to reality or driving them to a level of performance they had no idea of being able to reach and sustain.some need a kick some need constant support and encouragement -a good td is the guy to unearth the very best out of everyone in his team and separate the morons and get rid of them as quickly as possible.Call it talent scout and people manager and last word and of course carrying responsibility for all technical matters...

[Richard]

For what it's worth, Zander has just signed for HRT

Not a big surprise, and he's gone there because of what Geoff Willis is putting in place. It might take quite a bit of time but the teams at the back might turn out to be examples of how to go about doing it..

Not wanting to get off topic for the Merc thread, but to correct you, Geoff Wills is leaving. Discuss on the HRT thread

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 591784.stm

[mach11]

agreed that bob bell would bring in his share of experience.... But it does not seem to complete the picture.

The team already had a good number of talented people working on the car and like everyone knows the car is been under constant development over the past few years....

Rightly pointed out by someone earlier in the thread, the problem that mercedes will have is that they will have to start with a clean piece of paper and that will give them a disadvantage.

But the car did show phenominal performances here and there but it gets really frustrating when trak position is lost because of the tyre wear or lack or grip during corners etc...

Singapore might give the mercs an advantage with the shorter wheel base but again aero grip in corners will affect the handling of the car....

[MIKEY_!]

Singapore will be hot as well won't it. Not sure what its like there this time of year and street circuits cause tire trouble as well don't they.

[xpensive]

Singapore will be hot as well won't it. Not sure what its like there this time of year and street circuits cause tire trouble as well don't they.

Mikey, now that you seem to have covered the entire board overnight, I understand that it might present a problem to tell your posts apart, but perhaps this one belongs to the Mercedes car-thread?

[Hemsy]

wait a moment.
TD fine and I´m all happy to have one.
But you really think a TD KNOWS spontaneously what is the best compromise for placement of suspension pickups or wheelbase?
The trick is ,he will challenge the guys right to the edge when they come up with this fancy new SWB double rad concept and he will kick them out of the office within 5 minutes if they cannot come up with proof they are able to manage the thermal side of it.
He will kick them out of the door second time when they come up with their exhaust system when one other option only 6 months later has emerged as feasible and better suited to even the shortest wheelbase car on the grid.

I think a Td is there not to know it all but to get the young guns back to reality or driving them to a level of performance they had no idea of being able to reach and sustain.some need a kick some need constant support and encouragement -a good td is the guy to unearth the very best out of everyone in his team and separate the morons and get rid of them as quickly as possible.Call it talent scout and people manager and last word and of course carrying responsibility for all technical matters...

There are two kinds of TDs. One who has more of a managerial role and one who has a technical one. Bob Bell is the technical kind since he is an engineer and aerodynamicist himself. Hence he would know what works and where they are taking a gamble if not from his own knowledge then through his years of experience.

[Ferraripilot]

With Acosta going to MB, does this mean Byrne will likely no longer assist Ferrari and chose to perhaps consult with MB/Acosta on occasion? Just thinking out loud here.....

[raymondu999]

Byrne is actually a Ferrari part time employee afaik. His affiliation is with Ferrari, not Costa

[dren]

I don't think the W03 is going to be a completely clean sheet car. There are a lot of things that will be brought over from the W02. Let's just hope it is has a good solid base and design.