ecapox wrote:
Does Mercedes have winning potential, yes....like most other teams. Has it shown that it can win, in my opinion, No. Sure it was formerly the Championship winning Brawn team, but that was a fluke. Since taking the reins, Mercedes has done nothing. Mercedes isnt going to throw unlimited amounts of money at this team to make it work. THey have publicly said so.
and this is the key. Merc will not spend the money ferrari redbull, or even possibly Mclaren would. F1 is no.1 first and foremost a marketing vehicle for them, whereas the other big 3 have genuine reasons to win...their company brands totally depend on it. For Merc its just about showcasing the brand on an international stage - all tieing in perfectly with Ham's ambition to be some sort of global superstar. It will be a total fail if he doesnt get a championship in 2 years, time will tell.
Mercedes have had 3 years to develop the car, and as far as i can see have made no progress from 2010.
There is the argument that Lewis is thinking longterm, that having a works Merc engine will reap rewards. Well...that hasnt made much difference to Mclaren or Sauber this year has it?
Ham is probably the fastest driver in quali conditions, but over an entire season? Against redbull/vettel and Alonso/Ferrari? He doesnt stand a chance.