[ 2020 ] AMG Mercedes F1 Team - Mercedes

[Jambier]

Racefans are speculating about Mercedes quitting F1 at the end of the season. Seems an idiotic idea to me when it's worth literally billions in promotion, but generally Racefans are fairly solid:

The board of Mercedes‘ parent company Daimler will meet in two weeks’ time to decide whether to withdraw its team from Formula 1 at the end of the 2020 season.

RaceFans, in a joint investigation with Autocar, has learned the meeting will take place on February 12th. Mercedes’ current contract to participate in F1 expires at the end of this season.
Mercedes’ departure would raise immediate questions over the future of its drivers, including reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, and its chassis building operation in Brackley.

While Mercedes’ factory F1 programme has been extremely successful – the team has swept the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in each of the last six seasons – several signs point to a likely exit for the three-pointed star.

https://www.racefans.net/2020/01/29/mer ... t-f1-2020/

It's been month since Mercedes departure is on the lips of everyone on the grid, on forums etc.

We will see. It seemed lately that they were finally Ok to stay 2 more years, with 2 more years for Wolff and for Hamilton.

We know the Mercedes CEO wants to cut cost in all domains, but F1 does not cost them a lot; but of course, they have already win everything, what's left to prove ?

This is the real problem. The only possible next step for Mercedes is... to be beaten, to lose.
If they quit end 2020, they will leave unbeaten, and whoever will be the world champion will suffer of "Oh yeah, it is only because Mercedes is not here anymore "

[SmallSoldier]

Next month will be interesting for sure... If I’m not wrong, Mercedes has until March to communicate if they won’t in the grid in 2021.

Can’t imagine the Championship without them at this point.


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[izzy]

It's been month since Mercedes departure is on the lips of everyone on the grid, on forums etc.

We will see. It seemed lately that they were finally Ok to stay 2 more years, with 2 more years for Wolff and for Hamilton.

We know the Mercedes CEO wants to cut cost in all domains, but F1 does not cost them a lot; but of course, they have already win everything, what's left to prove ?

This is the real problem. The only possible next step for Mercedes is... to be beaten, to lose.
If they quit end 2020, they will leave unbeaten, and whoever will be the world champion will suffer of "Oh yeah, it is only because Mercedes is not here anymore "

yes they can only go down can't they, from where they are now. But i think there's a lot of value in making their brand synonymous with F1, the way Ferrari is or McLaren, which would mean staying in forever. And as far as i can see it'd cost them a fortune in advertising to get anywhere near the same level of promotion any other way. And once they leave they'll be forgotten pretty quickly like Toyota or BMW, apart from being an engine supplier which is the worst of all ways of doing it that's why Renault went back to being a team and Honda were complaining about the cost.

but as you say we can only wait and see. Boards can do stupid things like the rest of us

[astracrazy]

I could see them leaving to be honest (not engines). Unlike other teams the problem they have is they dominated the era, that included one or two major changes in it, which has never been seen before and I don't think will be seen for a long time.

They brought Brawn, implemented a plan and executed it to a T.

What's next for them? Further dominance in a brand new era of F1? Possible but unlikely. They will be looking at Red Bull, who dominated the previous era, and thinking do we want to become like them. Baring in mind it's looking more likely without Hamilton and Toto.

If they leave after this season they are leaving on top and can take a bow because they achieved something remarkable which I don't see being repeated. If they start 2021 and its not the status quo an exit is always going to be much more sour for the brand.

I can very much see it being a "we came, we saw, we conquered - next" outcome.

[the EDGE]

It's been month since Mercedes departure is on the lips of everyone on the grid, on forums etc.

We will see. It seemed lately that they were finally Ok to stay 2 more years, with 2 more years for Wolff and for Hamilton.

We know the Mercedes CEO wants to cut cost in all domains, but F1 does not cost them a lot; but of course, they have already win everything, what's left to prove ?

This is the real problem. The only possible next step for Mercedes is... to be beaten, to lose.
If they quit end 2020, they will leave unbeaten, and whoever will be the world champion will suffer of "Oh yeah, it is only because Mercedes is not here anymore "

yes they can only go down can't they, from where they are now. But i think there's a lot of value in making their brand synonymous with F1, the way Ferrari is or McLaren, which would mean staying in forever. And as far as i can see it'd cost them a fortune in advertising to get anywhere near the same level of promotion any other way. And once they leave they'll be forgotten pretty quickly like Toyota or BMW, apart from being an engine supplier which is the worst of all ways of doing it that's why Renault went back to being a team and Honda were complaining about the cost.

but as you say we can only wait and see. Boards can do stupid things like the rest of us

'IF' they decide to quit F1 they won't just close the factory doors and hand out redundancy. The team is a huge asset and has existed in many guises over the years, i'm sure for them it will be business as usual, just with a different name

[izzy]

'IF' they decide to quit F1 they won't just close the factory doors and hand out redundancy. The team is a huge asset and has existed in many guises over the years, i'm sure for them it will be business as usual, just with a different name

oh yes so true, it's worth $1Bn according to Forbes. Aston Martin or whatever, tho will they still have the same integration with HPP, and the resources of Daimler like with the truck turbo in 2014 or now Honda are using with their jet department

[Jambier]

The rumor is a Wolff- Stroll buyout of the team.

If Mercedes leave, I think they will want to leave with a good image, so solding it for a reasonnable price and not destroying it...

We will know in a few weeks it seems.

There is something interesting though: I'm sure if the team became "private" they will never be able to pay Hamilton 60 million.
So let's see the transfers

[zibby43]

RTL F1 have stated that source inside the team said that the report was bogus.

There will be a meeting to eventually discuss the terms of the F1 contract renewal, but all the sensationalism about withdrawing being the first option is just that, sensationalism.

https://www.rtl.de/cms/formel-1-zukunft ... 77783.html

[izzy]

RTL F1 have stated that source inside the team said that the report was bogus.

There will be a meeting to eventually discuss the terms of the F1 contract renewal, but all the sensationalism about withdrawing being the first option is just that, sensationalism.

https://www.rtl.de/cms/formel-1-zukunft ... 77783.html

that makes more sense than them leaving. of course they have to have leaving as an option, just to be able to negotiate the new 2021-on deal

[Morteza]

From Hamilton's Instagram

[izzy]

From Hamilton's Instagram...

lol, of course this is all part of how he's worth so much

[zibby43]

RTL F1 have stated that source inside the team said that the report was bogus.

There will be a meeting to eventually discuss the terms of the F1 contract renewal, but all the sensationalism about withdrawing being the first option is just that, sensationalism.

https://www.rtl.de/cms/formel-1-zukunft ... 77783.html

that makes more sense than them leaving. of course they have to have leaving as an option, just to be able to negotiate the new 2021-on deal

100% agreed, izzy. The fact that the RaceFans (they are normally excellent) article didn't even mention the fact that as recently as 2018 (the only year I have access to Merc's financial statement), Merc's involvement in F1 netted the company billions of dollars, is unusual lol.

[Jambier]

Well of course an internal guy will not confirm anything.

We will see what happen, IMO the board wants to evaluate whether they should continue or not.

So only them know if they go there to end it or continue it.

[izzy]

Well of course an internal guy will not confirm anything.

We will see what happen, IMO the board wants to evaluate whether they should continue or not.

So only them know if they go there to end it or continue it.

there's a deal on the table from Liberty, has to be, and that's what they're going to decide about, the contract terms as @Zibby quoted, and then if they turn it down the implication is they'll leave, but in reality Liberty will have to make them a better offer, as long as they believe them. It must be a huge drama behind the scenes, with Mercedes talking to Ferrari and Dietrich, in fact Toto talking to everyone as usual, all tricky alliances, and Liberty trying to grab as much of the cash as they can without collapsing the whole house of cards into a dusty little heap

and the Daimler board will be looking at how much F1 will cost them won't they, the new prize money, sponsorship, the cost cap and everything, and the promotion on the other side. They all need each other, they each have to get the maximum, without overdoing it and ending up with nothing. Awesome

[zibby43]

Daimler CEO dismisses Mercedes F1 exit speculation

World champions Mercedes are not preparing to pull out of Formula One, Daimler Chief Executive Ola Kaellenius said on Wednesday.

Autocar and the racefans.net website reported earlier that the subject of whether Mercedes should leave the sport as a constructor would be discussed at the next board meeting of parent body Daimler.

“Not true,” Kaellenius said on the sidelines of the German Auto Industry annual reception in Berlin when asked if Mercedes were planning to leave the Liberty Media-owned sport.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-moto ... SKBN1ZS30V

And this:

https://twitter.com/karunchandhok/statu ... 99553?s=20