Mercedes GP 2011

[marcush.]

the question is :
Are Willis ,Costa,Bigois even happy when dragged into the leadership position? I ´d say no.In all cases it was not going really well and sure they must have realised that it is not the leaders seat that makes them happy and thrive.
btw Newewey is NOT TD at RedBull he is chief technical officer. ..I bet he does not even care about the Siemens PLM system as long as it is delivering the desired results...
So in the end it might well be that it worked the other way round and Bell is creating the niche for all these competent guys to be able to max their potential .
I do not see any comitee forming.

[munudeges]

I'm afraid some people are obviously not aware of the kinds of crossover that goes on in any organisation, and especially with these kinds of environments. People have a horrible tendency to stick with what they know and what they're used to.

You can underline and italic what people are supposed to be doing and who is in charge on paper all you like, but this kind of silly structure has bypass written everywhere.

[Richard]

The clear message of Bell is in charge and Costa & Willis are his sidekicks shows the correct intent. There really is nothing more Merc could have done to be more explicit, is there? How is that a "silly structure"?

In my two decades in design offices, I also know that a dysfunctional team can be transformed by bringing the right person at the top. Previously disruptive people fall into working for a common goal. People who struggled in management roles are relieved to get back to the engineering that they love (ie Costa & Bigois?). Senior partners can breathe a sigh of relief that they don't dragged into detail (Brawn?)

I see macrush has made a similar point.

[xpensive]

I'm afraid that some members have romantic view of life in an engineering office, always people there who loves to xcercise their influence without shouldering the accountability, unless it works of course.

Mixing five different X-TDs in the same building is just stupid or worse, non of these guys are obedient doers in any way.

[Richard]

Aha - so your premise is that someone who once had a title "TD" is incapable of working with anyone else ever again?

That's my firm shafted, we rotate our CEO every 6 years. We have 3 ex-CEOs who seem to work quite happily with the current CEO. We also tend to rotate our regional MDs too, they tend to got tired of the crap that comes with being a manager.

----

What this comes down to is this:

Merc have announced a clear management structure with Brawn as team principal, with Bell as TD, and Costa/Willis as deputies. I don't think anyone can be more explicit that in that.

x and mun have a cynical view that ego will corrupt any plan and Merc can do nothing (barring demolition of both Brackley & Stuttgart) to dissuade them otherwise. There can be no further discussion.

Since your posts seem to be stuck on repeat why don't you just leave the thread?

[beelsebob]

A lot of people here seem to have a very jaded view of the way that industry works. I've worked for one company where everyone was fighting each other for the top spot, and several where people recognise that they're all there to achieve the same goal, and just treat each other as equals. I expect that any successful formula 1 team is the latter, because it becomes very difficult to work effectively in the former.

[xpensive]

...
Since your posts seem to be stuck on repeat why don't you just leave the thread?

What you are saying is something like this; "Since you continue to p**s on my parade, you should not post on this thread anymore", isn't it richard? Sorry to disappoint, but I have just returned after a two-week xile, why I have more on my agenda.

I don't know about you guys, but I fail to see why the relationship between alfa-males in the engineering office should be any different than anywhere else in society, between Formula One drivers for instance?

You don't become a TD (Top Dog) in an F1 design-engineering office by xposing your throat, of that I'm certain.

[Richard]

Personally I wish Bob Bell well. Merc have given him the opportunity to make a difference.

[dren]

Costa took the job rather quickly, surely he knows what he will be doing. The same for Willis. It's not like Mercedes bought these guys as TDs and forced them into their subordinate to the TD positions. They were most certainly told their duties and who they would report to before they agreed to take the job.

It sounds like it could work really well. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Mr.S]

I am afraid that I am seeing a lot of stupid posts, in a know-it-all mode,people with a divine spirit who can predict the future & all possible problems.

TO all true Mercedes fans,plz dont pass judgements before proper time. Costa-Willis have not even joined. Let the W03 roll out & see what bell does & if Willis-Costa at all have any input & see the in-season development that occurs in W03 with the help of Costa-Willis.

Another stupid logic I am seeing is that Brawn-Bell-Costa-Willis will be fighting over the design. Unimaginably stupid because Brawn is Team Principal. Martin Whitemarsh does not decide the nitty fritty of the car. Neither will Brawn. The structure has been made abundantly clear. Bell will be TD & Costa-Willis will report to him. Despite that I am seeing stupid conspiracy theories & constant fateful posts.

If you dont like Mercedes dont bother posting rather than coming up with the same stupid --- every time. I dont know if Tomba will ban me now but I think Tomba should take action against stupid Mercedes haters continually trying to spoil this thread.

[Mr.S]

Anyways Mclaren & Ferrari are in the same dog-house as Mercedes. Mclaren with Lowe & Sam Michael. Ferrai with Nick,Tombazis & possible Rory Byrne.

That is the only way you can take on Red Bull. I think major F1 teams know more than adamant fanboys. Nobody in this thread is qualified enough to say how this will work. I trust Merc & I think what they are doing. I trust them more than adamant haters.

[Ferraripilot]

Costa took the job rather quickly, surely he knows what he will be doing. The same for Willis. It's not like Mercedes bought these guys as TDs and forced them into their subordinate to the TD positions. They were most certainly told their duties and who they would report to before they agreed to take the job.

It sounds like it could work really well. We'll just have to wait and see.

Exactly. Willis and Costa will be given their own respective teams or departments to manage, and they will of course reporte and review their findings/work with Bell. It's a team operation there and they are all world champion class people, not to mention capable adults. And as adults, they are capable of working with others and clearly making a decision such as joining a team with several former TDs. Any suggestion that they did not know full well what they were getting into is an uninformed one.

[dren]

If you dont like Mercedes dont bother posting rather than coming up with the same stupid --- every time. I dont know if Tomba will ban me now but I think Tomba should take action against stupid Mercedes haters continually trying to spoil this thread.

I'd have to disagree. I am glad there are people on here who are 180 degree opposite from some of the others. They have valid view points even if they are not adamantly pro Mercedes (though I think they are fans). Anything any of us say or argue is pure speculation.

Now when things get personal on here, that gets annoying really quickly, but simple debating back and forth is good.

[dren]

We'll just have to wait to see how the car turns out. Surely Bob Bell had a good bit of input. The new additions in Costa and Willis will help out down the line. I'm sure they will have some input into a few of the systems.

The team was once upon a time ruined by design-by-committee when Honda took helm and put Nakamoto (motoGP background) in as TD. I would think they would not return to that.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

I just dont see what the criticism is regards Mercedes management is.

Haug is there to report back to the paymasters in Stuttgart and deliver the usual PR.
Brawn is there because he has the role that Whitmarsh has at McLaren.
Bell is the orchestral master, and calls the tune technically.
Willis is there as technology director(Bell will know more than anyone what this entails)
Costa is engineering director, again Bell will know what this entails.

Its very clear and quite simple actually.

-------------------------------------- Bell-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Willis-------- Costa


A big bell end if you like