Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team 2013

[Dyanxx]

I remember when the Merc team threads were jam packed with trolls and Merc haters saying this team was a joke and the epitome corporate ineptitude in F1. Now they cry in their beer and scream cheating, while the team currently holds second place in the constructors' championship.

Face it, for the naysayers, this team will never be able to do right by them.

For the many of us who have stuck with this steam, it was a great day. It seems many chefs can sometimes create a tasty broth.

Great job Stuttgard, great job Brixworth, great job Brackley.

Well said, when RB push the boundaries, they're praised for being clever, but you couldn't call what Merc did cheating, since they were trying to help out Pirelli because of a safety issue, because today clearly proved that something needs to be done.

Very happy to see the team 2nd in the standings now, if Hamilton can actually avoid bad luck for the rest of the season then the WCC is there for the taking, since both drivers are driving so well at the moment.

[xpensive]

What everybody must realize now is just how valuable MS's endless testing with Bridgestone at Fiorano really was.

[muhammadtalha-13]

Very happy to see the team 2nd in the standings now, if Hamilton can actually avoid bad luck for the rest of the season then the WCC is there for the taking, since both drivers are driving so well at the moment.

Also a realistic chance of WDC. Difficult but not impossible if they keep up the pace.

[NewtonMeter]

I hope this fantastic momentum will shut up the few grumpy investors that wishes the brand to pull out of F1.

Us, the fans, had to suffer through some heartbreaks the last couple of years, but it feels nice going into a weekend and being able to realistically hope for a good result.

Last time that happened to me, I was still a macca fan in 2008! When I followed mercedes to brackley, I was labelled a deserter by my mates that continued to support McLaren and they've given me absolute hell ever since (because the team didn't do terribly well - compared to McLaren, ofcourse). Hehehe, well, now the boot is thoroughly on the other foot. And it's very comfortable!

[myurr]

Very happy to see the team 2nd in the standings now, if Hamilton can actually avoid bad luck for the rest of the season then the WCC is there for the taking, since both drivers are driving so well at the moment.

Also a realistic chance of WDC. Difficult but not impossible if they keep up the pace.

It would take pretty much the perfect second half of the season with Vettel hitting issues in at least one event for that to happen. Certainly it looks like the team have an outside shot, so never say never, but unfortunately it does look unlikely. If anything Mercedes' form could end up helping Vettel if they continue to take points off Alonso.

The WCC is there for the taking though. They have two strong drivers who are pushing each other. Massa is much improved this year but still seems prone to odd mistakes and misfortune and is rarely troubling the podium, so Ferrari will only really have 1.5 solid points scorers. Webber whilst a stronger points scorer than Massa is also less consistent. If Merc can keep getting two cars up into the top points positions then they could assail Red Bull in the WCC, and will most certainly beat Ferrari over the season.

With these latest updates Mercedes don't seem to have any major weaknesses except possibly still having higher degradation when the temperatures soar. I do wonder if Paddy Lowe has already had a little bit of an impact - a couple of seasons back McLaren always had slightly higher degradation than Ferrari and Red Bull and worked at it systematically rather than lucking into a good setup. I believe that Lowe has brought some of that understanding of the tyres with him and the changes have been filtering through to the car.

I was one of the people who thought Merc were hopeless last season and in previous years. I thought Hamilton had made a mistake in going there but was intrigued by what he had been told to tempt him into taking such a risk. Throughout the pre-season I cautiously revised my opinions and hoped for a reasonably solid season. But I'm happy to say that they keep exceeding my expectations and actually appear to be developing their car more effectively than their peers at the moment, ironing out the weaknesses whilst keeping the strengths.

I'm sure there'll be a couple more bad weekends when conditions conspire against them. But when Mercedes talk of a title challenge next year, only a fool would write them off now.

[banibhusan]

Tbh, I like the current situation wherein the two teams fighting for wins are RB and Merc, though it just happened for one race. But the fact that its a high speed circuit and we all expected Ferrari and Lotus to shine, and it was the complete opposite of it, gives me encouragement that Mercedes is finally making a point. I sincerely hope it continues for the rest of the season and the title is fought between RB and Mercedes all the way to the end.

[myurr]

Yeah the fact that the Merc was living with the RB through the high speed stuff was very encouraging. They seem to have an inherent mechanical advantage and are now able to couple that to a strong aero package. They should be quick everywhere, and possibly even dominant at some venues - subject to tyre wear.

[enckboaz]

i have to agree on the good job but c'mon... after THAT test everything has changed... u can't deny it...

[muhammadtalha-13]

i have to agree on the good job but c'mon... after THAT test everything has changed... u can't deny it...

That Test

[wunderkind]

I very much doubt Paddy Lowe has had any impact on the W04 up to now.

Furthermore, all recent McLarens have been mediocre to say the least.

[holeindalip]

I very much doubt Paddy Lowe has had any impact on the W04 up to now.

Furthermore, all recent McLarens have been mediocre to say the least.

While true, they don't have high tire degradation

[SectorOne]

I Think we should wait until we praise the team.
obviously so far it's been incredible and with One hell of a car that to me looks like it has the most potential for improvements then any other car (rb and Ferrari looks like they have it the ceiling almost)

Problem is you can't really build on this season other then mentally as it's a new formula next year.

I'm hoping for Hamilton's break to arrive next year and just have an era of titles.
never seen a driver with that much bad luck.

[dren]

Well the suspension update they had at the rear surely has been in the works for a while. The car was designed with the intent of making easy changes at the rear. It is hard to say how much the "secret" test helped the team, but certainly they gained something from it.

This is a genuinely fast car. A win on merrit on a Red Bull dominant track. If Mercedes keeps this up they could very well give Red Bull a run for its money to the WCC.

[NewtonMeter]

Well the suspension update they had at the rear surely has been in the works for a while. The car was designed with the intent of making easy changes at the rear. It is hard to say how much the "secret" test helped the team, but certainly they gained something from it.

This is a genuinely fast car. A win on merrit on a Red Bull dominant track. If Mercedes keeps this up they could very well give Red Bull a run for its money to the WCC.

Being pedantic here, but I'm going to assume you mean Hamilton's potential win?

[Vasconia]

i have to agree on the good job but c'mon... after THAT test everything has changed... u can't deny it...

That Test

Yes THAT test, I dont believe in miracles, see the peformance of the cars in Barcelona and see the performance of the "same" cars in a very similar circuit like Silverstone(fast corners, high tyre degradation, high downforce). In a month the step forward has been bigger than in 3 years, I am happy for Lewis and Nico, I would have liked to see Schumi driving this car but I smile for Nico because he has suffered so much the last three years...

Now I believe that both drivers can fight for the Championship in 2014, I dont mention 2013 because I think its quite tricky to reduce the gap between them and Sebastian(even with Alonso). But if they start to win races in a row who knows...