Current Mercedes

Mercedes GP

FIA Entry: Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team
Car 7: Michael Schumacher
Car 8: Nico Rosberg
Engine: Mercedes V8
Team Principal: Ross Brawn
Technical Director: Bob Bell
Race Engineer Car 7: Mark Slade
Race Engineer Car 8: Tony Ross

Stats as of end 2010

First Entered 2010
Races Entered 19
Race Wins 0
Pole Positions 0
Fastest Laps 0
Driver World Championships 0
Constructor World Championships 0

Team History

The Mercedes team history splits into two parts. In 1954 the famous pre-war Silver Arrows entered the F1 world championship and recorded a 1-2 at their first race. Fangio went on to win the drivers championship that year and again in 1955. Mercedes withdrew at the end of the 1955 season after the accident which killed 80 spectators at Le Mans which involved one of their cars.

The current team entered F1 in 2010 after Mercedes bought Brawn Grand Prix. Brawn Grand Prix, winners of the Drivers Championship, with Jenson Button, and the constructor’s championship in 2009, grew out of the ashes of Honda’s F1 entry after Honda had withdrawn from F1 at the end of the 2008 season after only a single Grand Prix win for Button in Hungary 2006.

Prior to the Honda takeover in 2006 the team had raced under the name of British America racing which had acquired the assets and race entry of the Tyrrell F1 team in 1999. BAR competed in 118 races without a single victory. The high points for the team were 2 pole positions (both for Button – San Marino 2004 and Canada 2005) and 2nd in the constructors championship in 2004.

Tyrrell were amongst the most successful private F1 teams taking part in 463 Grands Prix, scoring 33 victories and 3 Drivers Championships, all with Jackie Stewart.

2010

Having replaced Button and Barrichello with Nico Rosberg and 7 times WDC Michael Schumacher many expected great things of the new Mercedes team in 2010 but they had an indifferent season.

Rosberg managed 3 podiums for the team but Schumacher, coming back from retirement, struggled with the new cars, tyres and limited testing under the revised regulations. The team finished 4th in the Constructors Championship.

2011

For 2011 Mercedes retain the same driver line up and are hoping for better things from their MGP W02 chassis.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Some nice excuses from Ross Brawn...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93641

...but no guidance about whether or not they can win next year.

At least he's not making any excuses about why Schumacher isn't fast enough.

So, if the Mercedes GP car isn't capable of winning, why spend all that money on Schumacher finishing 5th or 6th or 7th or 8th or whatever?

 

[Cookinflatsix]

FB

Stats should really include the previous Mercedes incarnation methinks

 

[Cookinflatsix]

So, if the Mercedes GP car isn't capable of winning, why spend all that money on Schumacher finishing 5th or 6th or 7th or 8th or whatever?

Branding and marketing of supercars to compete with Ferrari and McLaren etc

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Ray, Nico who is a quick and smart youngster is not really that many points ahead in the WC

It a bit like Williams with Reubens and young Pastor, quali is the young mans and in the race the older guy isn't too far off overall

It's no longer the disaster for Mercedes that it looked like

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

It's a disaster if you're paying someone 30 Million a season to finish 7th or 8th!

It's especially a disaster when the Eurozone is heading into a recession particulary after Mercedes staff were being cut and asked to take pay freezes coming out of the previous recession in 2009 just before Schumacher was signed

What ever way you look at it, it's a disaster. Get rid of the 30 Million per year albatross and hire a couple of people to design a faster car!

That contract simply isn't value for money. Not one bit!

And while the board in Stuttgart is at it, they should get rid of Nick Fry. What's he being paid to do? Take up oxygen?

 

[Josh]

So, if the Mercedes GP car isn't capable of winning, why spend all that money on Schumacher finishing 5th or 6th or 7th or 8th or whatever?

He's still Michael Schumacher. He's still really attractive to any potential sponsors. He's still a big name, and being attached to a 7-times world champion is definitely not going to do your reputation any harm.

Without him, they'd probably not be getting the amount of sponsor money they're getting now. This enables them to spend more money on upgrades which should help them get to the top (unless they're the second coming of Toyota). And let's not forget that Schumacher is the one who helped Ferrari return to the top - he gives very good feedback and has a good amount of technical knowledge.
I can definitely see them fighting it out with RB, Ferrari in McLaren in a few years' time.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

And let's not forget that Schumacher is the one who helped Ferrari return to the top - he gives very good feedback and has a good amount of technical knowledge.
I can definitely see them fighting it out with RB, Ferrari in McLaren in a few years' time.

I am actually agreeing with you strangled

Having a German 7 x WC involved first as a driver then as management is probably worth it to Merc. Merc are there for a while, they cannot do a Toyota etc

They could try and poach Lewis or Seb with a massive long term deal to buy their way to the front a la Ferrari in the MS era

Daimler have some serious backers and want to get into the supercar space like Ferrari who don't spend a penny on advertising

Also these chaps invented the car as we know it ( not sure it's relevance but it's good to remember)

 

[RasputinLives]

It's a disaster if you're paying someone 30 Million a season to finish 7th or 8th

Where have you got this figure from Ray? Schumi signed a 3 year contract for 7 million Euros a year (6.2m quid)

 

[FB]

FB

Stats should really include the previous Mercedes incarnation methinks

I did think about that Cookin but the lineage of the team doesn't really go back to the Silver Arrows so decide just to put up the stats of the team post 2010.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

More and more leaks from Mercedes about how they're likely in for a tough road ahead...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93786

Doesn't look like they're going to win next year either, are they?

 

[RasputinLives]

Well Its Ross Brawn - he'll probably write off next season in order to maximise on the new engine regs. Schumacher and Rosberg will be gone by 2013 and they'll prob bring in Hulkenberg and run away with the thing.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

...they'll prob bring in Hulkenberg and run away with the thing.

As if a guy who can't get a seat is going to just show up and simply 'run away' with it all...Ahaha!

People are hyping di Resta who, it must be said, isn't exactly thrashing Sutil these days.

If Mercedes are going to win a title it'll have to be with a Hamilton or a Vettel in 2013.

 

[FB]

As if a guy who can't get a seat is going to just show up and simply 'run away' with it all...Ahaha!

I'm not sure if you're being ironic or not Ray, but for the sake of repeating what I posted in the JB thread...

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

I'm not sure if you're being ironic or not Ray, but for the sake of repeating what I posted in the JB thread...

FB, Jenson didn't merely show up after a rookie year. Jenson was being talked about as a potential champion as early as 2000...if not, then 2004.

Jenson was in his 9th season when he became WDC. Rasputin is talking about a guy with 1 season under his belt and getting into a race seat 3 seasons later!

Big difference.

 

[RasputinLives]

You're right Ray - who's ever heard of someone just jumping into a car after not being in F1 the year before and being the class of the field

 

[FB]

It was the "can't get a seat" comment Ray. Apart from some vibes from Flavio at Renault if RB hadn't found a quid down the back of the sofa to buy out Honda both Jenson and Rubens would have been kicking their heels in 2009.

 

[RasputinLives]

Just to make clear by the way I used Hulkenberg's name as a throw away for a possible young talent Merc will pick up after Rosberg and Schumi leave. The actual point of my post was whilst Merc are not doing well at the moment with Ross Brawn around you shouldn't rule them out and maybe they're slowly building and will pull a Brawn shocker in 2013 a bit like the Brawn shocker in 2009. Hence why I wrote they will run away with it and not he will run away with. My suggestion that the car will be the class of the field.

I could have said Sakon Yamamoto. Glad I didn't.

 

[Slyboogy]

When Ray's around you need to pick your words specifically, it's a hard job, yet to see anyone achieve it!

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

You're right Ray - who's ever heard of someone just jumping into a car after not being in F1 the year before and being the class of the field

I already knew you or someone else would play the Lewis card. [As an aside, Lewis wasn't the class of the field. There were two other guys with him...so he was, in my opinion, part of a gang of 3.]

Lewis, regardless, is/was an anomaly. An exception to the rule. You know it...I know it...we all know it. Lewis had about 9000 Km worth of testing under his belt before hitting the ground running in March 2007.

Hulkenberg had no such luxury...Plus Hulkenberg isn't a Lewis Hamilton-type driver. Hamilton is an All Time Great in the making whereas I don't think Hulk is. If Hulkenberg was seen as such, F1 would have moved Heaven & Earth to make sure he had his bum in a race seat this year.

Cheers.

Just to make clear ... I wrote they will run away with it and not he will run away with. My suggestion that the car will be the class of the field.

Well, that's a little different...So I humbly apologize if I hurt your feelings!