Six Mercedes Engines on the 2009 Grid.

[Porceliamone]

There has been reference in a recent article in a UK broadsheet newspaper, The Guardian; to Mercedes supplying engines to the ailing Honda Team should they be able to stump up the 7 million or so for a full seasons compliment.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/fe ... honda-cash

Now I'm a McLaren fan, I don't mind admitting it, but is there cause for concern from other teams here with regards to the extra information Mercedes might glean from so many cars using their lump?

In terms of significant development any extra useful data gained will be negated by the engine freeze. However from the perspective of reliability and squeezing the last tiny drop of performance from every other aspect they are allowed to fiddle with, do we think that Mercedes might include (or already have done so with Force India) clauses to the supply contract where they can use these two teams as a test bed for any changes they are allowed to make with a view to benefiting their primary partner, McLaren?

 

[Ninad13]

That will only happen if Honda make it to grid. Looking at the situation, its very unlikely that Honda are racing MELBOURNE, though I like Jenson and Rubens and would love to see them!!

 

[Brogan]

I suppose the same concern could have been addressed towards Ferrari last season when they were supplying Toro Rosso and Force India.
As it is, there will still be 4-Ferrari powered cars in 2009 so even if McLaren do get the Honda supply deal, they will still be an aggregate of 2 engines behind Ferrari

As there's an engine freeze I expect it will have much less significance than if the teams were allowed to continue development.

Personally I doubt there are any clauses in either contract stating that they must allow McLaren/Mercedes to use the 2 teams as test-beds for the benefit of McLaren.
But, as is the case with most things in F1, we'll never really know...

 

[Porceliamone]

I suppose the same concern could have been addressed towards Ferrari last season when they were supplying Toro Rosso and Force India.
...

Brogan, you're quite right. I rather foolishly forgot that as it is something of which I am aware!
Did Ferrari have to receive authorisation from the FIA to do so? I'm guessing so.
What about the link with KERS now though? Do you think that will make a difference?

 

[Brogan]

What about the link with KERS now though? Do you think that will make a difference?

Now that will have much more significance as it's such a new system and there won't be a huge amount of data from real life use.

I wouldn't be surprised though if there's some kind of mutual agreement to share data on KERS as assuming McLaren will have the better aero package, ultimately it will be of more benefit to McLaren to get as much data as possible.
Force India (and Honda?) will also benefit but I doubt that they will be challenging McLaren for track position.

Although stranger things have happened...

 

[cider_and_toast]

Having read several books by team owners that ran customer Ferrari engines they were sometimes a curse rather than a gift. In the book "Forza Minardi" Mr Minardi himself said that he regretted giving up the reliable but not quite as powerful Ford Engines and using the Ferrari engines instead. He sited several instances of his car being on the pace one minute and strangley off it the next. These periods of quick and slow used to be inconjunction with periods when Ferrari would need help from Minardi in a race. He thought that just because he was in an Italian team he would get full support from his fellow Italians.

I reckon there won't be such worries for teams powered by Merc engines and with the engine rules in place I don't think it will be the development aid that it would have been say 10 years ago.

 

[FB]

McLaren & Mercedes involvement at Force India goes far beyond just delivering some engines and letting them go racing. In Autocourse this year the last paragraph in the Force India team review says " "McLaren appointee Simon Roberts was drafted into the Silverstone based team as CEO". Expect the Force India cars to move significatly up the grid this season as I would take this to mean they are a defacto McLaren second team.