FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[darwin dali]

F1live:
The future of Mercedes' Formula One engagement is constantly under review, Norbert Haug has admitted.

"At least once a year the F1 project is presented to the executive committee and decided for the future," the Stuttgart marque's racing boss said in interview with the SID news agency.

The report said one possibility for Mercedes, this year powering six of the 20 cars on the grid, would be to focus on being a mere engine supplier.

Honda pulled out of the sport at the end of last year, and observers wonder if the economic recession and slump in new car sales will convince another carmaker to follow suit.

"There is no special situation for Formula One, nobody can predict in this crisis what the future brings," Haug admitted.

Haug admits the 'lie-gate' affair, to be probed by the World Motor Sport Council next week, is not good for Mercedes' image. It is clear the marque is therefore not entirely happy about the current shape of the McLaren collaboration.

"We stand with our partner (McLaren) and the current view is that in 2010 we will still be together. But the crucial functions of the team are not engaged by Mercedes," he added.





Maybe this wouldn't be the worst scenario: to be an engine supplier only and be divorced from the McLaren BS that's coming down on an almost regular basis.

With the current economy, I wouldn't be surprised to see down the road an old-style Formula One field of constructors teams that get their engines from outside with the lone exception (or maybe one other - BMW?) of Ferrari.

[Rivelution]

McLaren-Ferrari in 2011

[bud]

Mercedes would be the one car make in F1 that doesnt have the same bills to pay as they only own 40% of a team. And with 2 customer teams it will help with the costs also. So if the works team can get its head into gear and keep it clean i dont see Merc pulling out.

[darwin dali]

Mercedes would be the one car make in F1 that doesnt have the same bills to pay as they only own 40% of a team. And with 2 customer teams it will help with the costs also. So if the works team can get its head into gear and keep it clean i dont see Merc pulling out.

Mercedes Sales Down 25 Percent in November

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By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 5, 2008

The German automaker Daimler said sales in its Mercedes-Benz Cars group dropped more than 25 percent in November to 84,500 vehicles worldwide. Sales in the unit, which includes the Mercedes-Benz, AMG, Smart and Maybach brands, fell a total of 25.2 percent from the 113,000 cars sold in November 2007. Sales of the company’s Mercedes-Benz, AMG and Maybach cars dropped 27.6 percent to 74,400 while the ultracompact Smart dropped only 1.2 percent to 10,100 cars, a sign of consumer preference amid higher fuel prices. Still, overall sales during the January through November period were down only 1 percent, to 1.15 million from 1.16 million vehicles in 2007. Mercedes brand cars had the biggest slump in sales in Japan, dropping 46 percent to 2,100 in November 2008. The United States followed with a 29.9 percent drop to 16,000.

[bud]

as i am sure BMW's Renaults Toyota's car sales are also down, but whats different for Mercedes compared to them is they dont fund a team 100%

[darwin dali]

as i am sure BMW's Renaults Toyota's car sales are also down, but whats different for Mercedes compared to them is they dont fund a team 100%

Yes, other car makers are suffering, too, no doubt. But as it was hinted at multiple times by Haug, the McLaren BS is also having an effect on Mercedes/their board and they are less than happy with how McLaren manages to get in trouble time and again only to reflect badly on Mercedes. So, that psychological component (with real image and thus PR and ultimately financial implications) might make more than up for the not-100%-funding...

Did you notice how Haug disassociated himself/Mercedes from McLaren in the last sentence?

[billindenver]

Yup, and as I have said in the past...no company wants to be associated with a team who is, whether rightly or wrongly, thought of as cheating/lying on a regular basis. This is two years in a row, and the board who decides whether or not to spend those untold millions each year in F1 must decide if the typical mercedes buyer is an F1 fan, and whether or not the F1 money is bringing positive or negative publicity to the Mercedes name. I think the first answer is no, at least here in the US..most Merc drivers are clearly not F1 fans....and the second question has to be hinging very close to no as well...at least in the last two years their name has not faired real well. The WDC offsets some of the negative for certain...but then the stench of a cheating violation is quite hard to wash off...especially when re-doused once a year.

[Frosty]

All the Car companies are struggling for cash at the moment but I think Mercedes will stick with McLaren for the time being if they left McLaren then I think it would be for financial reasons not political. I think I read in early 2008 that Mercedes only puts £50 million a year into McLaren but obviously it has heavily invested in F1 such as shares and engine facilities. With cost cutting likely then I think Mercedes will stay. To be honest if they were not reviewing their F1 operation annually in such times I would be asking big questions of the Mercedes management!

[cap-dude]

I'm sure with the costs cuts and the huge demand for Mercedes engines right now, that they'll stay. Red Bull were of course talking about a Merc engine. That fact of the matter is, the Mercedes engine seems to be the most powerful there, as well as being extremely reliable. It's hard to see Mercedes pulling out just yet.

On the other hand, do BMW do customer engines, or is no really interested.

[bud]

as i am sure BMW's Renaults Toyota's car sales are also down, but whats different for Mercedes compared to them is they dont fund a team 100%

Yes, other car makers are suffering, too, no doubt. But as it was hinted at multiple times by Haug, the McLaren BS is also having an effect on Mercedes/their board and they are less than happy with how McLaren manages to get in trouble time and again only to reflect badly on Mercedes. So, that psychological component (with real image and thus PR and ultimately financial implications) might make more than up for the not-100%-funding...

Did you notice how Haug disassociated himself/Mercedes from McLaren in the last sentence?

Yeah it's natural to dissasociate yourself in time of hardship like this yet when Haug talks about winning the championship it's "we"
And as I've said in the past bring in some Merc people other than Haug into the team, and make Haug team boss!

[McLaren Fan]

Rumours are that Mercedes would have tried to break from McLaren if Ron Dennis stayed and the old management's culture remained. Now that Dennis is gone and Whitmarsh is a much less divisive guy, Mercedes should be placated slightly.

[racechick]

Rumours are that Mercedes would have tried to break from McLaren if Ron Dennis stayed and the old management's culture remained. Now that Dennis is gone and Whitmarsh is a much less divisive guy, Mercedes should be placated slightly.

So perhaps thats more of a factor in Dennis going then the rumours that it was down to Anthony.

[darwin dali]

Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if that turned out to be true. Good on Mercedes!

[bud]

Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if that turned out to be true. Good on Mercedes!

get the feeling you want McLaren to be out of the sport?

[McLaren Fan]

Rumours are that Mercedes would have tried to break from McLaren if Ron Dennis stayed and the old management's culture remained. Now that Dennis is gone and Whitmarsh is a much less divisive guy, Mercedes should be placated slightly.

So perhaps thats more of a factor in Dennis going then the rumours that it was down to Anthony.

Don't worry, he was one of those who stuck the knife into Dennis' back as well. Et tu, Brute.