Hammer278 wrote:Denthúl wrote:racechick wrote:I think Mercedes are well aware that performances are below par, both Haug and Brawn have said so. but I doubt they'll be wasting time and resources on the rest of this year. They're focused on next year and particularly th year after.
The problem with this attitude from them, as I've pointed out before, is that they have stopped the development of their car early every season since their return in 2010, yet the next season has been just as much a joke; can't understand the tyres, can't reduce deg, seem to have issues with cornering etc. so I'm not convinced that this "we'll get it right in 2014" is going to live up to some peoples' expectations. Certainly, I wish them well, but I'm willing to bet that they won't make a leap to the front of the pack.
They entered F1 as a full manufacturer 3 years ago. Some key people in the aero department only arrived during the off season pre 2012. You can't change much for the season when new department heads join a team while a car is already in prototype stage ready to be launched. I enjoy the fact that Merc are having disastrous races now, as it clearly shows they are very much looking into the near future instead of right now. They can't catch Lotus, and there's not much threat from behind so in nowhere land, this season's set for them.
There's also a reason why you hire one of the most expensive drivers on the grid at this time, coinciding with the timing where they can make some serious progress now that everyone required is in place. They have the engine sorted out, getting the aero to work will take time and you can surely expect some progress from them in 2013. Not Championship winning, but a solid foothold in getting into the Top 3 Constructors.
Perhaps, but key senior staff (Bell, Willis and Costa) arrived prior to the end of the 2011 season, so unless they've been focusing on next year or 2014 right from the beginning, they've had no visible impact on Mercedes' update strategy. It will certainly be interesting to see what impact they
do have, though. Especially Costa, considering the circumstances surrounding his Ferrari departure.
What's Burning? wrote:And I'll be very curious to see what happens. If Mercedes finish ahead of Lotus next year, that's a success for them... enough of a success that it pretty much would pay for Lewis' contract.
The flip side is that Mclaren will not have a Lewis Hamilton next year to get them point during the "lean" races... the stint where Button is unable to find grip and is struggling to make it in to Q3 for five or six races.
Actually next year you could have McLaren, Lotus and Mercedes all fighting for third place.
That is certainly a possibility. One could also argue that, by having two drivers who are easy on their tyres and don't throw the car around to get heat into them in the same way Lewis does, it gives them one clear route on how to develop certain car characteristics in order to eliminate the problem entirely. 2013 is definitely going to be interesting from a car development point of view, even if it will be overshadowed by 2014's big changes.
Can you imagine Whitmarsh's post race interviews.
- By hass25