FORUMula1.com

[Hammer278]

We'll only ever really know in Melbourne, but you cannot deny that Merc have looked good in testing.

They've looked good in testing before.

The only prayer left for those not liking the ominous signs from Merc.

[andrew]

Who said anything about not liking them?

Just saying they've looked good before and then failed to deliver come race-day.

[Hammer278]

Who said anything about not liking them?

Just saying they've looked good before and then failed to deliver come race-day.

Not liking 'the signs'...read the sentence again.

Anyway, they have looked good in testing, had a slow start to a season...then took pole position, a win..and then steadily dropped away. It's not like they were super in testing and then nowhere when the season started.

The only big question which remains about the team is their development pace. Their let-off last season was largely due to a team which gave up their quest for anything significant halfway and a failed design concept due to team re-shuffling. This is the first chassis built from scratch by one chief designer. Nothing bad lasts forever, not even Redbull impressed in their first 3 seasons, don't forget that.

[CookinFlat6]

Nice one Ross, since geting dumped by Honda in 2008 you now have the Merc engine, a trophy at Brackley, Paddy, Lewis and Honda get Jenson and Martin

[Hammer278]

Honda and Button know one another all too well, maybe they could make a 2nd Earth car...since McLaren recently got that sustainability award and all. Predictions on bunny ears appearing on the McLaren? I say 2015.

[Jabberwocky]

I was thinking about this today. I actually want Mercedes to win the championship. It is clear that Ross is getting retired at the end of the year. I just want him to walk away from what was his team as a champion.

[Hammer278]

He sold what was his team for a hefty profit. He 'flipped' this team by buying it from Honda, winning the WDC and selling it like a piece of real estate! Merc have kept him on as the real estate agent in charge.

[CookinFlat6]

He saved a lot of jobs and a lot of face by Honda who just wanted out. If he hadnt put his head on the line, Honda would have had to pay out a lot more to people like Button who were on big multi year contracts and would have had the bad PR of making a whole bunch of people redundant.
So the big profit on the flip was from Honda selling cheap with Merc paying up for a going concern with a title (although they were barred from publicising the Mercedes engines of the Brawn titles by McLaren)
RB persuaded Button to cancel his Honda obligation, take a lower pay deal, got Merc in etc etc,

I think in that case it really was the nice guy doing well out of it

Maybe if Button hadnt had such a ridiculously inflated pay cheque in the first place Honda might still be there

[Jabberwocky]

Honda wanted out. I can not believe you are having a go at someone for negotiating the best salary he could get... I am sure none of us have ever tried to do that

[CookinFlat6]

Its not Buttons fault for having a fat pay cheque deal, Honda agreed it, just saying that with the financial crisis and Honda looking at its costs, the prospect of paying out inflated salaries for another few years will have had a bearing on the decision to pull the plug

RB negotiated a more realistic number for JB that even involved keeping the car! (which he sued for afterwards)

[Jabberwocky]

Who sued who? Not heard this story

[CookinFlat6]

RB agreed a wage packet for JB that had things like JB buying his own plane tickets etc, and apparently said that if JB won he could keep the F1 car. At the end of the season JB wanted a full wage again and RB/Merc said no way and so JB sued for the car

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formul ... -gift.html

http://www.espn.co.uk/mclaren/motorspor ... 20860.html

Buttons got a lot of previous when it comes to petty contract wrangles

[Jabberwocky]

How odd, you can kind of see both sides of the story. Button wanted a car he drove.

Merc said, we don't have one but we will build you one during the shutdown.

The question really is where have the 6 Brawns gone? how is the factory open during shutdown to build it?

[What's Burning?]

What's Tiger Balm?

ESPNF1; Nico Rosberg says working alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes this year has reminded him of their time together in karting and he is confident their strong relationship will push the team forwards.

Rosberg and Hamilton raced as team-mate in go karts thirteen years ago and remained friends through the junior ranks. Now they are together at the same team again and Rosberg said it was just like old times.

"The memories come back even though it was such a long time ago," he said. "Sometimes it feels like exactly like it was back then. It's going to be a great challenge [going up against Hamilton] for sure and that's what I'm here for, challenges like that. He's one of the best in the pit lane, but together we are going to work well and help push the team forward."

In their karting days Rosberg once pulled a practical joke on Hamilton by smearing Tiger Balm in his team-mate's underpants, but he said he hadn't had the opportunity to pull any pranks so far.

"Not yet, but I'm sure there will be plenty of time for that."

He is confident the whole of the Mercedes team is working well together and that the new technical hierarchy will produce results.

"I don't want to name any one person because everybody at the factory has a massive input. For sure the communication has been structured better and it's all going in a better direction. I think we are progressing as a team."

[Hammer278]

Something like Vicks I think...you smear it for burns or something if not mistaken. Anyway, it gives you a burning sensation for a while if you put too much.