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#398635
Seems Luca isn't the only one who threatens to leave F1 :hehe:
Highlighted the bits I found interesting

The bit that concerns me is them wanting to stifle public discussion by and amongst the fans.

 wrote:">New turbo engines prevented Mercedes from quitting Formula 1


The switch to the new turbo engines for 2014 was essential to prevent Mercedes from thinking about quitting Formula 1, a senior board member from the German car manufacturer has revealed.

It is already widely known that Renault would have left F1 if the V8 engines had stayed, while Honda would not be coming back in 2015 if the regulations had not changed either.

But now Thomas Weber, the Daimler board of management member who is head of R&D, has made it clear that the German car manufacturer's commitment to F1 would also have been in doubt if things had not changed.

When asked if there was a question mark over Mercedes' future in F1 if the sport had kept the old engines, Weber told AUTOSPORT: "Yes."

Although a departure may not have been immediate if Mercedes was winning, he reckoned that as soon as the success stopped then there would have been no reason to stay.

"It would have been better [if Mercedes was winning], but we as the board, we are independent," he said.

"We are responsible for what we are doing, and it's not a good argument to stay only because we are winning races.

"The only argument could then be marketing. But to do motorsport only because it is marketing, for me the discussion is too short."

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Weber, who attended last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix to see Mercedes take its second consecutive one-two finish, said that the German car manufacturer had never felt F1 technology was more relevant than now.

"In former times, it was important for me to go to a Formula 1 race just for fun," he said. "Now it's part of my business.

"Never before were we so close technology-wise to the technology we need in road cars today. The engine downsizing, turbochargers and hybrid technology. That's the name of the game now in F1."

He has called on the sport to do more to educate fans about why the new fuel efficient rules are better.

"We have to explain why this is the right direction and there is, for me, no alternative," he said. "

"These guys [the critics], they believe they can continue everything forever. They don't really know how complex and how dangerous a discussion about F1 was in the public - even in some supervisory boards.

"For me, if we wanted to protect our business for the future, then we had to change our business system."

LAUDA: F1 DEAD WITH NO NEW ENGINES
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Although there have been complaints that the new engines are not as exciting as the old V8s, Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda is adamant that that the sport would have been on its knees if change had not happened.

With Mercedes joining Renault in potentially quitting the sport without the attraction of new hybrid technology, Lauda thinks F1's future itself would have been in peril.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT, Lauda said: "If people don't want these [turbo] engines to come in, then stick to the old engines and make a garage type of racing.

"Then there will be no more big manufacturers coming in, and then you will see where the fans are - because they will be no more fans.

"It is the right thing to do to have a modern, future-orientated F1."
#398636
I really hope they pin this article up everywhere in Maranello and use this as inspiration to drive them to take on Mercedes (who got absolutely everything they wished for) and then beating them. Come on boys in red ... Avanti! Avanti!
#398637
So are Ferrari the only ones who wanted to keep the old engines? It says Merc would have THOUGHT about leaving if they old engines had stayed and Renault said they would leave if the old engines stayed. So is it just Ferrari that like them?
#398638
So are Ferrari the only ones who wanted to keep the old engines? It says Merc would have THOUGHT about leaving if they old engines had stayed and Renault said they would leave if the old engines stayed. So is it just Ferrari that like them?


Cosworth would have stayed if they kept the V8's or a derivative of those. Mercedes pretty much state that F1 had to become more "production/family car" spec.
#398639
And if Renault, Honda, Mercedes all left or didn't hop on in the first place, the what does that say about Ferrari? That they'd rather keep V8s, or better, let's go back to V10s and well just stop selling cars in ten years because we won't be able to meet regulations in quite a few of our biggest markets.

I really don't get it Spanky, why it is that you're so steadfastly holding on given the fact that we've got engines with 3 GPs under their belt, worse aerodynamics and slower tires, using 33% less fuel and are within a second or two of qualifying and lap times of V8s with years of development and loads more aero.

What's the downside?
#398643
 wrote:">New turbo engines prevented Mercedes from quitting Formula 1

The switch to the new turbo engines for 2014 was essential to prevent Mercedes from thinking about quitting Formula 1, a senior board member from the German car manufacturer has revealed.

It is already widely known that Renault would have left F1 if the V8 engines had stayed, while Honda would not be coming back in 2015 if the regulations had not changed either.

But now Thomas Weber, the Daimler board of management member who is head of R&D, has made it clear that the German car manufacturer's commitment to F1 would also have been in doubt if things had not changed.

When asked if there was a question mark over Mercedes' future in F1 if the sport had kept the old engines, Weber told AUTOSPORT: "Yes."

Although a departure may not have been immediate if Mercedes was winning, he reckoned that as soon as the success stopped then there would have been no reason to stay..........

.........With Mercedes joining Renault in potentially quitting the sport without the attraction of new hybrid technology, Lauda thinks F1's future itself would have been in peril..........


It's very interesting that Ferrari has been made out to be the "bad guy" and yet...
Ferrari is NOT the only team threatening to quit Formula 1... Interesting...
NOR is Ferrari the team who is getting what they want in FIA engine regulations... Interesting...
#398644
And if Renault, Honda, Mercedes all left or didn't hop on in the first place, the what does that say about Ferrari? That they'd rather keep V8s, or better, let's go back to V10s and well just stop selling cars in ten years because we won't be able to meet regulations in quite a few of our biggest markets...

Although I don't work for an automobile manufactuer, I would like to believe that their engineering/design departments, their manufacturing departments, and the departments responsible for knowing/understanding the necessary regulations in the different countries aren't filled with totally incompentent people who aren't able to recognize the difference between a "fantasy" sport and a road car.

It would seem to be obvious that the two don't have to be completely dependent upon each other any more than they have to be mutually exclusive.
#398645
I really don't get it Spanky, why it is that you're so steadfastly holding on given the fact that we've got engines with 3 GPs under their ....


You completely misunderstand me. Just for clarity, I have accepted the new engines. What's more, I really want my team to up their game and asap learn and catch up.

For me the engine is not a topic, it ain't gonna change - I know that.

The interesting bits in this article for me were:-
Mercedes admitting they played the "do what I want or I'm leaving" card
Mercedes saying their continuance in F1 is contingent on success
Mercedes thinking open/public discussion on F1 is dangerous


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#398646
...The interesting bits in this article for me were:-
Mercedes admitting they played the "do what I want or I'm leaving" card
Mercedes saying their continuance in F1 is contingent on success
Mercedes thinking open/public discussion on F1 is dangerous

Image You're talking blasphemy!! :whip:
Oh, wait... it's not the Mercedes support thread, is it? Image
Carry on, my wayward son!! :thumbup:
#398649
...The interesting bits in this article for me were:-
Mercedes admitting they played the "do what I want or I'm leaving" card
Mercedes saying their continuance in F1 is contingent on success
Mercedes thinking open/public discussion on F1 is dangerous

Image You're talking blasphemy!! :whip:
Oh, wait... it's not the Mercedes support thread, is it? Image
Carry on, my wayward son!! :thumbup:

Now you really aged yourself :wink:
#398653
I really don't get it Spanky, why it is that you're so steadfastly holding on given the fact that we've got engines with 3 GPs under their ....


You completely misunderstand me. Just for clarity, I have accepted the new engines. What's more, I really want my team to up their game and asap learn and catch up.

For me the engine is not a topic, it ain't gonna change - I know that.

The interesting bits in this article for me were:-
Mercedes admitting they played the "do what I want or I'm leaving" card
Mercedes saying their continuance in F1 is contingent on success
Mercedes thinking open/public discussion on F1 is dangerous


I don't think anyone but Williams, McLaren and Ferrari would ever claim to be in F1 come hell or high water. Teams come and go, Ferrari is the bullwark, so it's not a surprise that Mercedes, like Honda, BMW, Jaguar, Toyota, and quite a few more names over the years would leave if being in the sport is no longer economically feaseable. It's not a crime to claim to leave the sport, it is however a bit hypocritical to leave the sport if you claim that F1 shines out your @$$. :)

No team, not even Ferrari will put the sports' interest before their own, but the statement above is no surprise to anyone, it's how a board would do business unless your name is Ferrari, Williams or McLaren.

BTW, I'd like to address the part where you said you've accepted the new engines! :clap: Believe, me, give it time and F1 will innovate in areas the road cars will benefit from, and that's beautiful! You won't regret it!
#398657
Wow an auto manufacturer who wishes for the sport to stay relevant to the auto industry. Who would have thought?

I am sure the guys at Maranello have space to pin this article up next to the many high res posters of the W05!

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