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[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.

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

Wasnt worried just seems a much more plausible explanation.

[f1ea]

I see it more as a 'threat' to the WMSC in case they are cooking another monstruous fine to Mclaren. Frankly, sponsors and Mercedes must be terrible worried that their money is destined to pay for huge fines rather than to develop themselves! there may be other issues as well, including the Dennis stuff, the world crisis and whatever.... but seriously, anyone would 'reconsider' their position in the sport if the were given a similar fine to the spy issue.....

[Blue Shadow]

Well,it would be a pity if Mercedes would leave the formula one.
Excepting Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton the team is very pleasant.
Especially Heikki Kovalainen and Martin Whitmarsh are very likeable.
I would prefer to see Mercedes without McLaren.

[racechick]

Well,it would be a pity if Mercedes would leave the formula one.
Excepting Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton the team is very pleasant.
Especially Heikki Kovalainen and Martin Whitmarsh are very likeable.
I would prefer to see Mercedes without McLaren.

Likeability is subjective. Speed is definable.

[Gaz]

Well,it would be a pity if Mercedes would leave the formula one.
Excepting Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton the team is very pleasant.
Especially Heikki Kovalainen and Martin Whitmarsh are very likeable.
I would prefer to see Mercedes without McLaren.

I'd expect nothing else from an Alonso fan to be honest.

[bud]

Well,it would be a pity if Mercedes would leave the formula one.
Excepting Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton the team is very pleasant.
Especially Heikki Kovalainen and Martin Whitmarsh are very likeable.
I would prefer to see Mercedes without McLaren.

I'd expect nothing else from an Alonso fan to be honest.

dont worry when Alonso retires they will go back where they came from!

[EwanM]

Well,it would be a pity if Mercedes would leave the formula one.
Excepting Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton the team is very pleasant.
Especially Heikki Kovalainen and Martin Whitmarsh are very likeable.
I would prefer to see Mercedes without McLaren.

I'd expect nothing else from an Alonso fan to be honest.

dont worry when Alonso retires they will go back where they came from!

Even myself ?

[Gaz]

Well,it would be a pity if Mercedes would leave the formula one.
Excepting Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton the team is very pleasant.
Especially Heikki Kovalainen and Martin Whitmarsh are very likeable.
I would prefer to see Mercedes without McLaren.

I'd expect nothing else from an Alonso fan to be honest.

dont worry when Alonso retires they will go back where they came from!

Even myself ?

Yeh your the worst.

[EwanM]

Well,it would be a pity if Mercedes would leave the formula one.
Excepting Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton the team is very pleasant.
Especially Heikki Kovalainen and Martin Whitmarsh are very likeable.
I would prefer to see Mercedes without McLaren.

I'd expect nothing else from an Alonso fan to be honest.

dont worry when Alonso retires they will go back where they came from!

Even myself ?

Yeh your the worst.

[darwin dali]

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?

No.

[darwin dali]

F1live:
As McLaren mechanics put the finishing touches on the Bahrain pit garage, speculation ramped up in Germany about the future of engine partner Mercedes-Benz.

Helmut Lense, on the supervisory board of the Stuttgart marque's parent Daimler, openly admitted to Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper that the Formula One engagement is very much in doubt.

Mercedes is suffering amid the car industry slump and the global recession, leading Lense to muse that the McLaren money might be better spent.

Key to the speculation is that Mercedes-Benz might prefer to remain in F1 merely as an engine supplier. Mercedes owns 40 percent of Woking-based McLaren Group.

"Daimler has the goal to be prominent with 'green technology'. Does Formula One fit? Would it be the right signal to step out of F1 now and instead concentrate on pollution-free propulsion technologies?" Lense mused.

Worsening McLaren's woes is the looming World Motor Sport Council meeting, where penalties for fraud may result from the 'lie-gate' affair.

A source with one of the team's big sponsors told the Telegraph: "I can say that if a disproportionately large penalty were given to McLaren on April 29 then the sponsor that I am associated with might leave."



Another piece in the puzzle. Not surprising at all.

[Gaz]

I'd like to see quotes before i belive this for a start.

I think we might see Mclaren-Cosworth for 2011 or the Merc engine built under licence perhaps?

[darwin dali]

EarthTimes.org:

Stuttgart - Doubt was raised about Mercedes' future in Formula One racing by a supervisory board member said ahead of Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix. "Formula One is not accepted among the employees. One has to take notice of that," Helmut Lense, a works council chairman and board member of Mercedes' parent Daimler, told Thursday's edition of the Stuttgarter Zeitung daily.

Lense said that recent workforce meetings at Daimler plants revealed the negative attitude towards the expensive sport and added that Mercedes should pull out of F1.

"Wouldn't it send the right signal to quit Formula One and to concentrate on environmentally friendly energy technologies?"

Like other carmakers, Daimler is suffering from the world economic crisis and employees fearing for their jobs. Honda pulled out of F1 racing in December citing the global recession.

Mercedes have a 40 per cent stake in the McLaren team. The Anglo-German team won three world titles from Mika Hakkinen (1998, 1999) and Lewis Hamilton (2008).

Mercedes also supply current championship leaders Brawn GP and Force India with engines.

"It is shocking to hear something like that. Mercedes belongs into Formula One," said German driver Nico Rosberg from the Williams team at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain where the first practice rounds are set for Friday.

BMW driver Nick Heidfeld said he doesn't see the F1 future endangered. He (along with Rosberg) named that F1 an important marketing tool for the auto makers and that he doesn't expect a similar scenario among the BMW workforce.

"We are not engaged in Formula One to burn money but because we advertise this brand," said Heidfeld.

BMW motorsport chief Mario Theissen said his company was "completely positive" about the F1 engagement.

"The Formula One project is assessed on a regular basis by the board. The result of the analysis is that Formula One is precious for BMW," Theissen told German Press Agency.



Doesn't sound good if even their own employees don't like to be in F1...

[EwanM]

Really twisting the knife aren't you DD

[darwin dali]

Really twisting the knife aren't you DD

Not really!



I'm using a machete here