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[Nin-Chin]

Mercedes has warned its rivals that it expects an even stronger second half to the campaign.

With Lewis Hamilton's victory in Hungary thrusting the Briton and his Brackley-based team back in to world championship contention, the outfit is knuckling down for a serious title tilt.

Team principal Ross Brawn is aware of the challenges that lay ahead, but he is optimistic that technical developments coming through could give the team an added performance boost to help its quest.

"The team has great spirit at the moment and I know the things that are coming through on the technical front," said Brawn during an interview on Mercedes' official YouTube channel.

"Our hit rate has been pretty good on technical innovations this year, and the things we have brought to the track have generally worked.

"We have some things coming up in the next few races that could give us the extra impetus, extra momentum, to take us through the second half of the year."

Brawn thinks that one of the more encouraging aspects of Mercedes' current situation is that its momentum has been building in recent races - with Hamilton now the highest scoring driver in the last three races.

"I think the first half of this season can almost be split into two halves – the first five races and the second five races," he said. "I am very pleased with the second five races

"We have started to pick up momentum and we have started to pick up some strength. We have won three of the last five races and started to convert pole positions in to race results.

"It is far from perfect and we still have a lot to do – but the momentum we have got going into the second half of the season is very strong."

Brawn also believes that the team is only just starting to unleash the benefits of its partnership with Lewis Hamilton – and that things will improve even more.

"It has taken a little while but I see some great signs and particularly the last few races have been very, very good," he said.

"It is picking up momentum and starting to move in the right direction. We don't know where the limit is; we are on a journey with Lewis and we don't know where the limits are."

[LewEngBridewell]

RBR vs Merc for the rest of the season?

Go on Brackley! Give 'em a good fight for the title honours!

(Seeing as no-one else seems capable... again).

[Hammer278]

"We don't know where the limit is; we are on a journey with Lewis and we don't know where the limits are.""

Brawn has spotted his new Michael Schumacher.

[LewEngBridewell]

"We don't know where the limit is; we are on a journey with Lewis and we don't know where the limits are.""

Brawn has spotted his new Michael Schumacher.

I wonder what Nico thinks of that quote

[Nin-Chin]

The previous article I posted is from autosport

Here's ESPN take

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn says his team has a few tricks up its sleeve for the second half of the season after closing out the first half with three wins from the last five races.

Mercedes has shown potential all year but has struggled to convert over half of its seven pole positions into victories. The main issue has been rear tyre degradation, but on the new Pirellis in Hungary the team appeared to make a significant step forward, with Lewis Hamilton winning in intensely hot conditions.

Brawn praised his team's performance at recent races but said there are developments being worked on at the factory that could up its game once more.

"We have a few things coming through at the next few races and they could give us that extra impetus and extra momentum to take us through the second half of the year," he said on the team's YouTube channel. "A lot of races are flyaways where we are a long way away from base and you tend not to get quite so much development going on in the second half, and also with everybody mindful of what next year will bring, I don't think anybody will bring any huge innovations. So where we are is well placed."

Lewis Hamilton has scored more points than any other driver at the last three races, but Brawn said maintaining that form would be a balancing act with focusing on the 2014 car.

"It's our big challenge to maintain that [form] and a tough challenge with the demands of next season as well," he added. "Balancing those two things out is going to be the tricky thing. The team has great spirit at the moment and I know the things that are coming through on the technical front. Our hit rate has been quite good on new technical innovations this year; things we've brought to the track have generally worked."

[Denthúl]

Excellent. Hopefully they can take the fight to Red Bull. I am very glad that they are proving me wrong this year.

[Nin-Chin]

[youtube]F7gWiUE68bI[/youtube]

[CookinFlat6]

"We don't know where the limit is; we are on a journey with Lewis and we don't know where the limits are.""

Brawn has spotted his new Michael Schumacher.

I wonder what Nico thinks of that quote

He probably thinks the same, Lewis has been there 6 months he has been there 3 years. Its safe to say the journey with Lewis is more the unknown at Mercedes

[What's Burning?]

"We don't know where the limit is; we are on a journey with Lewis and we don't know where the limits are.""

Brawn has spotted his new Michael Schumacher.

I wonder what Nico thinks of that quote

He's humbled by the opportunity to drive for Mercedes alongside Lewis? Lets remember the decision the guy made to leave McLaren last year and go to the fifth best team on the grid shall we?

Looking pretty shrewd for a dog walking wannabe rapper.

[racechick]

Part two of Brawn's interview about the rest of the season and how they will use resources in the 13 and 14 cars
http://www.f1reader.com/news/video-ross ... rt-2-79697

[racechick]

TOTO WOLFF: "Hamilton's drive was mind blowing" (taken from Adam Cooper's F1 blog)


Mercedes motor sport chief Toto Wolff says that Lewis Hamilton’s winning drive in Hungary was ‘mind blowing.’

His opinion reflects how the team was as surprised as anyone else that the Brit was able to score such an impressive victory, when tyre management issues had been anticipated.

“It was a fantastic drive,” Wolff told this writer. “The team worked so hard from Friday onwards on the long runs, setting the car up for the long runs, and anticipating the heat. I guess this all came together.

“Lewis’s drive was for me mind blowing – down the inside, round the outside of people. Obviously we were also lucky with the strategy when Jenson slipped in front of Vettel. But you have to take these days. A brilliant drive, a great car, brilliant work from the team, and this is the result.”

Wolff conceded that, like Hamilton himself, he had been pessimistic about prospects for the race.

“I think that generally you have to be more on the pessimistic side and not be overoptimistic! We have been quite optimistic on previous weekends, and not had great Sundays. This is why we have it inside of us that we know we are struggling on Sundays. But this time we saw that preparing for Sunday, in the way we did, just worked out.”

Wolff said he had no regrets about the team being forced to sit out the Silverstone test.

“It gave us three days to think about stuff! We had the tyres on the car for the first time on the Friday, and we just seemed to do the right things.

“But it doesn’t help us in any way for Spa and Monza. We just have to keep our heads down and work hard and see where it ends.”

[AngelOfDeath]

Mercedes need to keep their pace up in order for their constructor championship battle against the Red Bulls and Ferrari...Let's see what Belgium gives us this year. I think Kimi will push himself more after he came crossed the line in 3rd place last year. But I am not counting Hamilton out of the championship battle... no no no, still a long way to go. Who knows?

[CookinFlat6]

We now have the best 4 guys in the best 4 cars, so in true F1 style anything can happen by the year end. Ferrari are not going to be 'taking a break' much and could come back strong. But I think Merc and Ferrari have the most resources now to continue developing 2013 till the end without damaging 2014.

Should be fun

[racechick]

Yeah still a long way to go. The exciting thing for me is that for the first time since the start of the season I think Mercedes have a sniff . I was pinning my hopes on next year, but now there's an outside chance this year

[AngelOfDeath]

Yeah still a long way to go. The exciting thing for me is that for the first time since the start of the season I think Mercedes have a sniff . I was pinning my hopes on next year, but now there's an outside chance this year

Considering that Ross Brawn said "Lewis has not yet reached potential".