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[Hammer278]

Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda says the pressure is on Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe to fill the gap left by departing team principal Ross Brawn next year.

Last week Mercedes announced Brawn would be leaving at the end of the year, handing over his responsibilities to Lowe, executive director (technical), and Wolff, executive director (business). After a year in which Mercedes improved dramatically on its 2012 results, Lauda said Lowe and Wolff have a lot to live up to.

"Now Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe, and Paddy especially on the technical side, have to fill this big hole he [Brawn] has left," he was quoted by Reuters. "Don't worry, I am going to kick them like you do not believe... and hopefully we can keep on going."

Lauda admitted he wanted Brawn to stay at the team for another year and revealed that he would continue as a consultant until he finds a job elsewhere.

....And the rest was in WB's post.

Anyway, it's healthy for Lauda to put Wolff and Lowe on the spot like that, he's basically spelled out who's taking the reigns from where Merc has finished 2nd in the WCC.

I'm at a loss as to who's making the strategy calls though...on-the-feet F1 chess-game thinking doesn't come naturally to a project manager, or a smooth talking businessman.

[CookinFlat6]

Lauda might be good at the strategy calls and on the feet thinking, but he is probably best left well away from the day to day, especially when he publically talks off kicking their backsides

[racechick]

I would think as TP the strategy calls have to go to Lowe.
I took Lauda's 'Kicking backside' comment to be Lauda's attempt to reassure everyone that Mercedes will be ok post Brawn. He's non executive so he can't actual wield the power.
As an x driver, x champion, I think he does have an affinity for the drivers and their feelings and can be a strength for them ( especially Lewis because he comes in for the most flack and takes it to heart. Nico always appears to be well in control of himself) Lauda certainty put people in their places when they had a go about his dog and twitter.

[CookinFlat6]

On paper Merc do have a management structure that seems bullet proof and ideal for todays F1.
Especially having the best managing engineer as trackside TP.

McLaren - have a mediocre engineer and distracted busybody faffing around with other peoples business instead of developing a winning car. So fragmented efforts and too many ideas from too many departments to produce focused designs

Ferrari - Domenically, I am not sure what he does, he is not even an engineer, more like a guy who gets on with people and has been around long enough to get the job by default and being a yes man. So again too much fragmentation and distractions to focus on a winning car

RBR - Horner, again, not sure what he does, Newey seems more like what Merc have, an engineer team leader. But thats all very well when aero - or one particular aspect he is good at rules. When things are spread out over many departments he will need to be more visionary manager than straight designer which he is at present.

All the other teams seem to have the traditional TP as manager/businessman/minor engineer Plus a technical director - the engineer leader
This I think is a flawed management model

The one Merc have makes more sense - Paddy the guy who can look at a race and work out exactly what the whole team need to do to evolve, and then give those orders. He should really have someone with lots of experience at races making strategy calls and planning the actual racing. _ Maybe a sporting director, and not some slicked back hair bucko who just talks crap and is waiting to be TP. A guy reporting to Paddy who actually plans and runs the race. Not the race engineer but the sports director.

Maybe they have someone in mind, but its likely for Paddy to want to have a go atthis and impress all with his traditional TP skills. That could be a disaster after the McLaren over reliance on optimised models that only half worked when perfectionist Ron was using them. With sloppy Whitmarsh and his wishy washy disturbing approach, well we saw what happened and is still happening

[Jabberwocky]

On paper Merc do have a management structure that seems bullet proof and ideal for todays F1.
Especially having the best managing engineer as trackside TP.

Assuming it pulls together as a team without Ross controlling it all

[CookinFlat6]

Yes, as long as Paddy commands the respect of all the technical heads under him. But I dont see why not. He is effectively a striaght replacement for Ross and has had time to gell with everyone. Toto takes charge of everything away from the track. It is a perfect split of the TP role except the sporting director side who leads the racing

Time will tell but if Ross is still a consultant and he is not in another team, Mercmight have it nailed on. Out of Paddy, Newey, Horner, Whitmarsh, Dom, Paddy is the best choice for complete control of the teams technical resources and direction especially in a period of having to adapt mechanicals, engines etc quickly. Newey is the best designer, and untouchable with aero, but with the traditional stuff, you need more than good designers in each area, you need the overall leadership and most important alocation and budget management.

[Jabberwocky]

Just imagine how odd it would be for Ross being only a consultant for a team he once owned

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[Hammer278]

Just imagine how odd it would be for Ross being only a consultant for a team he once owned

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Why would it be odd? He received a fat stash of cash from Mercedes for the sale didn't he.

The guy is taking a sabbatical and is saying he'd be looking at options in SUMMER...that's a long way from now. Obviously Merc were keen to keep him and provided him what he was looking for, but he decided to take a well earned break. If he felt pushed out, you bet he'd be joining a rival team much sooner instead of taking a 6 month vacation.

[racechick]

I think. Mercedes were keen to keep Ross, very keen. Especially after the way this season has gone. Second in the constructors, their best ever result by far and in good shape for next year, and because of Ross. Also, Ross has something that none of the other Top team TP's appear to have,...leadership and power without resorting to cheap shots and gimmicks, and he has the respect of his drivers. He issued a team order that neither driver was happy with , both questioned it, but both ultimately obeyed it. That won't have gone unnoticed with the team big wigs. (Whitmarsh couldn't control Button in similar circumstances, Horner couldn't control Vettel and I doubt Domenicalli could control his drivers, which is why Luca keeps stepping in....not very successfully)
But the decision to bring in toto and Lowe was made before the labours of Ross bore fruit. Before his staff changes filtered through to the results, before it became clear how his drivers would respect his decisions and I think before Lewis came in board. So the damage was done, because( like Newey) Ross wants it done his way, no compromises.

If they can keep Ross on as a consultant they've done the best they can. They have his expertise and no other team does. And if things look like they're going pear shaped on the pit wall during the next year then Merc know what they can do. ..bring him back and give him what he wants, autonomy.

[Jabberwocky]

Ross power comes from being that singular voice that everyone respects, as a consultant he would not have that autocracy

He would be able to steer the team on a technical side though

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[What's Burning?]

To Puerto Ricans, Toto is slang for lady parts.

[CookinFlat6]

Depending on how Merc get on post Ross, most Merc fans may start speaking Puerto Rican

[Jabberwocky]

Does that make Susie a lesbien

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[Hammer278]

She'd make a pretty hot lesbian.

[LRW]

She'd make a pretty hot lesbian.

She makes a pretty hot non-lesbian.