FORUMula1.com

[What's Burning?]

That's why I'll wait till after Q3, Saturday in Melbourne to put in my fantasy driver pool picks.

[Hammer278]

We know what we need to do' - Brawn


Team principal Ross Brawn says Mercedes has "an awful lot to do" to become competitive but believes the new car has the potential to achieve it.

Mercedes' testing got off to a shaky start when a faulty wiring loom brought Nico Rosberg's to a halt on track and then Lewis Hamilton crashed due to a loss of rear brake pressure. Both faults wrote off the rest of the day's testing, but Rosberg completed an impressive 148 laps on Thursday to make up for lost time with the car looking reasonably competitive.

Asked about his optimism for the rest of the season, Brawn said: "It's reasonably strong. There's a lot to do, an awful lot to do, but both drivers are putting an awful lot of energy into the team. We know what happened last year and we know what we need to do this year. We need to quietly get on with it and make sure that we do things in the right way. We've got two great drivers to help us do that."


Mercedes was between one second and two seconds off the pace at the end of 2012, but Brawn is confident the new car has focused on correcting many of the W03's weaknesses.

"The step that we have to make from the end of last year to the beginning of this year is pretty substantial, and it's a moving target, but from what I see from the team as a whole is very encouraging. It's the first car that Aldo [Costa, technical director] has designed and the aero group seems to be working well, so lots of encouraging signs."

However, he said there was no way of telling how the W04 stacked up against the competition.

"Even when we are all here together you are never quite sure what other people are doing," Brawn added. "Nico's obviously the best judge of what we had last year and what we have now and he seems pretty enthusiastic."

Brawn also confirmed that the car would feature a major update at the final Barcelona test in order to bring it up to its Australian Grand Prix specification.

"At the next test we will have some parts, but the final test, as is common with most teams, will be the Melbourne package. We're busily finishing that off and starting to manufacturer. Most of the body work will be new for Melbourne and we'll test it at the final Barcelona test."

[racechick]

From Nico 'I face teammate challenges like a man' Rosberg

Did Nico say that? respect if he did!! What a refreshing change! Because Nico must face Hamilton and fight like a bear. He's no use to Mercedes if he doesn't. If those two push each other on the track and respect each other of it they will only strengthen Mercedes and move them forward. Lewis will always be my favourite but I want Rosberg to push him and be right up there, and if he beats him sometimes in a fair fight that's fine by me. I'm hugely excited by this pairing.

[Hammer278]

I'm sure both drivers have plenty to learn from each other.

[racechick]

I think so too.

[The Ram]

I like Nico.....

I'll make sure he gets a pretty coffin, because he's gonna get killed competitively!

[Hammer278]

You were a lot closer to the mark with your words about Button, than you are now about Rosberg.

[Injen]

Yes. Really good to see both drivers and team pulling together in the same direction. Gives you a nice warm fuzzy feeling

Yeah people don't realize that Nico and Lewis are really great friends, so much so that they are next door neighbor in Monaco. It was Nico who found Lewis his current location in Monaco.I like Lewis and Nico a lot and if you watch Nico with the diseased F1 British press he handles them very well, they won't be able to drive a wedge between them.

Go Lewis, go Nico and work that magic Mercedes AMG F1.

[What's Burning?]

Lewis didn't 'ask' Mercedes if he could take the lower number 9. Media un-savvy chump.

[Hammer278]

I think the guy raced with No.21 or 22 in 2008 and became Champ that year....so numbers probably don't bother him too much.

[racechick]

Nah he couldn't give diddly squat about things like that.

[elfinitty]

He isn't superstitious most obviously But I think Schumi was in concern of bad performance after 7 titles and wanted to avoid things that would cause it even the number

[myownalias]

I think the guy raced with No.21 or 22 in 2008 and became Champ that year....so numbers probably don't bother him too much.

Yes, Narain Karthikeyan was fantastic that year!

[What's Burning?]

File this under nice to know news.

Ross Brawn will retain control of the Mercedes F1 team from the pit wall at race weekends this season, according to executive director Toto Wolff .

After it was announced that Wolff was joining the team's management alongside Brawn and non-executive director Niki Lauda, rumours emerged that Brawn could be edged out. Brawn and Wolff played down the stories, which also linked McLaren's Paddy Lowe as a possible replacement for Brawn, and the team principal has now said that he intends to stay.

"I'm very settled so I've got no problems at all on that front," Brawn said during testing in Jerez.

Wolff added that Brawn would be calling the shots at race weekends this year, with Lauda taking a backseat.

"On the pit wall everything will remain the same," Wolff said. "I think it would be totally wrong for Niki to get involved on the pit wall and equally for me. It is Ross's call and Ross's decision that is the team's decision."

Asked to clear up the exact role of Lauda, Wolff added: "He's a non-executive chairman, so that means he chairs the board and he's in a non-executive function. He guides us and steers us and gives us support, and where it's needed he gets involved."

[racechick]

Oh that is good news!!! Especially the Lauda taking a backseat bit (does he know how to to that?) and Ross in charge! Yipeee!!!