Mercedes Support

[sagi58]

And, there you have it... Rosberg is not impressed!!

HAMILTON OVER LAST THREE RACES: "MY JOB WAS DONE"

Nico Rosberg has joined Lewis Hamilton in responding to reports Mercedes may consider dropping them for the sake of team harmony. Boss Toto Wolff was quoted this week as suggesting that the acrimony between Rosberg and world champion Hamilton has reached the point that it may become detrimental to Mercedes as a whole.

Indeed, even after Wolff's warning, Hamilton continued to jab verbally at his German teammate this week, claiming the fact that Rosberg regularly 'complains' could be because he was brought up by a wealthy family in Monaco. "I thought the last race was over and now it was time to take a break," Rosberg told the Austrian broadcaster ORF when confronted with Hamilton's latest comments. "As for what Toto said, I can definitely understand that he has a few more grey hairs now after the past two years," the German added... (GMM)

To his credit, Rosberg did not retaliate!

[overboost]

Ecclestone says it like it is.

http://autoweek.com/article/formula-one ... z3uzJa8prR

"Mercedes is on top of the Formula One world for the second year in a row, and their fans are loving it.

After all, Mercedes fans are the definition of fair-weather fans.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, in the most recent edition of the German publication Motorsport magazine, says that Mercedes' fans are second fiddle to the best fans in the series -- Ferrari fans.

"People like winners," Ecclestone said. "That's obvious. That's why teams attract support. But Ferrari have an incredible fan base, even when they lose."

That's not the case with Mercedes, whose fans have been known to jump ship when the winning stops. Plus, many fans feel that the reason Mercedes is winning is because they are simply outspending the opposition.

"If they begin to lose, then you'll see what happens," Ecclestone said. "Mercedes are not really newcomers; they were always there in one guise or another. That's why I support them. I think Mercedes are running a risk: the public thinks that, with the money they spend, they should be winning. They don't get any genuine sympathy. And you need that sympathy. People need to feel a bit sorry for a team.

"If Mercedes stop winning, I don't think that many people will feel any sympathy for them.""


Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/formula-one ... z3v0s48quF

[stonemonkey]

But Ferrari have an incredible fan base, even when they lose.

That bit gave me a giggle.

[sagi58]

But Ferrari have an incredible fan base, even when they lose.

That bit gave me a giggle.

Looks like the truth doesn't always hurt!

[sagi58]

Yes, I can read the date says this article was posted on March 17, 2015; however, I hadn't read it.
Which made me wonder if anyone else had missed it, so here it is:

Ecclestone: Mercedes head-started as they knew a bit more

Bernie Ecclestone claims Mercedes had a head-start over its engine rivals at the start of F1's controversial turbo V6 era.

After the 2015 season opener, the F1 supremo on Monday sided with furious Renault-powered Red Bull as the former champions urged F1's governing body to intervene.

Now, Ecclestone says Mercedes got a head-start over 2014 rivals Renault and Ferrari when the new engine rules were being devised.

It is why they had such a strong start last year and they are keeping that advantage now.

"They knew a bit more about the (proposed) power unit," he is quoted by Italy's Sky Sport 24, "because the Mercedes people were in close contact with the FIA in defining the concept of this engine.

"It is why they had such a strong start last year and they are keeping that advantage now," the 84-year-old Briton added.

Ecclestone said efforts to close Mercedes' huge advantage should now be made, even though he admitted that Renault, "who pushed for this revolution, have failed".

[darwin dali]

That's disappointing

[sagi58]

Yup!! It wasn't enough that Mercedes had, arguably, the best development driver in
Schumi on board, they also worked hand in hand with the FIA in setting the engine
and engine development parameters.

No wonder they have argued vehemently not to lift the engine development freeze!
It has nothing to do with "saving" teams money!! It's all about keeping their advantage,
as I'm sure the others would soon catch up!!

[sagi58]

Interesting:

Mercedes: Hamilton/Rosberg 'perfect couple'

Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Daimler and head of Mercedes-Benz, has described Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg as the "perfect couple" for the manufacturer's Formula 1 team, despite recent tension.

Mercedes has dominated Formula 1 under the latest turbo engine era, claiming comfortable world titles in 2014 and 2015, with Hamilton twice getting the better of Rosberg in the Drivers' battle.

Given Mercedes' supremacy, tensions between the pair have boiled over on multiple occasions, leading to threats from Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff that a line-up change may be required.

But Zetsche made clear his belief that Mercedes is "very lucky" to have Hamilton and Rosberg as its two drivers, and reckons their contrasting personalities create the ideal partnership.

"As long as Lewis wins races he can organise the rest of his life, as long as it is within the scope of our brand values, as he wants to," Zetsche told Auto Express.

"And when you look at the relevance of his personality and the social networks with 12 million followers and so on, what can we wish for more than a rock star?

"He's the fastest on the track and that's perfect.

"At the same time we have the other guy who's as fast and has a very different lifestyle with a family and a kid."

Summing up, Zetsche commented: "These are the two bookends and I think we are really very lucky to have them – they are the perfect couple, absolutely."

Hamilton has finished ahead of Rosberg in all three of their seasons as team-mates so far, outscoring the German by 18 points in 2013, 67 in 2014 and 59 in 2015.

[sagi58]

[youtube]Gv2DOmLkm_g[/youtube]

[sagi58]

I thought Mercedes didn't have a preferred driver?
Or is it "just" wishful thinking on Hamilton's part?
I'm betting on Hamilton, here!!

Hamilton: There is only room for one number one

Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton believes there is only room for one number one driver within the Mercedes team.

While the Brackley-based team has enjoyed much success the past two seasons, the constant spats between drivers' Nico Rosberg and Hamilton have arguably made as many headlines as their victories.

The squabbles have forced Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to issue multiple warnings to the pair to try and coexist, or one of them would face the axe.

"There is friction," revealed the Brit on the Jonathan Ross Show.

"When l was 13 l went racing in Italy and when l got there he was the golden child. He would arrive in a helicopter and have the best of everything.

"But we became friends after our first race together, he was leading it the whole way and l was behind him and then overtook him on the last lap.

"We're in F1 now and he, more than ever, wants to set the record straight. But there's only room for one number one."

[myownalias]

Given the disparity in pay between Hamilton and Rosberg, I would definitely say the team leans towards Hamilton. Let's face it, any competent driver could win a title in the Mercedes over the past two years, Mercedes do not need to be paying out so much money for a title winning driver. But Hamilton brings a lot of attention to the team and brand because of his "celebrity".

[darwin dali]

The mind games have already started

[sagi58]

Given the disparity in pay between Hamilton and Rosberg, I would definitely say the team leans towards Hamilton...

Exactly!! And, yet, we're to believe Mr. Wolff when he insists his drivers are equal? Ha!!

The mind games have already started

Not all mind games are boring:

[youtube]/8dHUfy_YBps[/youtube]

[sagi58]

Further to this (excerpt):

Ecclestone: Mercedes head-started as they knew a bit more

Bernie Ecclestone claims Mercedes had a head-start over its engine rivals at the start of F1's controversial turbo V6 era...

..."They knew a bit more about the (proposed) power unit," he is quoted by Italy's Sky Sport 24, "because the Mercedes people were in close contact with the FIA in defining the concept of this engine...

We now have Mercedes personnel with a convenient memory loss at that little tidbit...

Mercedes split turbo design was 'bloody hard' to get right

...Mercedes started work on its turbo hybrid three years before it was introduced, but Cowell admits his team had little in the way of expertise at that stage and even borrowed some ideas from Mercedes' truck department.

"There were not many of us who had worked on turbos back in 2011 when we started looking at the regulations. I think there were two people who had worked on turbos, and one of those had changed a turbo on his Subaru that had failed! It was a completely different technology and way of approaching it..."

[sagi58]

Mercedes split turbo design was 'bloody hard' to get right

...Mercedes started work on its turbo hybrid three years before it was introduced...

I wonder... are those the same three years when Schumi was there?