[Team] Brawn to become 'Mercedes' !

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by Marbot

But they didn't try to hang on to him. It seemed that Williams were quite happy to grab Barrichello before someone else did.

Was this not to replace Nakajima (or is he being kept)? From what I read all year, Williams were desperate to keep Nico.

And who wouldn't?

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by kartracer41

I've been impressed by Nico. Not the slightest bit by Button. Button just had the best car at the right times to win this year. I'd say they see the potential in Rosberg.

Right... So are they not planning on having a good car next year? Nico has driven a mediocre car all the way to the middle of the pack. Button drove a good car to the front. Do they not see the potential in Button?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Looks like they see the potential in Rosberg, in what he did with the mediocre car.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by csirl

I think McLaren are the losers in this long term. They're heading for a slow decline into midfield ala Williams.

I get the impression that the relationship between McLaren and Mercedes hasnt been the best recently. I'm speculating, but some of it could be because the McLaren people want to retain a "McLaren" identity, whereas Mercedes want to be simply Mercedes. They may also be uncomfortable with being a British team.

As places on the F1 grid are limited, Mercedes need to buy out an existing team to participate. Brawn, with a competitive car and no financial backing, makes sense on some levels. Big question now is how long it will be before Mercedes relocate to Germany? Was this a factor in everything i.e. McLaren refused to relocate and change name to "Mercedes"?

This could all be a brave move by Mercedes to position themselves well for post 2012 when all bets are off regarding Bernie/CVC.

Which came first, the chicken or egg. I think McLaren drug Merc to the front. They'll be fine, it's Merc I'd be concerned about.

[neiltb]

i think (at least at the start of the season), the brawn was better than good.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Williams were desperate to keep Nico.

And who wouldn't?

Yes, SFW did mention that he wanted to keep an improving German driver in their team who was attracting the attention of certain people in the paddock.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by foreversideways

I think thats unfair on Rosberg as Williams have hardly had a winning car during his tenure there. Heidfeld though, mmmm they would have been better keeping Reubins.

Agree entirely.
I would have kept Reubens had I been Ross Brawn but then I didn't know Mercedes had made the offer to buy the team.
I wouldn't have let Reubens go unless I had Jenson signed but if that was subject to pay negotiations and limitations caused by Nico's contract with....Mercedes? .... then Ross and Nick may have have been handcuffed by Haug....

This is so messy and along with the criticism that has come from the supervisory board at MBenz it does not auger well for the new relationship. Joe saward notes that the MB partner in all this also owns 32% of Virgin Galatic so Mr Branson is probably quite bemused by all...and laughing all the way to the bank....

Brawn (sorry) Mercedes has its team but without significant corporate backing it is going to cost them a bundle to fund the team through 2010 and 2011.
I can't help wondering if it is simply a case of a major automaker's president/CEO wanting to have a bit of a personal splurge for glory and the company ends up paying the bill. I just hope Ross' team doesn't end up like a Tyrrell, Toyota or Minardi/STR.....

[touringlegend]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

I can't help wondering if it is simply a case of a major automaker's president/CEO wanting to have a bit of a personal splurge for glory and the company ends up paying the bill. I just hope Ross' team doesn't end up like a Tyrrell, Toyota or Minardi/STR.....

I think that may have something to do with it. Although thankfully they haven't went down the ultra expensive route of Toyota who tried to reinvent the wheel.

[Bononi]

And now Kimi will race for Mercedes... http://globoesporte.globo.com/Esport...+MERCEDES.html

[bjohnsonsmith]

That's according to Lito Cavalcanti, of SporTV. I'll wait until Merc confirm it.

[Teretonga]

Nick Fry is saying it wasn't money because they were offering him more than the press was reporting and Martin Whitmarsh is saying they were paying him no more than he could have earned elsewhere and the reasons Button signed were not about money....

I still think that it was more a personal/managment decision, as in who will appreciate me more and make a place for me and in the medium term it wasn't at Mercedes/Brawn....

[touringlegend]

I reckon Button has made the right decision car wise, but maybe not team mate wise. Brawn / Merc I have my doubts about being competitive next year, McLaren I can easily see having a good car.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

That's according to Lito Cavalcanti, of SporTV. I'll wait until Merc confirm it.

Yeah, that's right. According to Lito Cavalcanti of SporTV, but I don't know this guy Merc, hope he confirms the same news.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by touringlegend

Brawn / Merc I have my doubts about being competitive next year, McLaren I can easily see having a good car.

Any special reason for that ? Brawn has been working on the new car hasn't he ? Just like he did before, maybe something we don't know ?

[White flag man]

Quite agree,
They certainly have been working on the new car. I went to the Brawn GP factory today and there were some bits we were not allowed to see.
They still have the same personnel and management as last season, which didn't end too badly for them. They now have the funding and the possibility of getting even better drivers than they had this year. No reason why next season can't end up any different for them.

[Burnsie]

Originally Posted by White flag man

I went to the Brawn GP factory today and there were some bits we were not allowed to see.

Michael Schumacher was behind that door

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by Burnsie

Michael Schumacher was behind that door

You may very well think that, I couldn't possibly comment.

[touringlegend]

Originally Posted by Bononi

Any special reason for that ? Brawn has been working on the new car hasn't he ? Just like he did before, maybe something we don't know ?

Sorry, meant to reply to this earlier.


The reason is just a gut feeling I have. Despite Merc buying in, I doubt they have the budget Honda spent developing this years car, and I bet Brawn during the middle of this season didn't have the budget either compared to Honda when they started on the 2010 car.

[Teretonga]

I just do not see this working well for Mercedes benz without them spending a fortune on Brawn (Mercedes). Brawn has little in the way of sponsorship revenue (rumoured 9 mill) so:

Unless the deal is that Mercedes buy up the space and on sell it to others the the car is going to be mainly silver and ....silver...
They will have spent some money on Mclaren clearing up the housekeeping and settling everything up then lost their world champion to the Woking team for an amount reputed to be considerably less (6 mill+ vs 8 mill and 4 million in bonuses(?) plus his own personal sponsors..... They are really up a creek.... but they do have a paddle in the form of Ross so there is a way out but it may cost them something more than they expected.

There simply had to be some disatisfaction for Button and his managment with what happened in getting Brawn to that point in the negotiations and McLaren have taken full advantage of the opportunity...

Jenson will also be fully aware of the state of the teams finances and the current design predicament so he is aware of what is going on internally at Mercedes-Brawn, we aren't.

[White flag man]

Jenson Button just took his opportunity. McLaren wanted No1 on their car, Button has always wanted to drive for McLaren, job done. I wish him all the best but, IMO, if McLaren are going to win the WDC next year, it will be their other driver that wins it. Brawn/MersedesGP are in a lot better position now than they were at the start of this year, and look what happened then!

[JohnSSC]

In re: Sponsorship.

I wonder though, if now that this is "The Mercedes Team," if it might be easier to attract sponsor $$? The team has shown what it can do and unlike last year, they are a "known" quantity. Having Mercedes throw in with them gives them maybe not prestige but a sense of purpose or permanence whereas last year after Honda pulled out folks wondered if they would even make the grid.

I don't think there is a Vodafone type contract waiting for them but they could see substantially more in sponsorship by the time all is said and done.

[Chiefy]

I understand the Mercedes board's concerns about the new direction its F1 programme is taking - but if McLaren has to pay some £200m (according to Pitpass) to get its 40% Mercedes stake back, while Mercedes itself has paid not even half that for its much greater shares in Brawn, well, isn't Mercedes doing rather well out of all this?

In the short-term there will be quite high expense - but if F1 is committed to reducing costs then before you know it Mercedes will be clawing back the defecit it is creating in that short-term (by spending on its team more than it usually would on just engines).

I did suggest earlier than losing Barrichello might prove more detrimental than losing Button, because I believe that Hamilton will outperform him at McLaren anyway - but all of this is by-the-by, because what really will count is how the car runs and how the drivers run it. Can Mercedes afford this project? If it can make a world champion out of Rosberg or Heidfeld, then yes, I would say so.