Mercedes GP - Inauguration and 1st season

[WhiteBlue]

Do we really think that Michael can ever catch Nico again? Not really! The younger top guys from from Alonso down to Kubica and Rosberg are probably faster by now. Michael will enjoy the challenge of competing with them as an elder statesman and driving pundit. It's much more fun and more rewarding than breaking your bones or neck on motor bikes each year or making wise cracks on RTL 20 times a year.

He will help his team by bringing sponsors in with his past glory. He is still good enough to run the second seat at Mercedes. So basically all parties can be happy to have him. Corinna most certainly is happier to have him in F1 cars than on motor bikes. The Schumi fans like me need no convincing that Michael's F1 career is the best thing to happen to Germany since beer was invented. Nothing that can ever happen to him will destroy the pleasure he gave us over the years. I don't mind one bit that he could not win an eights championship after 2004. He served his country well for 15 years and broke all records.

Card blanche from me to Schumi to have fun as an F1 pensioneer!

[marcush.]

I do not consider myself to be an out and out schumi fan but I´m surprised to say the least that he has gone public with his frustration about the team now AFTER the season.
In my book he is nothing else but an eager F1 nut who wants to win races and championships and found himself in a position beaten by his teammate for no reason he was prepared to count to himself.
in the AMS interview he clearly admits that he had difficulty adapting to the tyre and the fact that (due to this)he was slower in slow corners than Rosberg .He also was very firm about having an advantage in quick corners...
It could be MS trying to find excuses ...but why should he begin with it now ,when season is over?
I do admit it seems far fetched to think he was held back but it might as well be that
his guys were just not as good as Rosbergs (for whatever reason ,be it hearing too much on his masters voice,perhaps?).It speaks volumes that Jock clear is moved to a senior position for 2011.

[MugenHonda]

He has had his time in Formula One and now Nico is in his prime being only 25, pehaps schey might think about giving it up..

[andrew]

Do we really think that Michael can ever catch Nico again? Not really!

I beg to differ my fellow Jock. Experience counts for a hell of a lot. Age is only a state of mind and I still believe that there is no reason why someon in their early 40's can't be a successful driver, as long as they are physically fit enough.

Anyway, that blatantly obvious point that most observers miss is that Schumacher has nothing left to prove. He has all the records going and is the most successful driver there has been and will forever have his name in the record books. It doesn't matter if he is first or last, still the most successful guy out there.

[autogyro]

Yes and his media draw is second to non but is it the right way to run a team?

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Media draw and a damn good driver still.

We all know the car wasnt the best, for whatever reason. But we also saw Schumacher being faster than Rosberg on a few occasions too.
So does this mean Rosberg is rubbish? Of Course not.

Rosberg had a better start and then became the teams focus after the first flyaway races. Schumacher accepted and became the team player. Rosberg would do well to take note how Schumacher deals with the Media, far too many Rosberg criticisms this year for my liking.

I see Schumacher shocking Rosberg next year, and a few detractors too. He may not have the outright pace, Probably never was the outright quickest over a lap..but racecraft? There is none better.

Just needs the car, like every other driver.

[natehall]

Schumacher was never the quickest on the track over a single lap, his ability is to pull out almost qualifying style laps, lap after lap without crippling the car to the point it failed to finish. I remember listening on the commentry in magne cours when his engine blew up, If I recall correctly it was the first mechanical failure in over 18 races he had suffered!

[segedunum]

Rosberg had a better start and then became the teams focus after the first flyaway races. Schumacher accepted and became the team player. Rosberg would do well to take note how Schumacher deals with the Media, far too many Rosberg criticisms this year for my liking.

If that's the way you feel that you can interpret and justify this year JET then who is anyone to argue?

You don't need all the figures on one hand to count the number of times Schumacher appeared to be faster than Rosberg.

[andrew]

Rosberg had a better start and then became the teams focus after the first flyaway races. Schumacher accepted and became the team player. Rosberg would do well to take note how Schumacher deals with the Media, far too many Rosberg criticisms this year for my liking.

+1

The anti-Schumacher agenda corrupt the true facts. The records speak for themselves - nothing left to prove.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Seg, you do yourself no favours on this thread.

Rosberg Outqualified Schumacher numerous times, but how was it that particularly in the second half of the year Schumacher had the measure of him in the races?
Gets back in the groove and surprises even his worst detractors with a measure of grace and team work ethic.

Of course you can moan, point, poke fun, rubbish, berate or whatever. But Mercedes GP and Schumacher are still here looking a little stronger after their decent end of year run. If they start winning next year I can promise you that you will start calling them a glorified Honda outfit. Fact is without Mercedes this team will not be looking at winning races next year.

Look at Renault, the team you said WILL beat Mercedes GP. They are targeting "consistant points finishes" next year.

Schumacher and Rosberg want wins, regardless who does you will still find reason to berate them.

[Aryoh]

Media draw and a damn good driver still.

We all know the car wasnt the best, for whatever reason. But we also saw Schumacher being faster than Rosberg on a few occasions too.
So does this mean Rosberg is rubbish? Of Course not.

Rosberg had a better start and then became the teams focus after the first flyaway races. Schumacher accepted and became the team player. Rosberg would do well to take note how Schumacher deals with the Media, far too many Rosberg criticisms this year for my liking.

I see Schumacher shocking Rosberg next year, and a few detractors too. He may not have the outright pace, Probably never was the outright quickest over a lap..but racecraft? There is none better.

Just needs the car, like every other driver.

++++1
Good words JET, i love to watch next year all people who critisize MS and Merc eat his words, because Rosberg would look into the Schumcher back of the car.

[segedunum]

You can never return and claim there's nothing left to prove. That's an oxymoron.

[andrew]

Yes you can. The blatantly obvius point you miss in your determination to run with the anti-Schumacher agenda is that he can just race for the hell of it and the sheer enjoyment.

[marcush.]

No doubt Rosberg had not the measure of Schumacher in the last races.And it started to wear on him ,that was obvious.
So to call Schumacher as a past it and to go home is really rediculous .You could as well say Heidfeld ,Hülkenberg ,Button ,Massa ,Buemi and Webber should be send into retirement .
I´m pretty sure he is firmly on the cards of mr.Alonso ,Hamilton etc.. for 2011.

[Raptor22]

...
Ross Brawn knows exactly hwere to begin when designing an F1 car thats why was the Technical Director ad so successful at it.

I beg to differ, RB has no credible track-record of designing F1 cars, without Rory Byrne at Toleman/Benetton and Berrari he'd be nowhere. The title "Technical director" means next to zip in an engineering sense within a larger organization.

This is possibly where NH misunderstood the entire concept, thinking RB was a hands-on designer and not just a manager?

begging won't distract from the facts: Ross Brawn has a technical background and has been responsible the concepts of many race cars, including the Jaguar XJR-14 and all of the Ferrari F1 cars under his management. If you doubt thisask Rory Byrne yourself.
Ross main skill is in engineering management and that is also what he LOVES doing. He is a strategic and tactical thinker.
Rory Byrne and he made an excellent team and they got the best our of each other. If Ross had no engineering capability he wouldnot have been as conversant with Rory (Bsc Chem Eng, University of Pretoria.
Rory is a highly technical man and he prefered working with Ross because Ross understood what he was talking about.

"NH misunderstanding the entire concept"
hmmmm ok yes Norbert must the biggest dullard ever hired by Diamler Benz AG...
Ross Brawn's management skills is exactly what Mercedes needed since part of the buy out agreement was that Mercedes Motorsport engineers were to transfer to Brackely and take up roles within the MErcedes GP team. Ross is the person they have entrusted with the transition and achieving the results. The decision did not go down well with the BOD of Diamler Benz AG because they felt the money could be better spent elsewhere. ROss Brawn's track record for engineering management and design was the reason the project was given the go ahead. Mercedes GP would not exist if Honda had not pulled out.
The Mercedes board killed F1 ambitions in 1993 because they felt they did not have the right people needed to succeed