Mercedes AMG F1 Team 2012

[Hail22]

I seem to remember that during his Benetton/Ferrari years, MS had this supposedly brilliant race-strategist with him,
what was his name again?

Flavio Briotorre? Hahaha jk mate.

on the topic of Brawn he seems to be doing well from what i have heard, I really like Brawn especially his no BS attitude!

[raymondu999]

I don't think they've had trouble on the strategy front tbh. I think in fact it's one of their stronger points. On a day where everyone said to go 2 stop (China 2011) he figured out that a 3-stop was best early on, and he was the only one to pit his driver bang on schedule for a 3-stop. In a race where most were saying to go 3-stop (China 2012) Brawn understood that overtaking might not be easy, especially in a train of cars, so opted for more clean air in a 2-stopper.

I don't think we'll ever see highly pronounced examples anymore, such as that Imola race where Schumacher won with some silly strategy like a 5-stopper, or Hungary 1998 when Schumacher drove a qualifying race on a 3/4-stop to jump the clearly quicker Hakkinen, because strategy is only about tyre stops nowadays, when it also used to be about fuel levels. But I daresay Brawn has been the most "on it." His on-the-hoof decisions, I think, are better than the rest of the pitlane, still.

Maybe it's the banana he eats

[ArchAngel]

Ross hasn't really been weaving his 'magic touch' on the strategy front of late (except in China), but I'd certainly trust him more on strategy calls than the way Martin Whitmarsh manages Lewis' race strategies & pit crew/stops.

...Maybe it's the banana he eats

So you're saying that Ross' "medical condition" is in actual fact just constipation?

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

The inescapable point here is that the fastest car will not win necessarily.

Look at Ferrari, all at sea with their car but now Alonso sits with Vettel atop of the standings.
Vettel similarly has been unhappy with his car, yet he too sits alongside Alonso.
Had Hamilton a bit more luck, he would be on top no doubt. Yet luck is one of thos immeasurable quantities that will pan out over a year.

Mercedes priority is getting the car to work with its tyres. Outright pace will not win this championship, but getting a combination of things correct will see you win a race, as Williams have amply demonstrated.
The absolute must now is for Mercedes to overcome their historical Achilles heel, tyres.

[raymondu999]

Correct me if I'm wrong - but haven't they traditionally had tyre problems since the BAR days?

[zyphro]

Lol guys. Strategy is one of the weak links of the team, please watch every race of 2010-2012 again. China they did a good call, but my god, they've made a complete mess of some races for a top team.

[zyphro]

what´s the point in not going out in qualy saving all fesh rubber and then not start the race on the primes?
I have no idea what they are on.I would set up the car for prime tyre and try the best to not use too many softs to make it into Q3 somehow and start the racew well prepared on hard rubber.It was very obvious that primes where not slower but lasted longer so it was very possible to save one stop and make the last an option stint..being off sequence would have opened the opportunity to run in clean air when all the front runners dived into the pits before lap 10...

I agree.

As I said, strategy has been a big let down of this team for the past 1-2 years. A total shambles.

I seem to remember that during his Benetton/Ferrari years, MS had this supposedly brilliant race-strategist with him,
what was his name again?

And Brawn is no longer head of strategy... He's TP.

You do know a lot of the strategy work is done at the Merc HQ too, right?

[zyphro]

The inescapable point here is that the fastest car will not win necessarily.

Look at Ferrari, all at sea with their car but now Alonso sits with Vettel atop of the standings.
Vettel similarly has been unhappy with his car, yet he too sits alongside Alonso.
Had Hamilton a bit more luck, he would be on top no doubt. Yet luck is one of thos immeasurable quantities that will pan out over a year.

Mercedes priority is getting the car to work with its tyres. Outright pace will not win this championship, but getting a combination of things correct will see you win a race, as Williams have amply demonstrated.
The absolute must now is for Mercedes to overcome their historical Achilles heel, tyres.

I agree.

[zyphro]

Does anyone know why they pitted MSC, after he set personal best S1 and S2 times? Boo!

[raymondu999]

When? What lap?

[marcush.]

what´s the point in not going out in qualy saving all fesh rubber and then not start the race on the primes?
I have no idea what they are on.I would set up the car for prime tyre and try the best to not use too many softs to make it into Q3 somehow and start the racew well prepared on hard rubber.It was very obvious that primes where not slower but lasted longer so it was very possible to save one stop and make the last an option stint..being off sequence would have opened the opportunity to run in clean air when all the front runners dived into the pits before lap 10...

I seem to remember that during his Benetton/Ferrari years, MS had this supposedly brilliant race-strategist with him,
what was his name again?

And Brawn is no longer head of strategy... He's TP.

You do know a lot of the strategy work is done at the Merc HQ too, right?

As I said ,I´m a bit at a loss to explain what their strategists are doing ....as a strategy will or will not pan out as intended and sure people look into the ifs
afterwards to learn ,do they?

Ferrari had two years ago that epic fail following Webber with their strategy abd now seem to be reluctant to follow when it´s the best of options you can have.

My impression is stra´tegy now is a computer programme coming up with LOW risk strategies which by definition are not suitable for achieving a maximum points haul and ...do not take into account who you have to work at which point of track and under which circumstances.
Strategy is about opportunities and taking bold decisions others do not dare to take ...creating windows of unexpected development and others not having you on the radar looking elsewhere.
Formula 1 is monkey see monkey do ...The same people who claimed Mugello testing was worth nothing they could not learn anything where at total sea with their setups and undertsanding the tyres they had unlimited use of for three days in Italy..... =D> =D>

[snoop1050]

When? What lap?

http://en.mclarenf-1.com/index.php?page ... %20Rosberg

his tyres werent gone but neither were rosbergs or vettels.

everyone was just reacting to each other they would probably have been better leaving msc and rosberg out for a few laps

[clipsy1H]

This year it's all about luck with these tyres.... MGP are strong this year !! and in Monaco Nico can win easy! Hope MIchael have a clean reace but i'm not sure !! mb if he get pole and start on P5.

[zyphro]

When? What lap?

http://en.mclarenf-1.com/index.php?page ... %20Rosberg

his tyres werent gone but neither were rosbergs or vettels.

everyone was just reacting to each other they would probably have been better leaving msc and rosberg out for a few laps

Thanks for that.

Also why did they send MS back out on softs? Sure they have more data than us, but as far as I could see, Schumacher was much much quicker on the hards, over the course of the weekend?

[zyphro]

This year it's all about luck with these tyres.... MGP are strong this year !! and in Monaco Nico can win easy! Hope MIchael have a clean reace but i'm not sure !! mb if he get pole and start on P5.

Nico? I remember last year Schumacher passed him out on track, I think Nico struggles on this track somewhat.

Also Schumacher qualified P5 with that dog --- Mercedes, he could be very strong. But I have my doubts, when is he finally going to get a incident free-weekend? Hmm.