Mercedes AMG F1 Team 2012

[xpensive]

...
However, I have a funny feeling that both Rosberg and Schumacher will be out of a job in the not-too-distant future. There is something up. If you think Ross Brawn is really ill then you'll believe anything.

Indeed, kremlinish press-relases like that, "medical condition", typically means something completely different.

[marcush.]

sorry ,the gap between the two merc drivers is just too small to even allow the sligthest questioning of Schumachers abiliy to be competitive.
I really see NO difference between this accident and the one of Vettel vs Button in Spa or Button vs Hamilton lasr year.A misjugement .No reaction time will save you ever from a crash after misinterpreting the guys actions directly in front of you.physics .

[Chrisaix]

im tired of all the complains and bashing that michael have tyres suited to him before. remember, there was a tyre war before, and its each teams responsibility to have the best tyre for them and they are perfectly allowed to what ferrari and bridgestone did. its like buying yourself a football shoes that perpectly suits you, there was freedom to do this before. so dont, lament that michael had the advantage on tyres before, because every team can choose and ask the what are their requirements.

[raymondu999]

Yes - but most of the Michelin runners didn't have as close a relationship as Ferrari did, given that Ferrari were the only top team that Bridgestone worked with. It was more than a customer relationship - they had very much a 2-way partnership.

[Chrisaix]

agreed ray. thats the consequence of not choosing bridgestone over michelins for, bridgestone can pretty much focus on what ferrari wants than say cater more than 1 top teams like michelin was doing. but still if they wanted brdigestone, they can do so.

[snoop1050]

Come now, MS is actually 43 years old, which should be way past best before date in any sport but perhaps golf, snooker or dart, Mario Andretti was 42 when he did his last race but that was 30 years ago, a different age.

To xpect MS to keep up with his more than 16 years younger team-mate is absurd, no matter how romantic it might seem.

yet his laptimes in the race were as good as rosbergs if not better.

how many times has schumacher got it all wrong when over taking a car on dead tyres though? must be 3-4 times atleast by now

[zyphro]

Come now, MS is actually 43 years old, which should be way past best before date in any sport but perhaps golf, snooker or dart, Mario Andretti was 42 when he did his last race but that was 30 years ago, a different age.

To xpect MS to keep up with his more than 16 years younger team-mate is absurd, no matter how romantic it might seem.

yet his laptimes in the race were as good as rosbergs if not better.

how many times has schumacher got it all wrong when over taking a car on dead tyres though? must be 3-4 times atleast by now

=D>

Schumacher's pace is absolutely fine. I think that Senna move was made out of frustration. They shouldn't have brought him in for a couple of laps anyway...

[zyphro]

Perhaps the qualifying advantage was down to the actual pace of the car. They don't have to worry about looking after the tires, they have one lap and push hard. In the race they dial back the pace to extract the best over all race time because that's how the car treats the tires.

I agree.

That Merc is a quick car no doubt, its true pace is distorted by these tyres. The same would apply to the rest of the cars.

Does anyone else think lotus struck lucky with the type of tyres we have this season?

[zyphro]

Unless those holes, slots, pipes & ducts can contribute towards helping the car & driver make the tyres work as it should, then regular podiums aren't likely to figure in the team's future race results. As it is, they've already lost in Catalunya the qualifying advantage that the so-called DDRS is supposed to bring them.

Spain was always going to be a bad race-track for the car, due to the nature of the circuit. I'd wait until we get to a circuit that should characteristically be strong for them, to see if they have lost their advantage in quali.

[Mestrades]

Unless those holes, slots, pipes & ducts can contribute towards helping the car & driver make the tyres work as it should, then regular podiums aren't likely to figure in the team's future race results. As it is, they've already lost in Catalunya the qualifying advantage that the so-called DDRS is supposed to bring them.

Spain was always going to be a bad race-track for the car, due to the nature of the circuit. I'd wait until we get to a circuit that should characteristically be strong for them, to see if they have lost their advantage in quali.

Then, the car only will be good in 2 or 3 races on the calendar because Catalunya is the most representative car of the season.

[siskue2005]

Unless those holes, slots, pipes & ducts can contribute towards helping the car & driver make the tyres work as it should, then regular podiums aren't likely to figure in the team's future race results. As it is, they've already lost in Catalunya the qualifying advantage that the so-called DDRS is supposed to bring them.

Spain was always going to be a bad race-track for the car, due to the nature of the circuit. I'd wait until we get to a circuit that should characteristically be strong for them, to see if they have lost their advantage in quali.

Then, the car only will be good in 2 or 3 races on the calendar because Catalunya is the most representative car of the season.

So you mean to say Williams is the absolute best car out here this year??

[Mestrades]

So you mean to say Williams is the absolute best car out here this year??

No. Mclaren on Lewis hands and Lotus were stronger than them. But Williams is the 3rd or 4th best car this year. Mercedes, despite of winning in China, is the 5th or 6th car right now.

[zyphro]

Unless those holes, slots, pipes & ducts can contribute towards helping the car & driver make the tyres work as it should, then regular podiums aren't likely to figure in the team's future race results. As it is, they've already lost in Catalunya the qualifying advantage that the so-called DDRS is supposed to bring them.

Spain was always going to be a bad race-track for the car, due to the nature of the circuit. I'd wait until we get to a circuit that should characteristically be strong for them, to see if they have lost their advantage in quali.

Then, the car only will be good in 2 or 3 races on the calendar because Catalunya is the most representative car of the season.

Be realistic. The Williams RE admitted, if you get the setup+ luck with temperatures, you will win.

Barcelona isn't representative at all anymore, until everyone understands these tyres. Which they don't.

[zyphro]

So you mean to say Williams is the absolute best car out here this year??

No. Mclaren on Lewis hands and Lotus were stronger than them. But Williams is the 3rd or 4th best car this year. Mercedes, despite of winning in China, is the 5th or 6th car right now.

How quick are the Ferrari then?

Are you seriously trying to work out a pecking order? Enjoy the headache. The only real team always challenging in top4 is Lotus of Kimi.

[elf341]

Bar the Lotus, these cars are acting like they're being driven around randomly with or without a front wing.
When something on the car is seriously wrong, you can often find deficits of 2-3 seconds are lap can be made up with one upgrade. e.g. McLaren's RB7-style EBD copy.

The W03 appears fast in quali and a clear evolution of the W02 which *was* definitively the 4th fastest car last year. Ferrari seem to be in a tizz, but also, the E20 seems strong - if Bob Bell and team can crack the tyres you'd be silly not to think this car could be 3rd fastest this year.