Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team 2014

[kooleracer]

Does anyone who the Mercedes test/development/simulator drivers are this year? Last year we had Sam Bird, Brandon Hartley and Davidson (Kubica).

Jazeman Jaafar.

Isn't he a Petronas driver and not a Mercedes driver? He got a go in the F1 car, but i don't think he is test driver. But i'm not sure about that.

[De Jokke]

Is this a subtle way to say that they fear they get hauled in by the other teams or am I reading too much in it?:

http://www.planet-f1.com/news/3213/9285 ... omination-

[Skippon]

No - it's a subtle way of saying we think we could all this seasons races - but may let another car win one, so it doesn't look so one sided in the record books!!!

[johnsonwax]

No - it's a subtle way of saying we think we could all this seasons races - but may let another car win one, so it doesn't look so one sided in the record books!!!

That's not the reasoning. F1 won't stand for that kind of domination. They'll regulate it away if need be, as Seb must now be realizing. Either on track or off, F1 must be competitive, and it's in Mercedes best interest to keep it on track, keep their advantage, even if they sandbag, and carry that into next season and the season after. In previous seasons, they simply declared the early season innovations that led to such advantages as being illegal (McLaren 1998), but they can't do that this year with the engine freeze. So if things stay as they are, only Mercedes can make this season competitive so they can maintain their engineering advantage into next year. Being on top for one season doesn't achieve what Mercedes is spending all this money for (see 2009). They want to have the kind of run that Red Bull is (possibly) coming off of.

The real problem they face is the drivers championship. The drivers aren't going to take one for the team if the drivers championship is still in play between the teammates. Rosberg is increasingly putting himself in the #2 spot. Unless he starts outdriving Lewis on track, he's going to be the one taking the first bullet if the team does something.

I don't think they're actually worried about being caught either, not with 2+ seconds on the field when they need it.

[Edax]

Is this a subtle way to say that they fear they get hauled in by the other teams or am I reading too much in it?:

http://www.planet-f1.com/news/3213/9285 ... omination-

Curious comment indeed. I can hardly imagine Lauda not wanting to win everything.

I wonder how much their current dominance came as a surprise to them.

I mean, their car is obiously good, but it is hard to tell what makes it that much better. Perhaps they are also wondering what on earth is going on at their competitors.

[smlbstcbr]

I wonder if this is true (from the thejudge13.com):

Phil Arnaboldi is a 47year old Englishman who has been the Head of Car Concept at Mercedes and previously Brawn/Honda since 2008. He trained as a model maker with the Ministry of Defence before joining Mclaren in 1989 as a CNC programmer. After working through different departments he became a designer in 1995.

“I am responsible for the layout and packaging of the car. Most of my time involves working with CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to come up with designs which enable our car performance targets to be met. I work closely with all of our design groups to juggle the factors that allow the car design to evolve.

The mass, weight distribution, fuel volume, wheelbase, functionality and the FIA technical regulations are all taken into account as well as fitting the various systems and components within the constantly changing bodywork surfaces that the aerodynamicists find in the wind tunnel.

A typical day can vary from fitting the driver into a mock-up of the car to check that he physically has enough room to drive, to negotiating with our aero guys about how we can move the package of the car around to allow them to introduce the latest aero tweak or surface shape.

All of this has to be drawn and checked on CAD to see the effect that any changes may have on the car layout and I have a small group of very experienced guys that work on this constantly.”

I fear the team is disbanding without the mighty presence of Ross Brawn.

[mclaren_mircea]

I wonder if this is true (from the thejudge13.com):

Phil Arnaboldi is a 47year old Englishman who has been the Head of Car Concept at Mercedes and previously Brawn/Honda since 2008. He trained as a model maker with the Ministry of Defence before joining Mclaren in 1989 as a CNC programmer. After working through different departments he became a designer in 1995.

“I am responsible for the layout and packaging of the car. Most of my time involves working with CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to come up with designs which enable our car performance targets to be met. I work closely with all of our design groups to juggle the factors that allow the car design to evolve.

The mass, weight distribution, fuel volume, wheelbase, functionality and the FIA technical regulations are all taken into account as well as fitting the various systems and components within the constantly changing bodywork surfaces that the aerodynamicists find in the wind tunnel.

A typical day can vary from fitting the driver into a mock-up of the car to check that he physically has enough room to drive, to negotiating with our aero guys about how we can move the package of the car around to allow them to introduce the latest aero tweak or surface shape.

All of this has to be drawn and checked on CAD to see the effect that any changes may have on the car layout and I have a small group of very experienced guys that work on this constantly.”

I fear the team is disbanding without the mighty presence of Ross Brawn.

He is not the only who is leaving in recent months. What is shocking is that they loose people from HPP to Ferrari's and Renault's engine divisions. Rumours are that Honda too poached engineers from HPP in November-December 2013. Even IT and electronycs engineers from AMG F1 and HPP are going to Mclaren Electronic Systems. I can't understand why they let go this men who are gold value and after investing 500 millions $ in V6 engine. According to AMUS they had in Brackley 612 people before they started to let people go. It's not at all a large number of employees compared to Ferrari (+700), Red Bull and Mclaren (600-650). And according to linkedin and other sources, in the last couple of months Ferrari and Mclaren recruited very strongly, increasing their staff.

[FoxHound]

Mercedes are not Red Bull.

This is not a team that can afford to keep its staff by offering more than the competition. The prized assets will likely stay, the others all have a price.
And we should also not forget that F1 is probably the most incestuous of sports in this regard.
Some people will return to the same team within a year times.

[smlbstcbr]

Seems to confirm that Mercedes is not under Paddy Lowe's control anymore. Looks like Stuttgart just orders and Wolff and Lauda simply obey. When does Costa's contract expire?

[mclaren_mircea]

Mercedes are not Red Bull.

This is not a team that can afford to keep its staff by offering more than the competition. The prized assets will likely stay, the others all have a price.
And we should also not forget that F1 is probably the most incestuous of sports in this regard.
Some people will return to the same team within a year times.

But Daimler can offer more than Materschitz if they want, they surely have more money. But I think they just don't spend huge amounts of money on such a project like F1.Typically german atittude.
They have the engine advantage, and for this year, it will be enough giving the amount of points they will have until Red Bull and Ferrari will catch up. But for next year it will be difficult, because beeing outspended by Red Bull, Ferrari and Mclaren-Honda they will loose that advantage next year, and in 2015 they won't keep the development race of the the three teams.
It is rumoured that Mclaren's replacement it's and Aerodynamic Team leader from Mercedes, number 2 or 3 in the department after Mike Elliot.

[thomin]

I dunno, I guess this is just the natural order of things. Teams poach all the time. Even Red Bull loses valuable members, as can be seen by their recent feud with McLaren. In the last couple of years, Mercedes was at the receiving end, now that success is there, their members are obviously sought after and they're losing talent.

[FoxHound]

Daimler will not pay a penny more than their overall investment during the mclaren days, which was 80 million plus engines.
Now their budget is circa 180 million which encompasses the 80 million, sponsorship and TV money.
MB powertrains was seperate from the team total.

However, the new rules were an exception. Now Mercedes are in a position to hold who they feel is valuable, and to let go of those who they feel aren't.
Bob Bell is a loss no doubt, but if it boiled down to breaking the bank to keep him then better he moves to pastures new.

Saying that Mercedes have also recruited a few mclaren and red bull staff over the last 12 months. So its not one way traffic.

[mclaren_mircea]

Daimler will not pay a penny more than their overall investment during the mclaren days, which was 80 million plus engines.
Now their budget is circa 180 million which encompasses the 80 million, sponsorship and TV money.
MB powertrains was seperate from the team total.

However, the new rules were an exception. Now Mercedes are in a position to hold who they feel is valuable, and to let go of those who they feel aren't.
Bob Bell is a loss no doubt, but if it boiled down to breaking the bank to keep him then better he moves to pastures new.

Saying that Mercedes have also recruited a few mclaren and red bull staff over the last 12 months. So its not one way traffic.

They took from Mclaren only Paddy Lowe, and from Red Bull Ellis and Wood. The other way traffic (from Merc Amg towards outside) it's more bigger. Ferrari, Mclaren and Red Bull are culling all sort of engineers from HPP and from F1 team. I can't believe that Mercedes sees this like a natural thing. It's to many people.

[smlbstcbr]

It looks like it's too many RELEVANT people leaving the team. Hopefully, it won't affect next year's development too much.

[FoxHound]

Look over the last 18 months how many people joined Mercedes.
Then look at how many people Mclaren have lost to Mercedes and Ferrari over the last 18/24 months.

Now look at the results.

Mclaren are the slowest of all 4 mercedes powered teams, and in spite of alot of PR are still struggling to find form.

They need people. So again I would say this is a case of Mclaren poaching rather than Mercedes letting key staff go.