1302 replies to this topic

[Redliner]

Switching cars is different. Drivers can't test until February anyway, so there's no rush. And I'd say you're Fisi idea is wrong for another reason, the car was a dud facing cars during the height of in-season development. Also, he was able to race without problems (other than being slower than a field covered by about a secon).

Wouldn't that indicate that all cars are NOT built the same and that driver acclimation was still a big deal? I mean he did come off a podium finish in the FI

[vietlol]

Czechs want a GP, Tilke submitted them a draft fuck off guy, let somebody else make a track

[Redliner]

Czechs want a GP, Tilke submitted them a draft fuck off guy, let somebody else make a track

.

Button just visited McLaren HQ

Man, not even half the field has declared yet...wth.

Ferrari - Massa/Alonso
McLaren - Lewis
Renault - Kubica
Campos - Senna
Williams - Rubens/Hulkenberg
Red Bull - Webber/Vettel
Toro Rosso - Buemi

[DrDickAction]

Button just visited McLaren HQ

Wow, I did not expect that.

[MrHahn]

Wow, I did not expect that.

It's every British journalists wet dream. I can already see what the BBC coverage is going to be like next year

[vietlol]

[mads]

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

luca ought to stick to his day job

[DrDickAction]

Holy shit, that's Luca?



How has Luca not been demoted to janitor at this point?

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

Holy shit, that's Luca?



How has Luca not been demoted to janitor at this point?

Luca di Montezemelo

[DrDickAction]

Luca di Montezemelo

ahhh, that makes more sense

[_R_]

Renault is being pretty cool about Alonso doing Ferrari stuff considering he's under contract till Dec 31...

[vietlol]

They owe him for this year

If you remember back in 2006 they actually let him test with Mclaren as well in the end of season winter test, but there was a rumour at the time that Macca paid 2m euro for the priviledge

[vietlol]

Michael Schumacher will reportedly no longer be an advisor to Ferrari's Formula One team.

The seven time world champion recently renewed his contract with the Italian marque through 2012, referring specifically to his input into the road cars department.

Whether his ongoing role would involve F1 was not specifically mentioned in the September announcement, but Spain's Diario AS reports that Schumacher will not be involved with the team.

However, the newspaper added that Schumacher, to turn 41 in January, will continue to attend some grands prix, although not as many as before.

Wonder if he will find a way into the Mclaren garage to screw with Kimi

[chiuey]

has any one else heard the rumours that Mercedes wants to have a super German Team? They have link Heidfeld and Rosberg as the 2 drivers for Brawn, which will be re-badged something along the lines of the Silver Arrows.....


IB







Sorry if this offends anyone here....

[vietlol]

according to BBC....

Mercedes take ownership of Brawn

Brawn will be taken over by Mercedes and be an all-German team


German car giant Mercedes has bought the Brawn Formula 1 team in a move that is likely to see Jenson Button join McLaren as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate.

Mercedes will buy a controlling interest in Brawn, believed to be 75%, but will continue has McLaren's engine partner until at least 2015.

Brawn, who won both world titles in their debut season in 2009, will be rebranded as the Mercedes GP team.

Nico Rosberg will be their lead driver, with Nick Heidfeld his likely partner.

More to follow.

[vietlol]

CONFIRMED

http://www.mclaren.c...php?article=380

McLAREN AND MERCEDES-BENZ ANNOUNCE REALIGNED LONG-TERM STRATEGIC ALLIANCE

16th November 2009

McLaren and Mercedes-Benz are delighted to announce a realigned long-term strategic alliance.

The agreement covers the next six Formula 1 seasons (2010-15) and also provides mechanisms whereby the partnership may continue beyond 2015.

The reaffirmation of the two companies’ commitment to each other is the result of many weeks of careful and co-operative discussion between the McLaren Group and Daimler AG (the parent companies of, respectively, McLaren Racing and Mercedes-Benz) and covers both parties’ continued involvement in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 partnership as well as a shared intention to act in the overall best interests of the sport of Grand Prix racing. It also reflects the independent vision of both companies with regard to their automotive production strategies.

The realigned long-term strategic alliance is reflected in three principal resolutions, as follows:

Mercedes-Benz: to power McLaren’s Formula 1 cars until 2015

Having begun in 1995, the McLaren/Mercedes-Benz partnership is already one of the longest engine-supply associations in Formula 1 history; 2009 was its 15th consecutive year and 2015 will be its 21st consecutive year, by which time it will have become by some margin the longest such association in Formula 1 history. Both the McLaren Group and Daimler AG were therefore committed to securing its continuation as part of a realigned long-term strategic alliance, and to have provided mechanisms whereby the partnership may continue beyond 2015. The team will continue to be known as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, its distinctive silver-with-red livery will remain unchanged, and Mercedes-Benz will continue as both an engine supplier and a partner.

McLaren Group: to purchase Daimler AG’s 40 per cent shareholding

In a transaction structured so as to be completed by 2011, the McLaren Group will undertake a phased purchase of the 40 per cent shareholding currently owned by Daimler AG. As a result, the McLaren Group will become a fully independent stand-alone corporate entity.

McLaren Automotive: spun out of the McLaren Group

The McLaren Group will continue as the parent company of McLaren Racing (and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes), McLaren Marketing, McLaren Electronic Systems, McLaren Applied Technologies and McLaren Electronics Inc (USA), focusing chiefly on Formula 1 and associated technologies, while McLaren Automotive has been spun out of the McLaren Group and from 2011 will begin to manufacture its own range of high-performance production sports cars, targeted to penetrate a series of meticulously-selected premium automotive market segments. As such, McLaren Automotive will continue to develop according to a robust business strategy that has been formulated with McLaren’s customary prudence and rigour. The McLaren Group and McLaren Automotive will continue to evolve in line with their respective business strategies, and may in time adopt slightly different shareholder groupings, but they will always share a common goal: to be the best in the world in their respective fields.

Ron Dennis (Executive Chairman, McLaren Automotive; Founding Shareholder, McLaren Group) said:

“This is a win-win situation, for both McLaren and Daimler.

“I’ve often stated that it’s my belief that, in order to survive and thrive in 21st-century Formula 1, a team must become much more than merely a team. That being the case, in order to develop and sustain the revenue streams required to compete and win Grands Prix and World Championships, companies that run Formula 1 teams must broaden the scope of their commercial activities.

“Nonetheless, all of our partners will of course continue to play a crucial role in our Formula 1 programme. For that reason, and because the engines they produce are very competitive, we’re delighted that Mercedes-Benz has committed to continue not only as an engine supplier but also as a partner of ours until 2015 – and perhaps thereafter.

“The next few years will be a very exciting time for McLaren, during which period we intend to become an ever-stronger technological and economic force. Formula 1 will always be a core activity, for sound business reasons as well as for historical sporting reasons: to be clear, our Formula 1 business has traditionally enjoyed great financial security, largely as a consequence of the longevity of our contracts with our partners, many of which have exceeded 15 years of continuous involvement with McLaren. Indeed, two of our partners have been with us for more than 25 years.

“We’re risk-averse by design. Over the past two years we’ve analysed in great detail the challenge of entering the high-performance production sports car market. In the MP4-12C, which will be introduced to market in 2011, we have a car that has inherited the genes of the iconic McLaren F1 of 1994 and has already been the subject of much global media acclaim. It is proposed that it will be produced in a new state-of-the-art production facility adjacent to the existing award-winning McLaren Technology Centre at Woking [Surrey, UK].”

[mads]

Mercedes takes over Brawn

By Edd Straw Monday, November 16th 2009, 12:09 GMT

The Mercedes F1 carMercedes-Benz has announced that it has taken over the Brawn Formula 1 team and re-named it Mercedes Grand Prix after buying a 75.1 per cent stake in the squad.

The German car giant will retain its role as McLaren's engine supplier until at least 2015, but will sell its 40 per cent stake in the squad back to the team over the next two years.

"Mercedes will compete in the F1 world championship next year starting with its own factory team," said head of Mercedes cars, Dr Dieter Zetsche.

"This is possible by the agreed acquisition of 75.1 per cent of Brawn GP, 45.1 per cent from Daimler and 30 per cent from our partner Aabar Investments. The rest will be with the current share - Ross Brawn, Nick Fry and other members. The interests of Daimler are aligned therefore it will be a true Mercedes-Benz team.

"Ross Brawn will continue to be the team principal and thereby we are maintaining his strength. Just like the engine team at Mercedes Benz High Performance Engines, the new Mercedes Benz grand prix team will be co-ordinated by Mercedes Benz Motorsport which is as everybody knows headed by Norbert Haug."

Neither driver has yet been announced for the new squad. 2009 Brawn driver Rubens Barrichello has already joined Williams for next season while Jenson Button has yet to decide on his future.

[vietlol]

nice repost bro


so the music is about to stop and it looks like kimi might end up without a chair


ham/butt at macca and berg/beard at merc

I for one am all for this development, mostly the bearded part

now for Koba to get a drive...

[mads]

ibkimiwinswrc

[vietlol]

nobody can topple le Loeb

[_R_]

If i said 2 years ago that Mercedes would by the Honda outfit, everyone would want what I was smoking...

kimi's pretty much done...
time to reshuffle my cards... Vettel gets prime seat, Senna gets my underdog seat...

[_R_]

that would be a cool looking scheme

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

that would be a cool looking scheme

So if we're going back to Team England (McLaren) and Team Germany (Mercedes-Brawn) then they should use BRG and Silver respectively as the car colors

[Nacho]

So if we're going back to Team England (McLaren) and Team Germany (Mercedes-Brawn) then they should use BRG and Silver respectively as the car colors

McLaren will likely go back to McLaren Orange, unless they get a big sponsor paycheck.

Brawns will almost certainly become silver.

Button to McLaren, Nico and Nick to Mercedes/Brawn?



PS: I now like McLaren more and Brawn/Mercedes less due to this reshuffle. :x



edit: or not

"The team will continue to be known as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, its distinctive silver-with-red livery will remain unchanged, and Mercedes-Benz will continue as both an engine supplier and a partner," read the McLaren Group statement.