very interesting thoughts guys, as always. thanx for giving your views on the whole situation. here's another thing i would like to share with you. i hope i dont sound very biased but it is how i see things right now, namely:
niki lauda, who as we all know has a new role at the Mercedes Team, has been quoted saying:
"When Lewis joins, it's a big change for everybody there," he added. "It's high motivation as they all know that if they don't give him a decent car he will not win."
i understand this whole statement in the way that because lewis is coming tO MERC. the team will push harder to give him a better car. For me personally this statement is acceptable only for pretty incompetent people watching our beloved sport. If you are mercedes and claim that you are the best, or aim at being the best, then your staff (technicians, designers, mechanics, strategists, race engineers etc.) is expected to push to the maximum and give its utmost at all the time and not only when you sign a new driver.
SECOND:
"The most important thing now is that [team principal] Ross [Brawn] and his team realises all the things that are wrong on this car and make a better car next year - the chances are very good. A lot of changes have been done." and in addition to it comes this statement form niki lauda: ", if Schumacher couldn't get the Mercedes team running up front for three years and you next year are doing much better it makes a huge impact on your personality and people will rate you much higher"
yeah, so what do we conclude:
a lot of changes regarding the car problems have already been made. without having insights those changes do include the recruitment of a new staff (geoff willis, bob bell etc.) and of course the ffedback that nico and schumacher (with all due respect not hamilton) have given the team. So if hamilton goes faster next year, good for him. But if nicos car also goes faster than wouldnt it mean that hamilton actually just takes the fruits from the team's efforts so far. (efforts wchich unfortuantelly have only produced a car good enough for 8th place in average for the last 3 years)
and a third statemnt from mr. niki lauda (who i personally rate very high, dont get me wrong, i only criticise what he has stated):
"If the car is competitive, and this possible, then he will win races, there is no question about it."
which rosberg and schumacher also did at china, monaco and.... oh wait, your car was no better than a top 5 at any other race for the last 36 months.
All in all very dissatisfying statemts from mr. lauda and very inconvincing about the mercedes' vision and goal, or rather the lack of those. And without the right goals we all know that succes is unachiavable. no wonder the team only has 5 podiums and a win for over 50 races now.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2012 01:01AM by mitadumapaga.