Formula 1 Insight

Distributing the Mercedes Cash
08/09/2009

Mercedes is apparently in talks with Brawn GP at the moment, hoping to buy into the team while retaining their links with McLaren. One can understand why they should be so interested in Brawn, the team having produced one of the two best cars of this season and providing the German engine manufacturer a reason to celebrate in spite of McLaren's problems with the MP4-24. In the meantime, however, the decision on which team to add to its current three-team engine customer base is delayed.

Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Barrichello and the Brawn BGP 001

That choice may not fall automatically upon Red Bull, it seems. There is a possibility that Williams (who are also considering the Renault power plant) will swap from Toyota engines and other teams would like to get their hands on the Mercedes too. Clearly the German engine is the flavor of the moment, the must-have item of F1 fashion.

I am not so sure about Mercedes' idea of buying into Brawn, however. Obviously, the hope is that Brawn's genius in seeing and using the double diffuser loophole will continue with other innovative designs in the future, thereby keeping the team amongst the leaders in F1, but history tells us this may not be so. All too often, the originators of an idea that changes the face of the sport enjoy a short period of domination and are then overtaken by other teams who use the tweak more effectively.

Cooper was an example, its decision to stick the engine in the back giving the team a couple of years of success followed by many years of decline and eventual extinction. Lotus emerged as the team that made better use of the idea, although it must be admitted that their simultaneous introduction of the monocoque chassis had a lot to do with it too.

And it was Lotus who repeated the demonstration of how short-lived success through innovation can be; the ground effect Lotus 79 won everything in sight at first, pointing the way to another sea change in the sport. But it was a brief moment of sunshine for the team, Ligier, Williams and Brabham producing much more effective ground effect cars than Lotus could manage in the year following.

I would guess that Brawn's present problems with the BGP 001 are indicators that history is about to repeat itself. Button or Barrichello may become champion this year but it will be thanks to points amassed in the first half of the season; already the competition is pushing the team down the results board. To stay in front next year, Ross Brawn's men must repeat the trick of designing a better car than the rest and that is a tall order. Rarely does one innovation follow another in quick succession.

So Mercedes would do better to approach this one with caution. Rather than talking about "buying in", they could hedge their bet with some sponsorship money to get the badge on the car and then see how they do in 2010. Not that I am trying to downplay Brawn's success - I have been one of the supporters of their clever use of the diffuser loophole this year. But success is a fleeting thing in F1 and demands constant development if it is to stay with any particular team. And it remains to be seen whether Brawn can continue the drive towards improvement fast enough to stay with the other teams.

Money helps, of course, and it is money that has enabled McLaren to turn a dog of a car into a race winner this year. A link with Mercedes would certainly guarantee Brawn's financial future but it will not supply that spark of genius that produces the best car of the year. Only Ross and his team can do that - and this time they will not have a year's development to assist them...

Clive

Nick Goodspeed
I tend to view the double diffuser as something other than a "loophole." Teams asked for the FIA to properly explain its definition of the diffeser rule and the FIA ignored them. Both Cooper's and Chapman's innovations were not "loopholes" but avant garde thinking that brought in changes that were beyond the imagination of the rule makers.
It would seem, at the moment, that Brawn were a flash in the pan. They got in some effective quick punches but will be lucky to survive the last round. I think Mercedes would do far better in the long run, to stick with McLaren at the moment. If Mercedes get behind too many teams they may succeed in acquiring some of the contempt Ferrari has amassed behind them over the bast decade.
Perhaps, once Mosley's gone, a good many things will begin to change and investors will be more inclined to have a go at F1 instead of this gradual extinction we are witnessing. I think, until then, we won't see much progress.
Date Added: 08/09/2009

Nick Goodspeed
There are days I wish I had a proof reader in my employ!
Date Added: 08/09/2009

Clive
Nick: I would argue with your version of events surrounding the introduction of the double diffuser. Two teams claimed to have asked the FIA about its legality but the FIA countered by saying that their queries had nothing to do with the idea. Since the teams did not disagree at that point, I take it that the FIA was correct.

Both Max and Charlie Whiting said before the season started that they thought the diffuser was legal but, in fact, their opinion did not matter. The eventual judgment of the WMSC made it clear that only the WMSC itself was able to decide on such matters.

Although both the Lotus and Cooper ideas did not use specific loopholes in the regulations, they tried something that was beyond the imagination of other designers. And that is exactly what Brawn did as well - noticing that the regulations did not cover an area of the underbody that they could use to gain extra downforce.

The effect of these inventions was to make every team re-design their cars to make use of something they had not thought of but had now been pointed out to them. If Brawn's DD was less spectacular than the others, that is only because the regulations are so limiting these days, stifling any attempt at innovation. In a way, the double diffuser is the most surprising of them all, given the restrictive rules prevailing.

And we all long for the day when Max is finally gone, of course...
Date Added: 08/09/2009

Hezla
Mercedes believed in Ron Dennis but maybe it is not the same with Martin Whitmarsh and then Ross Brawn might be a better choice.

You should also read James Allens article "
Why would Mercedes take a stake in Brawn?"
about the same subject
Date Added: 08/09/2009

Clive
Hezla: There is something to be said for Mercedes expanding their chance of success in F1 beyond one team, I agree. My point is more that they could do this in stages, rather than buying in at this moment. We have yet to see whether the Brawn bubble will burst or not.
Date Added: 08/09/2009

Pink Peril
While I can see why the other teams like the Merc engine, I am wary of too many being supplied it. It's that just one giant step towards the spec series that S&Max wants?

I think they should just stick with the current supply & have McLaren as their 'works' team. Better for F1, IMO.
Date Added: 09/09/2009

michael
Clive could it be that Mercedes is remodeling an option they had with together with McLaren to make Prodrive a possible junior team as have Red Bull done with Toro Rosso - Now that Prodrive's chances of entering F1 are slim?
Date Added: 09/09/2009

Clive
Peril: I share your unease at the sudden extension of Mercedes' interest in F1 to four teams. It seems to me that we are seeing the number of engine options reduced, almost in preparation for Renault and Toyota leaving the sport. Is F1 heading for a situation where there are only three viable engines, Mercedes, Ferrari or Cosworth? At that point, Max's dream of a spec formula becomes inevitable.
Date Added: 09/09/2009

Clive
Michael: In effect, that is exactly what Mercedes are doing with the buy into Brawn. Prodrive was always going to be a bit of a gamble, having no track record beyond Dave Richards' experience to rely on. Brawn's successful opening season must strike the Merc directors as a much better bet therefore.
Date Added: 09/09/2009

michael
Clive if this is to be believed then Mercedes Benz is said to be looking at buying a 75% stake in Brawn and that in my view sounds a bit much for it to be called a little buy-in it sounds more like a take-over. This comes from F1total.com commenting on the swiss sport spaper www.Blick.ch They also claim that mercedes is looking at positioning Rosberg there building him up which would make perfect sense since they know Lewis is McLaren but then they go on to proclaim that come 2011 Mercedes would opt out of McLaren and run Brawn on their own.
Date Added: 09/09/2009

Hezla
Yes, Michael, and read the latest info here at SpeedTV

It seems that a split between McLaren and Mercedes are on the way.
Date Added: 10/09/2009

michael
WOW! In all - Mercedes Benz is out to repeat the Schumacher supremacy era - They will fail - but this time it is potentially Nicoh being led by Ross Brawn?

If so, are there any thoughts as to what might happen with McLaren? could they repeat a Brawn with a different engine supplier like say Cosworth :-) Puh McLaren's shareholders must be whistling in their pants by now.
Date Added: 10/09/2009

Guilherme Teixeira
Hey Clive, did this new scandal made you take another break from the blog? =\
Date Added: 10/09/2009

Clive
Guilherme: Not quite - I'll be writing about the first day's practice at Monza tomorrow. Still thinking about the Mercedes interest in Brawn, however, and as for the Renault scandal, it's looking more and more as if it's true. Makes me wonder what other skeletons there are in F1's closet yet to be discovered...
Date Added: 10/09/2009

michael
But Clive : would we want to know?
those skeletons must please remain where they are and hopefully people in F1 will have recognized the signs of time as for what they are and change.

hm how naiv of me :-(



Date Added: 10/09/2009

Björn Svensson
My option in this affair is that after the expiration of McLarens option to have supreme insight into Mercedes development of engines in 2012, McLaren will go for making their own engines.

Since they already are developing an planning to sell sportscars in the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini, i think that they will also want to develop their own engines. And to have F1 as the arena to test their engines and to help the development can be a really good publicity stunt.

And since they have already split with Mercedes considering road cars, i think they are aiming to become a full-fledged car-maker in the not too distant future.
Date Added: 11/09/2009

Alex
You're all huge nerds.
Date Added: 11/09/2009

Mad
Well that was worth the time spent posting wasn't it Alex?
Date Added: 11/09/2009

Clive
Wouldn't have it any other way, Alex. :D
Date Added: 11/09/2009

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