Wilhelm Decision in Stuttgart
21.09.2012
A The Stuttgart Grand Prix took place on Monday after Monza. The Mercedes board members asked for a report. They wanted an answer from Team Principal Ross Brawn and Technical Director Bob Bell on how the results should improve in the future. The future of Mercedes in Formula 1 depended on their long-term plan.
Niki Lauda mediates between Ecclestone and Mercedes
The euphoria for the premier class had gotten a massive damper in Stuttgart, since the car company was in pain with a new Concorde agreement worse than conditions the competitors Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren had to swallow. After all, the Mercedes emissaries negotiated preferential rights, which Bernie Ecclestone initially wanted to deny them because he refused the racing team the historic bonus because of the many name changes.
Mercedes is now one of the privileged, but subject to conditions. Certain results must be achieved. Niki Lauda had filled in the trenches that had emerged between the Formula 1 management at Princess Gate and the Mercedes board members.
Will Mercedes sign for the next seven years?
The latest results had given the critics at Mercedes new ammunition. There was the first victory since the revival of the Silver Arrows and also the first best times in training, but after the European GP there was an inexplicable slump. Only in Monza did the curve point slightly upwards again. Pessimists feared that Mercedes could overturn its entire Formula 1 involvement at the last minute.
The Mercedes board of directors wanted to see facts about what has gone wrong so far and what should improve in the medium term. Apparently Messrs. Brawn and Bell's presentation was convincing. The Formula 1 program was waved through. In the next week, Mercedes could become the tenth team to sign the new Concorde agreement until 2020. Now all concerns about a violation of the competition law and compliance rules are said to have been eliminated.
New engineers and wind tunnel should bring success
The English team led several reasons why the results are still not what they should be and why this should be different in the next year. The new executives Geoff Willis and Aldo Costa and the changedThe structure in the design office will only have an impact on the 2013 car.
With Mike Elliott, a new wind has been blowing in the aerodynamics department since June. Elliott came from Lotus. The super simulator is just going online. He is technically on the level of Red Bull and McLaren. The wind tunnel has been operated with 60 percent models since September 1st. This improves the level of detail and the informative value of the data.
When asked why Mercedes stuck to 50 percent models for so long, Ross Brawn explains: 'The parts throughput is higher because you can produce faster on a smaller scale can. ' More models mean more wind tunnel tests. The restriction to the smaller scale also brought a disadvantage, which may explain the deficits in the aerodynamic area.
The driver's question still remains open
'The wind tunnel tires on a 50 percent scale are worse than the larger version. Because most wind tunnels are now operated with 60 percent models, Pirelli has invested more work in the appropriate tires 'specifies Brawn. Wind tunnel tires that do not flex and deform like their big brothers in the original can totally falsify the wind tunnel results. Ferrari had this problem in the 2005 season.
One of the items on the agenda for a better future is said to have been the personality of Lewis Hamilton. But whether the 2008 world champion finds his way to Mercedes is only up to a point in the hands of the strategists in Brackley and Stuttgart. The rumor exchange in the paddock reports that McLaren has significantly improved its offer. A lot of money has already covered up many an interpersonal problem.
