You should be able to expect big things from Mercedes as a racing team. They practically invented the car, with Daimler and Benz being the two main pioneers in the development of the combustion engine, and throughout the 20th century they trounced the racing world. The name Mercedes was taken on in honour of their champion race car of the same name from 1902, which shows just how grounded they are in this type of competitive history.
That said, when Mercedes returned to F1 in 2009 there were a lot of ups and downs. The company had worked on the peripheries of the competition for many years without having an outright team of its own. In fact it was Mercedes' engines that lead Brawn GP to victory, though the cars didn't bear any Mercedes advertising, much to the company's annoyance. The decision to return with the 'Silver Arrows' racing team was brought about by big changes in the rules of F1 which allowed a lot more profit for companies involved, and restrictions on the amount of team money put in.
When Schumacher returned to motor racing with the team it caused quite a stir, which was quickly tempered by disappointment. There were a lot of issues with the way the cars were being set up, and the W01 itself seemed to be a difficult machine to handle. In addition to this team mate Rosberg did considerably better, consistently beating Schumacher on qualifiers, whatever the apparent confusion is the mechanics department. The team's performance in 2011 was more convincing, despite no podium finishes. They're certainly 'the best of the rest' after the big three.
But will we see more of the same in 2012? The answer is fairly open to opinion. The big three are going to be really hard to crack. Drivers and cars are just too far ahead of what the rest of the board can do, and Mercedes seemed curiously half-committed to winning in the way they have invested in the team. However, they've polished up their act a bit by hiring Geoff Willis, Aldo Costa and Bob Bell, who should sort out mechanics, aerodynamics and direction respectively.
Schumacher has also said that winter trials are going well, and there's less of a problem with technical issues, such as wheel wear and tear. So, we'll have to see how that translates to their performance against the top three this time round.
That said, when Mercedes returned to F1 in 2009 there were a lot of ups and downs. The company had worked on the peripheries of the competition for many years without having an outright team of its own. In fact it was Mercedes' engines that lead Brawn GP to victory, though the cars didn't bear any Mercedes advertising, much to the company's annoyance. The decision to return with the 'Silver Arrows' racing team was brought about by big changes in the rules of F1 which allowed a lot more profit for companies involved, and restrictions on the amount of team money put in.
When Schumacher returned to motor racing with the team it caused quite a stir, which was quickly tempered by disappointment. There were a lot of issues with the way the cars were being set up, and the W01 itself seemed to be a difficult machine to handle. In addition to this team mate Rosberg did considerably better, consistently beating Schumacher on qualifiers, whatever the apparent confusion is the mechanics department. The team's performance in 2011 was more convincing, despite no podium finishes. They're certainly 'the best of the rest' after the big three.
But will we see more of the same in 2012? The answer is fairly open to opinion. The big three are going to be really hard to crack. Drivers and cars are just too far ahead of what the rest of the board can do, and Mercedes seemed curiously half-committed to winning in the way they have invested in the team. However, they've polished up their act a bit by hiring Geoff Willis, Aldo Costa and Bob Bell, who should sort out mechanics, aerodynamics and direction respectively.
Schumacher has also said that winter trials are going well, and there's less of a problem with technical issues, such as wheel wear and tear. So, we'll have to see how that translates to their performance against the top three this time round.
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