Michael Schumacher is expecting a difficult race at Monza next weekend as he believes his W01 will not be well-suited to the track.
The next race in Monza might well be entertaining in a very different way as I expect it to be a real challenge for our team. We have seen already several times this year that circuits with characteristics like those of Monza do not really play in our hands.
Of course, we will go there prepared to try hard to achieve the maximum we can from our package and we will see to what extent we can achieve that and fight our way through.
On a personal level, I am very much looking forward to returning to Monza where I have been supported so warmly over so many years.
Michael Schumacher
Mercedes is believed to have the most powerful engine in F1, which should be a benefit at Monza where top speed is very important. But Mercedes haven’t been as quick in a straight line as customer teams McLaren and Force India have.
They have had a blown rear wing (a.k.a. F-duct) on their car for several races. But as the W01 does not have a shark fin the ducting for the wing is not as straight as it is on their rivals’ cars and therefore probably less efficient.
2010 Italian Grand Prix
Icthyes (@icthyes)
3rd September 2010, 10:38
I would have thought that being designed around Jenson Button and last year’s Brawn car being great at Monza, Mercedes would have a good chance at knocking at Red Bull’s/Ferrari’s door come race day. Or is Schumacher playing down what he expects to be a bad performance?
I’m really disappointed with Mercedes this year. Sure the car suits neither driver but it doesn’t look like they’ve down their best to work around that. Perhaps it’s best for the Brawn legend that they were taken over this year.
Scribe (@scribe)
3rd September 2010, 11:33
The problem appears to be that the car is ridiculously inefficient. It has the most powerfull engine in F1, It looks bulkier and less defined than the BGP01 did, harldy a help to cutting through the air, and of course way down on downforce.
Really, next year is the test for Mercedes, whether they turn out to be an actually contender or not comes down to whether there design department is acutally worth a damn, or whether it needs 500million to make a car that can go round corners.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
3rd September 2010, 18:27
Indeed. If they can’t get the car designed around Schumi next year we may see him step out.
fadi
5th September 2010, 9:08
building a good car does not cost 500 millions and that was prooved with toyota.
it is much much cheaper……….they should get the service of the genius adrian newey.
Mike
5th September 2010, 15:49
I think he is criticising that Brawn’s success was the result of a particularly large sending figure from Honda the previous year.
LewisC
3rd September 2010, 10:48
Should be interesting. Schumi likes a twitchy car… could run with almost no wing for the speed, and just hold on to it through the corners?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
3rd September 2010, 11:01
Problem is, 23 other drivers will all be doing the same thing.
bosyber
3rd September 2010, 11:19
And many of those will have a car with less drag. I hope the Monza fans find it in their harts to cheer for their old champion, Mercedes fans won’t have much to cheer for with their team, I think.
Steezy
4th September 2010, 0:51
I bet all the Mercedes fans are just ex Brawn/Honda fans. I doubt there’s much German support for Mercedes GP as a team, I can’t see how it’s German at all.
You could say the same about Force India, but they actively go out of their way to still promote themselves in India and as the Indian F1 team. Whereas Mercedes just seem to expect that they’re seen as a classic German F1 team or something. Really it’s just Brackley.
They bought the wrong team in F1, they would have been better off making their own F1 team from scratch in Germany. Would have cost a hell of a lot more, but that’s how real manufacturers holds do it.
Steezy
4th September 2010, 0:52
that’s how real manufacturers do it*
:P
Mike
5th September 2010, 15:55
Merc won’t last in F1, a few years without winning the championship and they will leave, very Toyota like… You can just smell it in how the team talks about itself.
Lotus, Virgin and HRT I think will all stay in as long as they can…. I know you can’t stop teams buying other teams out, but starting from scratch as the new teams have guarantees their intentions are good for the sport.
BasCB
4th September 2010, 13:30
Probably only McLaren might run with the F-duct at Monza though. The rest already confirmed their be running without it.
But Italian fans might just as well Boo Schumi for going to Mercedes and leaving Ferrari out in the cold.
John H
6th September 2010, 9:32
I think McLaren have confirmed they are running without it too (although I can’t remember where I read it).
BasCB
6th September 2010, 9:49
McLaren confirmed they have the Monza package without F-Duct. After that was said in the press Withmarsh stated, that it’s only an option not run without F-duct and they will evaluate on Friday.
John H
6th September 2010, 10:10
ah… thanks. Sounds like a sensible plan.
antonyob
3rd September 2010, 11:57
schumacher looks like hes driving a jelly car thru custard most of the time this season. The shame is they had a car that Rosberg could drive and have since spent all their time trying to get it to Schumachers tastes.
Marco
3rd September 2010, 13:55
It can be true, as Monza is not far away from characteristic of Montreal, where Mercedes wasn t the fourth best team… Personally, I don t expect them in the top10 at least in qualifying… In race can anything happen, the first two corners are quite tough after the start, so lets see…:)
Todfod
3rd September 2010, 21:39
I agree. I dont expect Mercedes to be very competitive at Monza. Rosberg should make it to Q3, but Schumi will probably make a Q2 exit ,and struggle at the back of the pack for most of the race. I think he was kind of preparing us for another dismal performance.
DaveW
3rd September 2010, 14:25
This epidemic of tummy-aches about Monza is getting out of hand. Does anyone expect to do OK, besides McLaren?
As for Schumacher, it just seems like in the olden days he would be personally rousting the engineers from bed pre-dawn to rework the car to his liking, to exploit loopholes—and to hide tungsten ingots in his teammate’s chassis. That’s what made him such an infuriating and scary opponent. You just knew you probably werent working as hard as him no matter what you did. Now he just seems tired and resigned, and ordinary.
daykind (@)
4th September 2010, 12:10
Ferrari expect to be strong. Or at least, they should be. As should Force India.
Sush Meerkat
4th September 2010, 12:34
Interesting thing about the Mercedes factory team is that they have stuck with that funky airbox this year, while innovative its nothing compared to the F-Duct and blown diffuser… its the fact that they stuck with it that gets me since next year no F-ducts!.
BasCB
4th September 2010, 13:32
I also keep thinking (or just hoping) their on to something for next year. Maybe their passive wing stalling device would also be allowed next year?
And i think the KERS unit might be something Schumi will like to play with a bit.
Mrs Gail j Gray
6th September 2010, 9:09
I feel that next year in 2011 Michael will aim for his 8th World title and quit for good, and if he does i do not blame him after all, formula 1 is now becoming very bitchy.If he has a descent car this year he would of got his 8th World title. never mind i still wish him luck whatever car and year he races for to me his number 1 and nobody will ever beat his records.
John H
6th September 2010, 9:35
“.If he has a descent car this year he would of got his 8th World title.”
We have seen he has been slower than Rosberg for most of the season (if not pretty much all of it), so I don’t see how that comment can be made.
He was number 1 yes, but so was Stirling Moss and we won’t be seeing him in a Mercedes next year. Schumacher and Mercedes need to move on and think ahead, not try to design a car around a driver for one season only.