As McLaren prepare to confirm details of their latest road car, their F1 engine supplier Mercedes is about to get into bed with a rival team. Production of the last McLaren-Mercedes road vehicle collaboration, the SLR, is coming to an end.
Are Mercedes strengthening their ties with Brawn at the expense of their McLaren association? More on this story and others in the daily links round-up.
Mercedes-Benz set to become a shareholder in Brawn GP F1 team
!As well as McLaren and Brawn, Mercedes is expected to continue supplying Force India's engines and is believed to be in negotiations with Red Bull over a fourth customer engine deal. […] Telegraph Sport understands that instead of the standard €5 million fee for a customer engine deal, Red Bull may carry the Mercedes-Benz logo on the front of its cars, particularly attractive to Mercedes as one of Red Bull's drivers is German star Sebastian Vettel. It is the same reason Mercedes is understood to want Williams' Nico Rosberg to move to either McLaren or Brawn.!
Renault Brings Back KERS For Monza
"Renault is to run KERS on its cars at Monza, having not used the system for several races."
"Cosworth has announced the appointment of Mark Gallagher as the leader of its Formula 1 Business Unit."
Giancarlo Fisichella has no plans to replace Felipe Massa at Ferrari
Giancarlo Fisichella on Felipe Massa: "I responded that I'm very sorry about what happened to him and told him to get better soon. 'Whenever you want your car come and take it because this is yours. I just hope I can do what you would have done.'"
Brilliant Bourdais is back with a bang
"Sebastien Bourdais shrugged off his Formula One nightmare and rediscovered the taste of champagne by winning the 100,000 Euro ‘dash for the cash’ final as Superleague Formula visited Estoril in Portugal."
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Bartholomew
8th September 2009, 2:30
I think it would be GREAT if Mercedes seriously bought into Brawn, even taking over in the end. Maybe it will be the Mercedes-Brawn team or simply Mercedes one day. This is a marriage of the best.
The cars could look beautiful, a combination of silver and metallic green, with touches of maybe racing stripes in white. The correct green colour coud be that of the recent Jaguar F1, not the lime green of Brawn. The wheels, in shiny silver – chrome.
This would be a dream team all the way ! with class and talent
If this comes to be, I wish that Alonso does not go to Ferrari and goes instead with Mercedes – Brawn. I am very bored with the idea of Alonso with Ferrari.
Cheers to both Mercedes and Brown ! this is a GOOD idea.
Tmax
8th September 2009, 3:13
Rosberg – Button driven Mercedes Brawn Team
Vettel – Webber Driven Red Bull Mercedes Team
Sutil – Lucci Driven Force India Mercedes Team
Hamilton – Glock or Hiedfield Driven Mclaren Mercedes Team
That looks really reasonable. A German at the wheels of Every Mercedes Team….. !!!!
I think Mercedes is the wisest of the manufacturers making the best out of the recession and the calamities surrounding other manufacturers.
More than all that. They have their eggs in many baskets so that they don’t have to live to the tunes of Mclaren anymore.
MARK
8th September 2009, 5:13
Pure speculation as yet ,even though mariage is easier than divorce .Remember chrysler benz?with the right recipe they could make it happen
DC
8th September 2009, 5:23
I don’t get it. What does Mercedes get from an equity deal with Brawn that they don’t get from McLaren?
TMAX
8th September 2009, 5:30
lesser controversies and peace of mind :)
Bigbadderboom
8th September 2009, 9:21
It widens their appeal and helps the teams, it’s fundamentally win win, unless their get embroiled in controversy. It’s the sam with Red Bull who may potentially carry the Merc badge in at least part payment for the engines, it helps control costs on both sides, and has mutual benefit.
ajokay
8th September 2009, 10:00
I don’ understand why the customer teams don’t display the engine manufacturer’s name bigger on the car, like in the 80’s and 90’s. If I was Mercedes, I would request as part of the engine deal with Brawn that the Three-Pointed Star was displayed on the nosecone and engine cover.
Williams and Red Bull have ‘Powered by Toyota/Renault’ respectively somewhere on the engine covers, but they’re so small, and nothing on the nosecone. It all used to be so standard.
DC
8th September 2009, 11:08
I assume a bit of negotiating goes on in regards to paying for the engines. A prominent display of the Mercedes logo on a car might result in a discount for the engines. It is all part of the process of providing a service and how it is paid for. (Think IndyCar, where the Honda name and logo is in standard locations on each driver’s fire suit and each car.)
I can see this happening in a normal supplier – customer relationship, but if Mercedes is buying an equity position in Brawn then these lines are blurred.
I still don’t get why Mercedes would want an ownership position in multiple teams but not even own one outright. Mercedes isn’t like Red Bull, which is mainly controlled by one person who can spend how he likes and not justify it to powerful shareholders.
DGR-F1
8th September 2009, 8:20
Theres no reason why Mercedes shouldn’t have a stake in any of the teams it supplies engines to, and it wouldn’t mean that any team has either lost favour or gained favour.
It makes you wonder why Ferrari, Renault and Toyota haven’t been thinking along the same lines. If FOTA want to be more dominant in the coming seasons, and the engine suppliers want to keep their factories working, shouldn’t all the existing engine manufacturers be courting the new teams for 2010 and beyond away from Cosworth, or doing new deals with the existing teams?
No doubt, once Mercedes has three or four deals in place, the likes of Ferrari will be crying foul, purely because they didn’t think of it first!
PJA
8th September 2009, 10:05
I read that all the manufacturers were courting USF1 about supplying engines because of the marketing potential in the US of a link up with the team. This was before they had signed with Cosworth so I don’t know if it was all just rumour or as USF1 needed an engine deal before being granted a place by the FIA if they could only manage to sign one with Cosworth.
UnicornF1
8th September 2009, 12:01
Keith it is “Mercedes” not “Merecedes” in the title :p
I hope next year to see “the Mercedes” team…
…until then I support whoever run on its engines!
Chaz
8th September 2009, 19:03
Mercedes have always wanted more control over/at McLaren, (much like BMW wanted with Williams and didn’t get), so I see this as Mercedes positioning themselves to take over and run the Brawn team at some point in the future. Ross will pocket himself a nice little earner for sure…
Bartholomew
8th September 2009, 21:36
Not only is Ross a great engineer, but also a great businessman. He will make money AND remain the boss at the outfit.
Good for him – a fellow with talent
DGR-F1
9th September 2009, 8:30
It has also occured to me that maybe Mercedes are going to reduce their interest in McLaren slightly, though still be in partnership.
We have been wondering about three car teams and the possibility of 1-2-3 finishes by the same team, but now aren’t we liable to keep seeing a Mercedes powered 1-2-3 at every race?
Steph90
9th September 2009, 17:30
Swiss report for Rosberg to Brawn, well mercedes did want a German.
Williams and FI rejoin Fota.
Wesley
9th September 2009, 23:04
Well,I will say it…congrats to Bourdais!
Bourdais is a racer through and through and I wish him the best.I suppose F1 just wasn’t his bag.