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Question about the Mercedes Formula 1 team......

Posted on 7/8/20 at 1:11 pm
Posted by JohnnyBgood
South Louisiana
Member since May 2010
4287 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 1:11 pm
I’m trying to get into F1 this year, which I thought this past weekend’s race was phenomenal, however I don’t quite understand why the Mercedes cars are so much faster than everyone else’s?

What is the rule when it come to engines, chassis and performance features on these cars? Assuming they are not all alike such as NASCAR, but do the rules allow the rich teams to have an unfair advantage?

Please excuse my ignorance on this subject.
Posted by BigWillieStyle
Member since Dec 2019
1703 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 1:12 pm to
Money
An army of workers, engineers, analysts etc.
Hamilton
Toto Wolff
Combo of those things
This post was edited on 7/8/20 at 1:25 pm
Posted by JohnnyBgood
South Louisiana
Member since May 2010
4287 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 1:23 pm to
Ok so the playing field is not level? Best money can buy like the NFL or NBA?
Posted by BigWillieStyle
Member since Dec 2019
1703 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 1:28 pm to
They all run similar engines that have to meet certain specs I believe. You can’t just build some monster and run it. I think Mercedes runs the same power units that racing point is this year.
This post was edited on 7/8/20 at 1:32 pm
Posted by JohnnyKilroy
Cajun Navy Vice Admiral
Member since Oct 2012
35316 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 1:33 pm to
F1 is very much a pay to win sport at this point unfortunately.

Mercedes has dumped an assload of money into their team, so while merc is pushing the boundaries of what a car can do under the rules, all the other teams are just trying to catch up to where merc was a year ago.
Posted by WildcatMike
Lexington, KY
Member since Dec 2005
41546 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 1:48 pm to
quote:

Money
An army of workers, engineers, analysts etc.
Hamilton
Toto Wolff
Combo of those things


This


Plus now the have DAS this year...other teams do not.
Posted by TheArrogantCorndog
Highland Rd
Member since Sep 2009
14814 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 1:55 pm to

Merc has years of spending hundreds of millions in development of their car over the recent years... aero, drive train, tech, etc

Also, having 2 really good drivers doesn't hurt either


all teams run a similar spec engine, but there are only 4 engine providers at the moment... Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault, and Honda

Next year there will be a cost cap of 145 Million (I believe), which will help to bridge the gap between the haves and have nots
Posted by JohnnyBgood
South Louisiana
Member since May 2010
4287 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 2:25 pm to
quote:

Next year there will be a cost cap of 145 Million (I believe), which will help to bridge the gap between the haves and have nots


I did hear them talking about this so it’ll definitely be interesting so see if the other teams can catch up.

Thanks for the info guys
Posted by BigWillieStyle
Member since Dec 2019
1703 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 2:34 pm to
Next year will have a big driver shakeup as well
Posted by Harry Caray
Denial
Member since Aug 2009
18648 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 2:37 pm to
quote:

Next year there will be a cost cap of 145 Million (I believe), which will help to bridge the gap between the haves and have nots

That's great to hear. Between this and NASCAR's schedule shakeup/Gen 7 next year should be really fun for racing
Posted by WildcatMike
Lexington, KY
Member since Dec 2005
41546 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 2:51 pm to
quote:

Next year will have a big driver shakeup as well


Freaking Alonso coming back to Renault...Carlos blocking for Lec...and Danny playing 2cd fiddle to Lando. Love to see Seb join Racing Point and get daddy boy Lance out of F1.
Posted by TheArrogantCorndog
Highland Rd
Member since Sep 2009
14814 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 3:07 pm to
quote:

Freaking Alonso coming back to Renault..


Alonso vs Cyril is going to make Drive to Survive a must watch
Posted by cascade
Ruston
Member since Nov 2011
340 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 3:25 pm to
Last I heard, all the 2021 rules changes got pushed back to 2022 because of Corona virus. But yea, the new rule changes should spice things up a bit.
Posted by FightinTigersDammit
Louisiana North
Member since Mar 2006
34653 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 4:54 pm to
quote:

Next year there will be a cost cap of 145 Million (I believe), which will help to bridge the gap between the haves and have nots


How is this going to be enforced?
Posted by YF12
Ottobaan
Member since Nov 2019
4451 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 5:01 pm to
quote:

How is this going to be enforced?



With lots of wishful thinking
Posted by FightinTigersDammit
Louisiana North
Member since Mar 2006
34653 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 5:02 pm to
quote:

With lots of wishful thinking
Posted by BlueWaffleHouse
LA
Member since Jul 2012
1848 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 5:50 pm to
quote:

I’m trying to get into F1 this year, which I thought this past weekend’s race was phenomenal, however I don’t quite understand why the Mercedes cars are so much faster than everyone else’s?


The TLDR version: they’re better because of the name: ROSS BRAWN

Most current F1 teams are on the grid as repackaged versions of older teams sold off...

This current Mercedes team actually started in the 70s as Tyrell Racing. A successful team w/ Sir Jackie Stewart winning a bunch of ships...

They sold to British American Tobacco (BAT) around 2000 and they partnered with Honda for engines. Longer story short(ish),Honda buys the team outright in 2006 — weren’t very successful, but were the first team to start development on a KERS (Hybrid) system in 2007 and Hired a guy named Ross Brawn as technical director.

[Brawn was The man behind Michael Schumacher’s success @ Ferrari.]

After only 3 years, Honda abruptly pulled out of F1 citing the financial crisis, and sold the team outright to Brawn.

Brawn has been working on the aero for the 2009 season in all of 2008 considering that season a wash.

Then he partners w/ Mercedes for engines. He Shows up with a mostly sponsorless car in 2009 and Wins the drivers & constructors championships after exploiting an aero loophole. Search: “Double Diffuser”

He sells the team outright to Mercedes in 2010, and remained there for a bit (I believe he’s still a minority partner even though he’s Sporting Director is F1 now)....

So it’s believed a combo of Mercedes dumping millions into the team + having a leg up (5+ years developing a hybrid engine on the field) + Brawn’s “rules expertise” ....when the new Hybrid powered turbo engines (KERS) Regs came fo be in 2014, Mercedes had every competitive advantage possible.

And they’ve won every single constructors and drivers championship since.

End Story time/

This post was edited on 7/8/20 at 5:51 pm
Posted by theone
LSU
Member since Nov 2005
1812 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 6:19 pm to
Well said Blue!

Brawn was with Merc for a while prior to the spec change. Basically did nothing but work on the car for the current specs. No one has caught up and both drivers are really really good.
Posted by southernelite
Dallas
Member since Sep 2009
53177 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 6:46 pm to
Definitely have a technical know-how advantage. Some other teams have deep pockets too and are clueless.

Whatever Ferrari did to their engines over the offseason was terrible.
Posted by JohnnyBgood
South Louisiana
Member since May 2010
4287 posts
Posted on 7/8/20 at 7:40 pm to
I feel kind of bad for the American Haas team. The Netflix series kept showing how terrible their pit crews and drivers were. They couldn’t even get the damn lug nuts on the car correctly.
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