That's a great move for both Brawn and Mercedes.
Brawn (and Fry) took over the Honda F1 team for nothing, they also got the team's finances assured for this season and now Mercedes are set to buy 75% of it (supposedly for quite a lot of money) and insure the future of the team.
After only one year of ownership Brawn will have probably won the championship, will own 25% of a team with a future in F1 and become rich in the process! This looks even too good to be true.
OK, but what does Mercedes do with their 40% share of McLaren? I would definitely not want to see another 2-team tango - the RBR/STR tie-up is already yielding one team whose role is defined as "junior." It would also be disheartening to see McLaren fall on hard times the way Williams has.
I would really rather not see major manufacturers owning teams. Provide engines/drive systems? Good. Add major sponsorship? Fine. But owning teams outright seems to only end in tears.
ClarkFan
This is certainly making BMW look like idiots, and I'm not talking about the F1 team but about the board that decided to pull the plug on the F1 operation, or maybe they will change their tune by the end of the season?!Quote:
Originally Posted by SGWilko
Imagine Mercedes would have backed Sauber to take over BMW F1! I'm more of a BMW fan than Mercedes but I would have still been laughing for ages.
Why would Mercedes want a majority stake in Brawn GP? It does not make sense.
Mercedes-Benz is ideally set up with one of the top teams in motor racing. It has a long time partner with Mansour Onjeh's TAG and is supplying the team leading the f1 championship.
Also, it is being wooed by other good teams and is clearly the engine of the series.
This is the traditional peak of the silly season - Italian Grand Prix at Monza - so until Norbert Haug make the announcement, in which case I would question his sanity, this is all someone with nothing to do in the press making up story lines.
Because they always wanted to do that with McLaren but were refused?! Just my opinion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint Devote
Maybe they have grown tired of some of the shenanigans at McLaren? Are they the same team without Ron Dennis at the helm? Does someone see greener pastures in the future for Mercedes in F1 under the direction of Ross Brawn?
Mercedes may be buying in, but it's supposedly with Abu Dhabi money, so who is really buying into the team?
The issue of who pays is at the core.
How does Mercedes own 75% of a team when the money is from Abu Dahbi? It is a gift? Has Mercedes become an employee of the investor?
This would place Mercedes in a curious position in that it would be even weaker than at Mclaren.
For years, Mercedes has had the association with Mansour Onjeh. He has credibility through his finding of the TAG company that engineered the Mclaren Porsche success and this was carried on to MB.
Mercedes are not about to turn their back on Mclaren or Onjeh. Why? It does not make sense.
By all means form a technology partnership with Brawn - it was the MBHEP center that saved Brawn based on trust at the end of 2008.
The Mercedes engine people trusted Ross because of his credibility based on his achievements and, they are not about to turn their backs on a tried and tested winning partnership, Mclaren, for what is a green project that includes risks long past reduced.
If they were to, they realize the sacrifice it would entail and therefore they would lose.
I cannot believe that the story is correct.
In a way Mercedes and Mclaren splitting up would be good for F1, since Mclaren is such a strong organisation that it really doesn't need Mercedes to be competitive and Merc moving to Brawn would quarantee that they will be strong in the future. We would have more competitive cars then. The possibility o a pull out for "strategy reasons" is still there, however, and that's why I don't like these car companies buying majority stakes.Quote:
Originally Posted by nigelred5
Who cares where the money comes from?Quote:
Originally Posted by nigelred5
Companies almost always buy with money from banks or other investors, they don't have a safe full with money just for the case when they decide to buy something.
To begin with, a corporate leak of this magnitude is very unlike Mercedes Benz. Even a wet behind the ears coporate financier would view this as clumsy and amateurish to say the elast.
It really does not make operational or financial sense. The cultural strength contained in the Mclaren Mercedes racing relationahip and everything that it entails is not created either easily or guaranteed.
And wherethe money comes from is fundamental because it defines the relationship. "An Abu Dhabi investor".......
Until Norbert Haug or someone from the board of MB makes this announcement I will not believe this story.
It would be the worst example of coprorate finance incompetence and I would be really disappointed in Mercedes Benz from that aspect.