Source: bbc sportnews

By sessions
November 21 2011

An in house battle between our team mates hit the public with an outburst of risky driving on the opining lap in Abu Dhabi.

It was Rosberg who staked his claim to the team’s no.1 status. Nico prevailed the intense driving but was nearly driven off the track by Michael approaching turn 8 at the end of the long straight. Nico went on to finish 23 seconds ahead of the seven times World Champion. It would have been a closer finish had there not been a slow puncture for Schumacher that exaggerated the time difference.

Abu Dhabi was the reverse of two weeks previous in India where Schumacher dogged Nico most of the race and went ahead to stay in front for final in the final stops.

In August Jock Clear became Michael’s performance engineer with race engineer Peter Bonnigton who replaced Mike Slade. Since then Michael’s performance has steadily improved.

Even though Nico’s qualifying has been consistently faster, Michael’s race pace has been stronger. Michael’s ability to improve on grid positions on the first lap has helped him match his younger team mate much more than last year.

The Shumi-Clear-Bonnigton partnership has become a team within a team determined to beat the team across the garage, by finding the sweet spot in the cars set up and tire management.

It was MS’s gentler tire usage that allowed him the edge in India.

The reversal of positions in the delay of 2 seconds in Nico’s final pit stop might suggest a

MS conspiracy rather than a healthy rivalry, but the team insists the team mate competition is on the up and up.

If there are things that Shumi does better it’s up to Nico to understand them and incorporate them into his own game plan.

Because of Mercedes GP’s isolation of being slower than Ferrari but a lot faster than Force India and Renault the qualifying difference should hurt the older man more than it actually has. In an example such as in Abu Dhabi Schumacher was 0.9 seconds slower than Nico, yet that translated into only one grid spot. But the colossus Schumacher bestrode to F1 prior to his first retirement has not yet appeared this time around.

So, the stage is set in Brazil for internal team supremacy. Let’s just hope both combatants finish strongly without Mercedes GP experiencing any misfortune resulting from over aggressiveness of our drivers. So it’s time to buckle up and enjoy the season’s closing race.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE MICHAEL/NICO SHOOT OUT ?

Discussion started by TotalMercedesGP.com - Mercedes GP New (IP Logged), 21/11/2011 17:21

TotalMercedesGP.com - Mercedes GP New
21/11/2011 17:21

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f2005
22/11/2011 05:56

Never knew there was a shoot out. Also, what will it look like for Merc to announce a deal with Nico who is overshadowed by his older team mate

If you look at the start again, MS was very kind to leave the door open when we all know he takes no prisoners when you try passing him lol

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Timba7
22/11/2011 07:58

If only the car was fast enough. I mean they could try thes different strategies while fighting for podiums and wins.

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In The Pits
01/12/2011 08:13

Well done to Nico for finishing above MS despite the car being well, lets just say - more to Michael's liking. So in their two years together Nico has finished both seasons with more points, qualified far better and made better use of the car.

Unfortunately, we are still stuck in that no-mans-land between the top three teams and the others. Same old same old really.

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sessions
01/12/2011 16:45

Well it can be viewed as the cup half full or half empty IMO.
Choose your side of the issue.

I feel MGP will field a better 2012 car,but the same question will prevail. How much Better ?

It's car issue, not a driver shortcoming. This year our drivers put the car in the exact pecking order it was capable of achieving. On the rare occasion even better.

2011 is toast, on to next year.

sessions

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In The Pits
02/12/2011 18:06

I've heard all that for the past two years and nothing improves, nothing at all. MGP are stuck in no-mans-land over a second slower than the top three teams and half a second faster than any of the following teams. There is no racing, they just drive the cars around and as long as they don't crash - yes you schumacher you f@cking idiot - they get to finish the season in 4th place. Brilliant, for what? so mercedes can parade in the shop window.

In truth, Nico is an also-ran who cant get a seat anywhere better, he cant even replace massa who's now frikkin useless, and schumacher is just an over the hill mentally inadequate who's big fat arrogant head doesn't know when to give up.

MGP are a waste of time, Honda should have sold the factory to Tescos, at least we could have got something out of it.

Pits,
Hope you enjoy the long off season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years.

sessions



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011:12:03:02:40:58 by sessions.

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sessions
03/12/2011 02:34

Great dissertation Pits.

You are f@cking banned !

sessions

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Well Well
03/12/2011 05:23

Sessions, I think he's a secret Rubens fan lol...
probably cannot accept that Schumi gets a drive just by saying so and Rubens insists to hang on while his team clearly refuses to renew his contract...

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Well Well
03/12/2011 08:45

If you actually look at how MS did, last year half the points of Nico, this year almost got him 13 points adrift, next year he might actually beat him!
Either MS is getting better or Nico is doing worse. So far it seems they both got the best they could from the car so I prefer to think the first is the real reason.
Obviously some around here just couldn't take it by the looks of it

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Parminio_USA
03/12/2011 15:09

Schumi did do better this year, especially in the 2nd half, but Mercedes are still struggling big time.

I had mentioned this, but it's worth mentioning again: I don't think Mercedes ever really had the first clue about car design. They CONSTANTLY got in rows over at McLaren by wanting more input, and it constantly seemed as though any time they got what they wanted it turned into a disaster.

It seems to me now that the same thing is happening over at the old Brawn/Honda camp. Every time they want to go thier own direction, it seems to end in tears.

I would love to know just exactly how many folks that built designed the Brawn car actually got some input into the Mercedes cars of the last two years.

I'm willing to bet it's minimal at best. Mercedes has, historically, ALWAYS over-engineered EVERYTHING. Even in their road cars today, they're an electronics nightmare. Half the features work at will, and when they do they normally do more harm than good.

Frankly, I think Mercedes needs to get Michael and Nico together, sit them down and ask them exactly: What do you want the car to do?

Then build that car.

DO NOT build what YOU want to build. That's what Mercedes always does. They over-engineer a car on a computer and when it doesn't work in the real world, what do they do? They go right back to the computer.

I would trash the entire thing, talk to the drivers, find out what it is they need from you, and THEN build THAT car. Not yours.

You'll go straight to the front, I'm sure of it. The only problem is: How far to Mercedes have to sink before they do it?


New McLaren Fans Forum: McLaren Fans

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sessions
03/12/2011 17:38

Parm,

Who's sales numbers are at the top by a considerable amount in the luxury car line ? (Automotive News 2011 for North America)
and all the other numbers in various publications in their own languages.
I'm very sure you'll find the over engineered Mercedes in the drivers seat.

sessions

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Parminio_USA
03/12/2011 17:58

In the last 6 months, it's Audi. Mercedes are on the way out.

My old boss bought a brand new E350. It's been in the shop more than on the road. The electronics keep going gaga. Same with another person I know that bought a new CLS 3 years ago. In the shop more than on the road. The funniest thing with him was that they gave him the same car as a loaner and it too broke down.

It's not a coincidence that Audi is the number one German import of choice. BMW is just ugly as hell. Mercedes makes a good car...when it works.

That's the issue. WHEN IT WORKS.


New McLaren Fans Forum: McLaren Fans

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