F1 Mercedes still united – Norbert Haug
After an unbelievably great debut season last year, Mercedes has been struggling severely this year, as they have not been able to even compete with the top running teams this year. None of the two Mercedes drivers has been able to score a single win this
season. Nico Rosberg finished in the podium in only three races but the long awaited return of Michael Schumacher was a disappointment, as the German has not been able to bag a single victory. The team has been struggling considerably and team boss Ross Brawn
has not been able to come up with any schemes yet. As the season is almost near its end, Mercedes has pinned its championship hopes on next season, as the team claims that it has already started working on next year’s car in order to ensure a top-running performance
next season.
Since Michael Schumacher has not been able to perform up to the mark, many rumours regarding his departure from the team started regulating and it seemed that the team might be interested in replacing the 7-time world champion. Michael is struggling to beat
his teammate Nico Rosberg, and he claims that his car was made for Jenson’s liking of understeer. This was a huge threat for Schumacher, as he has signed a 3-year contract with the team and if the team decides to replace him, Michael will have a very frustrating
departure from the sport. After the Singapore grand prix, it seemed that there is a lot of discord inside the team but Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug stated that this is not the case and the team has everything under control.
About two weeks ago at the Italian grand prix, there were many rumours that Michael Schumacher may quite like his boss Ross Brawn by the end of the 2010 season. These rumours took effect after reports stated that Ross Brawn and Norbert Haug are having a
tough time coming to an agreement over deciding which direction the team should take for the future.
“We have full confidence in Ross. Work for the future is going well. It is normal that rumours come and go. I've heard rumours about Michael, about me and about Ross. When I say no, I mean no, and when I say yes, I mean yes. My answer is no; there are no
cracks in the relationship”, Haug told a newspaper agent.
There were many rumours that the team is also having some problems with Daimler but Haug insists that the commitment between Mercedes-Benz and its parent company Daimler is stable and there are no problems.
“The automotive industry has gone through a crisis, and several other manufacturers have left F1. Mercedes is committed to the future of this sport. We do not yet have a winning team, but we are putting in the work to become a winning team”, Haug said.
Michael Schumacher stated that he believes in the team and is fully committed to the team. Even though the German has been performing like a rookie this season, he still believes that he has the “it” factor and will come back next season. He believes that
he is going to stay with the team until his contract ends as he told the reporters. “You cannot get rid of me, let's put it this way”.
The German said that the team’s goal is of course, to win the championship and they will have to work on next year’s car as soon as possible. However, he stated that it is a process that requires some time in order to maximise their opportunity in deciding
early to prepare for the 2011 season.
“The process has started naturally whereas the teams that are contending for the championship have to keep doing a programme, we hope that will give us a slight advantage for restarting in 2011”, he added.
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