Head-to-head with Ross Brawn and Norbert Haug: Mercedes future is safe
Mercedes has slugged through a bland Formula One season this year, with the anticipated comeback of Michael Schumacher falling far short of expectation due to the veteran’s severe underperformance on the track. In addition, there had been speculation that
team principal Ross Brawn and Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss, Norbert Haug, had locked horns over the current turmoil. But the Mercedes chiefs have dismissed the talk as mere rumours, claiming that the team remains stable and is working on policies which will
ensure better success next season.
“My experience is that you have a philosophy or an approach to do the job, and you follow that approach and you hope that brings the results,” Brawn explained to Autosport. “So I have a philosophy and [a] culture within the company of encouraging everyone,
helping them understand where we are not strong enough, and where we have to be better. Obviously, the majority here are people who won the championship last year, but it is an ever-evolving business. If you don’t improve your organisation as well as improve
your car, then you will fall behind.”
It has been a tough year financially for Mercedes despite last year’s thrilling win of the constructor’s championship (under Jenson Button). With the team attempting to gain stable ground after three years of changing from Honda to Brawn GP to Mercedes GP,
the company has struggled to maintain stability. But for Brawn, who has cultivated a successful stream of teams into championship calibre, Mercedes is finally on the ascending path.
“I think for sure we are now in a much better position in terms of building a company for the future,” he reflected. “Last year was a fairy story, but this time last year we had just started getting an inkling that we didn’t know where we would be. We didn’t
know what the future held. We do know now and we are taking advantage of those opportunities to build the strongest team we can for the future. That means finding all the opportunities we can have within Daimler, as well as just the racing team. Daimler has
got a fantastic portfolio library of technology that we need to tap into – and we have started that process now. And that is really exciting for me because I have seen many times in the past that if you manage that, then it is a real asset to the company.”
Brawn also re-enforced that team rapport remains virtually unscathed by Mercedes’ recent troubles, stating that his work relationship with Haug was up to par. “There is no problem between Norbert and me,” he insisted. “We are both unhappy about the results.
We show occasionally, but we both work together – and we are going to make this thing succeed. We have known each other a very long time but things are not quite right yet, and we are all building together to put the structure and organisation in place that
we want for the future. And when you get that ball rolling, then it is very powerful.”
"It [last year] was a difficult period of time for this team, being very successful on the one side but not knowing what the future would bring,” Haug added, echoing Brawn’s perspective. “You saw other manufacturers chose to stop their involvement in F1,
and I think it is very positive that Mercedes is committed for the future. We have a great team, great assets and it was a win-win situation. It is not yet a win situation on the race track, but we will do that and I am absolutely sure of it. We trust absolutely
in Ross and the technical team. I think we work together in an excellent way in all the areas. And of course, it is a learning process for all of us.”
Haug also expressed his thoughts on the nature of the rumours. “That rumours are coming out is normal. We heard rumours about Michael [Schumacher], we heard rumours about us. I think it is fair to ask the question [but] I think there is one rule – if we
say yes is it yes, if we say no it is no, and if we say no comment then you can speculate. The clear answer: no, there are no frictions. But yes, we want to do a better job in the future.”
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