Focus on the Mercedes Team
There was little reason to doubt that the Mercedes team would be ready to hit the ground running in their debut season in Formula 1 in 2010. After all, they were really a new team in name only – Mercedes had purchased the Brawn GP team, which won the Constructor’s Championship and Drivers’ Championship in 2009. Even though defending world champion Jenson Button had left the new Mercedes team for McLaren, Mercedes found an even more decorated driver to fill his shoes – seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who was lured out of a three-year retirement to join the team.
So on paper, the Mercedes team was on the fast track to succeed. However, the first part of the 2010 Formula 1 season has been anything but a success for the team – it’s been something resembling a disaster. While they were fourth in the Constructors’ Championship after nine races, they were a distant fourth and not near the top two teams of McLaren and Red Bull. Even more shocking was the fact that Schumacher was ninth in the Drivers’ Championship through nine races while his “junior” teammate Nico Rosberg was seventh and had 74 points compared to 34 for Schumacher.
Things hit a low point at the European Grand Prix on June 27 when both Schumacher and Rosberg missed the final qualifying session, ending 15th and 12th on the grid respectively. Rosberg was able to run a steady race – despite having significant problems with his brakes – and take advantage of penalties to drivers ahead of them to finish 10th. Schumacher was not so lucky, as he struggled all race and was caught out by the safety car and finished 15th. This was the worst result in Schumacher’s career for a race that he finished.
So what has happened to the Mercedes team? It’s easy to point the finger of blame at Schumacher, who has struggled to get up to speed the entire season. Even team principal Ross Brawn has admitted that Schumacher is far from where he expected to be midway through the season. Former world champion Lewis Hamilton knocked Schumacher earlier in the season, suggesting that it was difficult for him to “keep up” with younger drivers who have more hunger, desire and something to prove.
However, Brawn has refused to put the brunt of the blame on Schumacher, saying that the team has not provided him with a car that can allow him to compete with the elite teams. While there is certainly some validity to this claim, this is undercut somewhat by the relative success of Rosberg. Even though he is the clear number two driver on the team and is likely getting less attention than Schumacher, he managed to outperform Schumacher significantly throughout the first half of the season. If Rosberg is able to be competitive with “lacklustre” equipment, then why can’t Schumacher do the same thing?
One answer to this question might be less about Schumacher’s talent than the pressure on him to succeed. While Rosberg can operate in relative obscurity, there is an incredible amount of pressure on Schumacher to contend for race wins and the championship. This allows Rosberg to concentrate on driving smart and smooth races, since achieving a points-earning finish is considered a victory. Meanwhile, Schumacher and his engineers have much higher expectations on them and are forced to set up the car and drive with big results in mind. This can also create a risk vs. reward situation that can lead to missing car set-ups badly.
Based on the track records of everyone involved in the Mercedes Formula 1 team and the resources available, it’s difficult to imagine that the team won’t succeed. Schumacher himself said that he believes it will be a three-year process. Whether Mercedes officials and Formula 1 fans will have the patience needed to let Mercedes work through the kinks remains to be seen.
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